Matthew 13:44-46
Have you ever collected anything? Stamps? Coins? Gold? Figurines? My mother was a big Hummel collector; we had shelves of Hummels displayed throughout our home growing up. I’ve collected some things here or there, but would you consider me much of a nick-nack guy? Ha! Of course I am. What’s interesting to me is why people collect – what drives people to do it? Is it value, is it beauty, is it memory? Personally, mine is based more on memory or nostalgia, but notice those are all qualifications of value. What’s important to you? What do you hang on to? What drives you? It’s all a question of value. Consider Ang Rita, a citizen of Nepal who became the first person in history to summit Mt Everest 10 times, each time without extra oxygen (Wikipedia)! Whoever we are, we each have our own things that we value, that we prize more than anything else, and we each have our reasons why.
We’ve been looking these past few weeks at the Kingdom of God through some of the passages where Jesus taught on it. It would take us quite a long time to walk through a series on the complete teachings of the Kingdom of God, as the Kingdom is mentioned 126 times in the gospels alone (DesiringGod.org)! It is one of the main things that Jesus talked about throughout His earthly ministry. I like the idea of coming back another time to a study on the Kingdom, but smaller chunks at one time might be a better way to handle such a large New Testament topic. What we do know is that the Kingdom is here and inviting you in, that it is the very definition of authority, and that it is most certainly growing. In other words, it is real and has been pulling people in since the beginning.
Much like the question of what drives us to collect, or seek thrills and danger, is what drives us to the Kingdom. Why does it or should it hold such an important place in our lives? I’d like to explore that idea today. In Matt. 13, we see Jesus teaching to large crowds mostly in parables but then went inside with the disciples and while explaining those parables, shared with them a lesson on the true value of the Kingdom of God. He tells them that Christianity is the most expensive free gift ever, but that the dividends pay more than you could possibly imagine.
Uncovering Kingdom Value Takes Effort
I got involved in swing dancing during my high school days when I was a run-of-the-mill unpopular kid. I didn’t like to stand out; it was all about hiding in the crowd at that point in my life. Yes, swing dancing was becoming known on the coasts, but where I lived in Nebraska, it was almost unheardof at that point. For me, it was finding something different that I was passionate about and developing the courage to allow myself to be different. I didn’t take swing dancing lessons because it was popular or others were doing it, it was because I simply loved doing it and it was worth the effort to gain the skill. Through that experience, I found a depth to myself and ultimately a depth to my relationship with God that would only come when I allowed myself to go to a new place with Him. In the passage, notice that the treasure found in the field is hidden. He didn’t fall on it, or accidentally come across it – he found it. It took time, effort, and purpose. It was a journey; a quest. Deep and soulful connection to Christ is available, but is not something you are going to find at a convenience store or Tik-Tok video where our quick fix society likes to leave all the low-hanging fruit. It takes a deep exploration of the heart with personal experience, study, and submission to find the soul’s longing in Christ. You must move past initial introductions and past selfish desires tofind the hidden treasure and experience true power in your relationship with God. It takes work…and submission of our own authority.
Experiencing Kingdom Value Takes Investment
As a collector, I thought I had found the pinnacle bargain. One day I found a neon sign on eBay for only $.99. I jumped at the chance to buy it and before I realized what I was doing, it was purchased. I found out at that point that I had just approved $30 in shipping and had to wait 3 months for it to arrive. That was the most expensive $.99 I’d spent! There I was, hoping to get something for nothing, but that never works. If you don’t put into something, you’ll never get anything out of it. In my years as a Chamber of Commerce volunteer, people have complained about what the Chamber offered (people said the same thing in every city I’ve lived), but they never went to events and never got to know other businesses. They expected the Chamber to give without them investing in the Chamber. It doesn’t work that way. In the same way, salvation is a free gift, but it does cost something – your life! Many people are going to be heart-broken to find out that though they claimed belief in God, they never bought into His way of life. He says that plainly in Matt 25 – those who neglect His way of grace and compassion will not share in His eternal blessings. If you want to see success in your faith, you must put some skin in the game. The Kingdom is His way – not ours.
Next Steps
The value of life in Christ takes effort – we must put ourselves in if we want to get anything from Him. What are you willing to pay?
- Read Philippians 2:1-13 every day this week and pray for God to show you your value to Him
- Spend 10 minutes in silence & solitude each day asking God to speak into your heart and develop a deeper connection with you
- Commit to make Jesus your top priority, most important, #1. Then align your life (finances, time, labor) in accordance with that.
Swing dancing did become popular towards the end of my senior year in high school and I experienced incredible popularity because I was the only guy at my school who knew how to dance. GOd used that in me to show me the value in not hiding, but allowing my true self to be seen. God never promised us an easy road, but He did offer an incredible adventure and abundant life. It’s all definitely worth it.
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