“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.” (Matthew 13:44 NLT)
What treasure are you seeking? Is it financial? Relational? Educational? Mental? Emotional? _________(you can fill in the blank)? Whatever it is, what’s it worth to you? There’s a lot of wealth in the city in which I live. Multimillion dollar houses are tucked away behind gates designed to protect against intruders. Cars that cost more than I made in five plus years when I was working, crowd our busy streets. These are often the “treasures” we pursue, thinking they will fill the emptiness of our soul.
The implication of the parable Jesus told in the verse above was the man wasn’t necessarily pursuing this treasure but found it during the course of his normal activities. That’s often how Jesus is “discovered.” Often in the futility of chasing something temporal, we happen onto that which is eternal.
As we peruse the activities of our day-to-day life, we’re thrust into the realization that circumstances change, but God doesn’t. The writer of the Hebrew letter confirms that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” It may vary from person to person, but many of us don’t find Jesus because we’re searching for Him. He finds us most often in the changing landscapes of our daily lives.
Like Solomon, we try everything to find lasting happiness and joy, only to be disappointed by the trinkets of this world. But, ultimately, by God’s grace, we discover the Treasure is Jesus and find it a small price to trade everything we are or ever hope to be just to know, love, and serve Him.
Elisabeth Elliot was right when she said: “The secret of joy is Christ in me, not me in different circumstances.” Paul wrote in Colossians 1:27: “For God wanted them (us) to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing His glory.”
If you’re a Jesus follower, have you ever tried to calculate the value of the gift of His presence living in you? Have you ever sought to compare the privilege of being forgiven, cleansed, freed to become a brand-new species of being like no other that’s ever existed, with anything this world can offer? Think of the most valuable gift you’ve ever received, knowing you’d give it away in a heartbeat to have what you’ve found in Jesus.
When I attempt to define the word “joy,” it occurs to me that true, Biblical “joy” isn’t brought about, isn’t a byproduct of anything of this world. Imagine closing your eyes in death and opening them in the presence of the same holiness, goodness, perfection, kindness, mercy, love, and grace that fills your heart and motivates your life as you experience Jesus on earth. Only now you don’t only sense His presence, you see His face!
This isn’t a passing feeling or temporary euphoria, it’s your new reality. There’s no way to describe what you’re feeling; you haven’t had any opportunity in your life on earth to give expression to anything like this because you’ve never experienced anything like this before. It’s all new, fresh, exciting, moving, beyond the power of words to explain.
You’re in the eternal presence of the living Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, whom you’ve read about, talked about, prayed to, loved, and served, but you never dreamed or imagined how joy-filled your new heart would be or how you could ever in a million years feel this light and free and alive!
He IS the secret of joy! Not only for this life, but for all eternity! He IS the Treasure worth selling all you own to have!
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 