April 3, 2020 Notes Not Edited
“A Thing Most Valued”
Matthew 13:44-46
SIS – The Kingdom of Heaven is so valuable that we should be willing to
sacrifice everything—including our lives—to be part of it.
In the course of my study on the “Thing Most Valued,” I wanted to find the answerto the question: “What is the most valuable thing according to the world?” I was surprised that this is not as “clear-cut” an issue as I thought.
The most valuable item seems to
come down to a bit of a
tie between the Kohinoor Diamond and the Portuguese Diamond. The Portuguese Diamond is the “largest” in the world at 127 carats. In 1963, the Smithsonian acquired the Portuguese Diamond from a Mr. Winston in exchange for 2,400 carats of small diamonds. The other contender for the “Thing Most Valued,” is the Kohinoor Diamond. Originally believed to have been discovered in India over 5000 years ago it now resides in the Crown of Elizabeth I. All totaled, the Crown Jewels have an estimated value of as much as 20 Billion or more.
It has been said, “the one who possesses the Kohinoor Diamond” rules the world,” so I
guess that makes it the most valuable thing in the world. Unless . . . you are
dying of thirst in
the desert.
Then, a glass of water becomes the
most valuable thing in the world. Or, if you are dying of cancer, a cure becomes the most
valuable thing in the world. Or, If you they
are dying, a moment with
your loved ones becomes the most valuable thing in the world. Value, from a human perspective, is highly
relative and very fickle and fleeting.
Our text today will show us something of value that is “not relative, not fickle, and not fleeting.” This is the essence of the twin parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price. These parables show us clearly that “the most valuable thing in the world is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
So, this morning we come face to face with the most valuable thing in this world – and in the next – eternal salvation. If you miss the opportunity this morning to secure this possession for yourself, you will have lost something of eternal, priceless value.
Three great truths confront us in this passage.
1. Nothing is more VALUABLE than eternal salvation.
The key words in these two parables
are “treasure”
(v44) and “priceless pearl” (v46).
Each of these two images point to some-thing of great value, but that is
not immediately recognized as such.
Both refer to the Kingdom of Heaven directly, but also refer to the gift of
salvation through Jesus Christ that makes one a part of this Kingdom. As such, it represents something of “eternal
value.”
The treasure is referred to as “hidden.” The CSB
says it was “buried.” Buried or hidden describes the process but the original Greek word emphasizes more the purpose. The word is “krūptō” which means to “conceal or hide.” We get the words, “encrypt or cryptic” from this word. This word indicates a very special treasure hidden for a very special purpose. It was just not accidentally covered up in a field but put there for the purpose of safe-keeping and to later be recovered. In fact, interestingly the word, “hidden,” is a perfect participle that demonstrates even more clearly the purposeful, and eternal, nature of the treasure being hidden.
In those days, they did not have “banks”
as we do today. Also, wars and conflicts could mean that property could be seized at any time. Homeowners would bury their valuables in the field so they could not be stolen or otherwise confiscated. On occasion, the originally owner would die without ever retrieving the treasure. The property could pass through several hands with nobody realizing the treasure was there. Whatever the property appeared to be worth was much less than it would be if it was known the treasure was there.
By law an employee or a passerby that
came upon the treasure had to surrender it by law to the landowner. That is why the man first buys the field before lifting out the treasure. This allowed him to gain rightful ownership of the treasure.
The field represents the world and everything
represented
by worldliness. Many people live their entire lives according to the dictates and desires of the world and never realize the true treasure is found hidden in Christ. Many people live and die, some even gaining a great measure of wealth and fame, but never realizing or possessing anything of eternal value. It is possible, in fact likely, that a person can gain everything the “field” has to offer and never obtain the “treasure” that Jesus has to offer.
Jesus has made available a great “treasure” through His shed blood on the Cross of Calvary. The Word says,
Everyone born of a woman
gets to participate in the “field,” but only those who are born-again of the Spirit get to possess the “treasure.”
The great value of eternal life is also
represented also by a pearl
46 When he found one
priceless pearl, he went and
sold everything he had and bought it.
An oyster on the outside is not a beautiful creature by any stretch of the imagination. As far as I know, an oyster has never made the “Top Ten Pet List.” They just look like rocks.
