Rev. Johnson V.
10th April 2011

Today, we continue studying the parables of our Lord Jesus. This next parable is found in Mathew 13:44-46. It is a parable about the Kingdom of Heaven, where it is compared to hidden treasure and a fine pearl.

The Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ is unlike other kingdoms that we are familiar with. The Kingdom of God, does not have a geographical boundary. Every earthly kingdom had a physical boundary that clearly demarcated where the kingdom began and ended. Our Fathers’ Kingdom is not restricted to a particular geographic area, it extends all over the earth! Neither does His Kingdom have a political agenda. Every earthly kingdom, had rules and laws to ensure proper order. The proper functioning of His Kingdom is through a loving personal relationship with the King. We could go regularly to Church, but we would still be considered visitors and not permanent residents of the Kingdom of Heaven. As Nicodemus found out, residency is only granted to those who are born again (John 3), those who are born by the Spirit and by water. And when we are born again, the Kingdom of Heaven is in us and it changes us from the inside, until we look more like our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Mathew 13:44 likens the Kingdom of Heaven to treasure found in a field. The Kingdom of Heaven is a treasure, it is precious, costly and of immense value. It is not cheap, it is not a trinket, that is easily discarded. The treasure was hidden and a man found it. The treasure caught his eye, and he paid attention to what he saw. When our hearts are bent on connecting with God and we pay attention to Him, we will not miss the treasure that He has planned for us. 

And the man hid the treasure he found. The Bible tells us that the Word of God is like seeds that fell on the pathway that birds ate. We must always protect the treasure that God has placed in our lives, as there is a roaring lion who seeks to take away our treasure and devour us. We must learn to hid our treasure, to protect it and not expose it.

And the man sold all his possessions and bought the field where his treasure was hidden. To possess something of great value in our lives, we will need to give up or let go of other things. If we can only understand the value of what God is calling us to, we will be willing to give up all that we hold dear, in order to hold onto the Kingdom of Heaven. It is the most valuable pearl - bigger, brighter and better than all the other pearls that fill our lives. Let us run our race, resolutely with a single-minded determination to attain this valuable treasure that is promised us – the Kingdom of Heaven.

Romans 14:17 says the ‘Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit’. Righteousness is when our desires begin to change, when we become more like Him. We begin to desire higher things. Peace, is not only when we die and reach eternity, but even in our lives here on this earth. Joy is untarnished, unadulterated happiness that is only found in our Creator. The Kingdom of Heaven is not just our eternal abode, it is our succor in our life for today. 

Our Lord Jesus spoke at great length, to the disciples and His followers about the Kingdom of Heaven. In fact, the whole chapter of Mathew 13 is dedicated to our Lord’s teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven. Our entry into the Kingdom of Heaven is not a casual thing. It is of immense importance and value. Let us desire His Kingdom in our lives and let us put away all that stands in the way of our attaining it.