Treasure: What would you give up for it?

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

 -Matthew 13:44-46

This verse has been eating at me for an entire week and while I don't claim to be much of a scholar anymore (if I ever was), I feel there's a lot to take away from it. Here we witness Jesus speaking in parables to help understand something that seems beyond human comprehension. It's important to note that he says "is like" rather than "is". Ultimately these parables will fall short but they do a good job getting us closer to understanding that we once were. So what is it saying? I don't know, but I'll tell you what I think it's saying.

First let's get our heads around what exactly we're hearing here. Imagine walking through a field. Maybe if you're like me it's easier to imagine hiking through the woods, wandering and exploring. You come to a clearing and see something sticking out of the ground. It's something extremely valuable, maybe a briefcase full of Google stocks (most companies don't actually issue stock certificates anymore but just imagine). You don't take it because you're afraid it might belong to someone who might not be happy about you having it so you cover it back up to make sure nobody else happens upon it should they come walking through later.

You know the value of that briefcase is extraordinary and you can barely sleep at night. Finally after time goes by of restless nights, you can take no more. You sell your house (you're lucky to be in an area where you can actually sell a house these days), your car, every possession you own so that you can manage enough money to go to the owner of that land and make the best offer possible to buy the property the briefcase is buried on.

What if it's not there after you buy it? What if in the time you went to sell everything, some kid came wandering by and found it and took it home? You just gave up everything. You sold everything you had, your shelter, your transportation, everything that has meaning to you. And you bought that land. That land has far less value without that briefcase, but does the thought of it maybe not being there keep you from giving up all you have?

Nope.

Heaven is that thing (I purposely don't say place) that holds more value than anything you could ever come to own and so if giving up everything to have it is your only chance, you take that chance.

What do you value in this world? I mean, what truly guides your decisions in life?

Are you guided by adventure? Maybe a personal sense of accomplishment. How about money? Do you take that better career at all costs?

Or is it something else? What do you value?

Family? Would you give up anything to be with them?

God? What if that means giving up an entire lifestyle that you've become so comfortable with?

I'm a man, and as such, only know the perspective of a man. I don't know if it's similar for women, tell me if so, but I find that I'm living in a world that so often judges the worth of a man by his ability to earn money. By what he can provide for himself and others. While many would say that there are more important things, I so often realize that others would be impressed by me more if I wore nicer clothes, drove a fast sports car or big truck, or if I owned all kinds of toys that others could try out. That is the world that I live in, and yet, it's not what I value.

Money has never been of high value to me beyond providing needs. I have spent most of my life buying experiences with others rather than things of value. I drive a 1998 Chevy Cavalier with rust on the body and almost 200,000 miles. The only things I could sell for any real value would be my Novara Safari touring bicycle and the MacBook Pro that I'm writing this from. That's about it. I don't have a lot of nice clothes, mostly just comfortable t-shirts. I don't stack up to what many feel is impressive.

And yet, I bought into that world.

I assumed that to be worthy of what mattered to me most, to be loved, that I needed to make more money. I took a job on this assumption, thought it would be impressive. I don't regret much in life because until there is a way to go back in time, there's not much good in regretting things. But I regret taking a job because I felt the money would make me a better person.

There is nothing wrong with money, it serves its purpose in this life, but when we find a true treasure we better be willing to sell or give up all that falls short of it's worth because to not do so would be foolish.

Father, I have withheld so many things that I have placed as at least equally valuable as you. Please forgive me for not understanding that you are the treasure most worth pursuing, the only part of life that can be nothing but good. I thank you for that unconditional love you have for your children, a love we cannot fathom but understand the significance of. I give you what little I have and am and pray that you would allow my life to reflect the undeserved blessings you freely give to all who would give up anything to have you in their lives. Amen.

I leave you with this.

Micah Tawlks - Treasure