But, hidden inside is often one of the most beautiful
things in the world—a pearl. Of all the gems in the world, I believe that the “pearl” exceeds them all in beauty. They are formed by adding layer upon layer of material surrounding a tiny grain of sand or other irritant on the inside lining of the oyster.
The words used to describe this
pearl is: of
great price.
This translates the Greek word, polutimos, from poly, meaning muh or great, and timos, referring to value, usually monetary value. Hence a “pearl of great (poly) price (timos).”
This merchant was a buyer and
seller of pearls. Greek
has two words for merchant. One refers to a retailer (huckster, street merchant) and the one used here refers to a wholesaler. This man was a “wholesaler” who looked for the product that could bring the largest return on his investment. He recognized that this was one of those “rare” finds that come along once in a lifetime.
These twin parables emphasize the
immeasurable value
(eternal worth) of possessing eternal life through Jesus Christ. Salvation is a rare opportunity that may come along only once in a lifetime. The Bible says, “My spirit will not always strive with the spirit of man.” (Ge 6:3)
And again in Romans Paul warns that a person can become so blinded by worldly pleasures that God “turns them over to a reprobate mind” (Rom. 1:28)
There is nothing more valuable than “eternal life.”
2. There is nothing we can do to earn or deserve this precious treasure.
Now at first glance it may seem like this is exactly the opposite of what the parable is teaching. It says of the “treasure,”
“The man sold everything he had and bought it,” (v46) and of the merchant it says the same thing.” Is this not saying we must “purchase” our salvation? No, it is not. There are at least four reasons we know this.
First,
Remember, parables are not allegories.
Parables are very narrow in their intent and very constrained by their context. Unlike allegories, individual details do not necessarily have symbolic meaning. And, in every case, Scripture must always interpret Scripture. We know what God is saying in one case (or what He is not saying) by what He has said in another place. It is absolutely clear by the teaching of the New Testament that we can do nothing to earn or deserve eternal salvation. The Word says clearly and directly, (Eph 2:8)
“By grace
are you saved through faith. It is NOT
of works.”
Or where did the merchant get the money to buy the pearl? One of the great fallacies of worldly thinking is that man is autonomous. That is: we wrongly think that we can amass great riches or that we can secure a place of comfort in this world apart from God. That ain’t so.
God is absolute and sovereign. He is Creator and
Sustainer of the Universe and everything that is in it belongs to Him. We hold in our hands only that which God allows us to hold into our hands.
To the LORD your God
belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it (Deuteronomy
10:14).
"The silver is mine and the gold is mine," declares the LORD Almighty (Haggai 2:8).
So, even if it is the case that the man paid for the field and the merchant paid for the pearl, it was with God’s resources—not their own—that these things were secured.
Third,
what the man paid or the merchant paid is not
the heart of the matter. Who placed the treasure in the field? Who put the pearl inside the oyster? In both cases, we are to conclude that God is the Originator of these things.
The “treasure” was not placed in the field by the man. The “pearl” was not placed in the oyster by the merchant. In both cases neither man had anything whatsoever to do with the origin of the things of great value—the treasure nor the pearl.
It is only by God’s grace and according to His mercy that each and every one of us is not cast headways into the eternal flames of hell which is our just recompense for a life of disregard and rebellion toward God.
“There is none righteous. No not even one.” Rom 3:10
The thing of most value in all of
creation
for a man or woman to possess is eternal life through Jesus Christ God’s Son. And, that possession is a gift. It is not deserved. It cannot be earned. It can only be received after the Holy Spirit has enlightened your soul to an understanding of it’s availability.
In each case, the treasure and the pearl, the thing was “hidden.” Neither man set out to find that which they came upon. It was a moment of serendipitous enlightenment. It had been in the field all the while and it was not until the man’s eyes were turned upon it by the sovereign grace of God did he see the true value of the field.
The merchant had been a man
travelling far and wide
in search of fine pearls, and many fine pearls he had acquired over the years. But, then alas, his eyes burst open in new insight to behold a pearl like no other – a pearl of great price! How sad that men and women walk through the field of life and never take notice of the “treasure hidden in plain sight before them.” They are like those Jesus warned about in the start of these parables:
vv 14-15 “They have ears, but they do not hear. The have eyes but they do not see.”
