“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Matthew 13:44-46
Just when we wonder what the Kingdom of God is like, Jesus helps us see a clearer picture with parable after parable describing the Kingdom.
In this case, what we learn is that the Kingdom of God is so valuable, such a treasure, that the only proper response to finding the Kingdom is to abandon one’s old life and give up everything in pursuit of it. This extreme devotion and sacrifice is seen as “over the top” in our American, pacified Christianity.
Yet, these men in these parables didn’t think it was extreme at all. The first man was getting more than he gave up by selling all he had and buying that field. That field contained treasure worth many times more than all he had. Instead of seeing it as extreme, we could see it simply as a wise investment.
To give up everything one has in order to get a hundred times what one has is not extreme; it’s wisdom. It would be foolish to do otherwise. It would be foolish and irresponsible to leave that treasure sitting in a field because he was too scared to sell all he had and purchase the field.
The second parable reiterates this same point. This was a merchant who understood business. He understood the pearl industry. He knew a valuable pearl when he saw one. When he saw the price tag on that valuable pearl, he knew it would require him to sell all that he had in order to buy it. But, being the savvy businessman that he was, he also knew the pearl was worth a hundred times what was on the price tag. This was not “extreme” or “radical” or “crazy.” This was a sound investment. This was the only sensible thing to do.
This is what the Kingdom of God is like! The only sensible thing to do once we encounter the Kingdom is to abandon everything in our old life and pay any price in order to be in it. Jesus paid the ultimate price for us to enter the Kingdom. And so when we give up everything to follow Him, there is nothing “radical” or “extreme” about it. It’s the only sensible thing to do.
When people leave behind their pride and reputation to be outspoken about Jesus, it’s not extreme. It’s the only sensible thing to do. When people cry out in worship for what God has saved them from, it’s not “over-the-top.” It’s the only sensible thing to do. When people give up everything for Jesus, (including sexual preferences, job promotions, their good reputation, addictions, the American dream, the ways of the world, physical security, etc ) they aren’t being radical. They are simply treating the Kingdom as the treasure that it really is.
The rest of us, who aren’t willing to give up what’s comfortable for the treasure right in front of us, we are the ones who are acting foolish. We, with our “respectable” Christianity, have made a poor investment, holding on to our childhood allowance because we’re afraid to lay hold of the riches of our true inheritance.
The next time someone seems too “crazy” or “radical” in their Christian faith, it might be good for us to remember how Jesus described the Kingdom in these parables.
Fire and Light 