So, if we cannot deserve this gift of eternal life, nor acquire it through high-thinking or moral living, then how can we secure eternal salvation? The third truth we wrest from our text summarizes the whole of the matter:
3. Our salvation cost Jesus EVERYTHING He had and following Him will cost us EVERYTHING we have.
Notice the interesting facts as
stated in our text.
In both instances both men acting without any compulsion or hesitation to surrender freely and completely EVERYTHING they had to get this “one thing most valued.”
They did not hesitate, negotiate, or equivocate.
They acted hastily and boldly to receive something that was a once in a lifetime opportunity – in fact, it symbolizes a “once in eternity opportunity.” The key word in both parables in regard to our response is “everything.” Twice our twin parables make this the essence of a proper response to a “thing most valued.”
The reason so many people never come to a full understanding and full appreciate, and indeed a full joy, in regard to a relationship with Jesus is because they do not surrender completely.
Notice verse 44. The man gave up everything “in joy.”
So many people drag themselves to church like it is the greatest drudgery one could imagine. So many people give to the church a pittance with great reluctance when it comes to tithing and giving of offerings. Why? Why so much “joy” in regard to the man in our parable and so much “sourness and lifelessness” in our churches?
Because, one cannot grab hold of the glory of heaven until one lets go of one’s grip on this world. Jesus gave everything He had. Nothing is lacking that must be made up for by our self-righteous attempts at good living.
Getting into heaven will cost you NOTHING, but getting heaven into you will cost you EVERYTHING. The Devil will take up residence in any area in your life that is not absolutely, one hundred percent, surrendered to Jesus Christ. Let me repeat that.
Jim Elliot
who was speared to death by the very
Ecuadorian natives he had sought to share the gospel with wrote this in his journal just days before they found him and four companions lying in a shallow creek with a spear in his side:
“He is no fool to give up what he cannot keep
to gain that which he can never lose!”
That is the spirit of this parable. 0ur giving up everything makes room for God to pour Himself into us. God cannot fill a vessel with Himself that is already full of the world.
All of these parables have been
showing us
that in the world—called here the Kingdom of Heaven (for God controls everything, not just the church)—there are those who “get it” (that is Who Jesus is) and those who “do not get it” (do not respond to Jesus). These parables talk about seed that falls on good ground, seed that falls on bad ground. They have talked about those who are like “wheat” and those who are like “weeds.” They have described the Kingdom as like a tree great in size, but with evil nesting in the branches. Or like a great loaf influenced by the yeast of evil.
Now, in these parables the contrast is between a field and a hidden treasure, or an oyster and a great pearl. As always in these Kingdom Parables there is a warning not to make the wrong choice, or not to follow the wrong path.
Here, the warning is to seek the “treasure” and gain the “pearl.” You can leave here this morning with full assurance that you possess “the thing most valued,” which is eternal life. Don’t pass up this opportunity.
"How To Find Buried Treasure" C1976, 1986, 2000, 2001 by Jimmy C. Lyons
This book is in its third printing. People by the thousands have purchased this book in hopes of “finding buried treasure.” Here is one example of the leads the author provides.
Dr. John Marsh
had the honor of being the first American doctor in California. Arriving in 1836, a dozen years
before the Gold Rush began, he gathered riches to himself through his cattle,
mining and real estate interests. As his wealth increased, he built a fabulous stone house near
Brentwood, California, which still stands. One autumn day in 1856, Dr.
Marsh was attacked
by three Californians while riding his horse between his home and the
neighboring town of Martinez. He was tortured and murdered by the men without revealing the hiding
place of his fortune. Though his son Charles claimed to have seen a strong box
containing $40,000 in gold
in the doctor's possession the day before he was killed, neither that nor other
valuables he was known to have had have ever been found. They are presumed to
be hidden somewhere near the house, awaiting a lucky finder. That gold would be
worth over $3.7 mil
today.
For about twelve bucks
you can order Jimmy Lyons
book on “How to Find Buried Treasure.”
Or, you can heed these words of God today and discover hidden treasure
beyond your wildest dreams!
Eternal salvation is the “thing
most valued in all of the cosmos” and it is no longer hidden if you will simply
“hear what God is saying to you today.”
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