Matthew 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." NKJV
Matthew 13:44 serves as a reminder of the valuable treasure the kingdom of heaven is. Not how valuable it is to me—that would mislead you into thinking that my opinion or perspective has some bearing on it. The perception of value can change over time.
For example, Beanie Babies were once a cute stuffed doll. They became collector’s items, but today, only a few fetch close to what folks thought they would. The broader public no longer perceives them as having a high value, so they are worthless. So much in our society is like that. The hot new toy this year sells for triple the list price at Christmas and next year is on eBay for half of its list price because something else is hotter.
The value of the kingdom of heaven is much different. It has intrinsic value that comes from within it, is eternal, and is unchanging. Take a look at the Kingdom of heaven and reacquaint yourself with its limitless value. Many of us Americans have lost sight of the value of the Kingdom. We allow society around us to change our perceptions, and thereby begin to think less of Christ.
But, what is the kingdom?
John Piper says that the Kingdom of Heaven “is the exertion of the reign of God through Christ on the cross and the resurrection by the Spirit, removing every obstacle between you and everlasting life and joy with God.”
Short version: This kingdom is a present possession with a future realization.
The rule and reign of Christ in our lives is ours now. God the Spirit is alive in us, transforming us. The presence of the Holy Spirit also gains us entry into the coming kingdom. It is a kingdom in which our transformation will be complete, the presence of God fully realized and our joy eternal.
Ephesians 1:12-14 “…that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” NKJV
The presence of God now in spirit is real, powerful, relevant, and transformational "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." In the coming kingdom we see God the Father face to face:
I Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” NKJV
The Kingdom of Heaven is both the spiritual kingdom now and the eternal kingdom to come. You can’t get into the eternal kingdom without first entering into the spiritual kingdom. You can’t get into heaven without first repenting before God. First the internal, spiritual transformational kingdom, then the future eternal kingdom is realized.
But why get so excited? Look back at I Corinthians 13:12. Our kingdom experience now is a shadow of the kingdom to come. We have the actual living presence of God in our lives, but that experience is simply an indication of what is to come. “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine / O what a foretaste of glory divine” wrote Fanny Crosby, the great hymn writer. In modern day lingo, “You like this? You ain't seen nothin’ yet.”
Why am I excited about the Kingdom of Heaven? It’s because what I can know and experience of God now is so valuable, so desirable, so life transforming, that I can’t wait to see and enjoy the eternal experience of his Kingdom in heaven with God. The kingdom of heaven cannot be bought. It’s not as if I have something that earns me entrance into God’s kingdom. Never. The emphasis in the parable is that the man gave up everything to get the Kingdom. Look back at Matthew 13:44, “…and for joy over it he goes and sells all…”
If during my life, I give up everything in order to be in the kingdom of God, I’ve got a good deal. The emphasis isn’t on what I give up; it’s on what I get in return. I can give up everything, every desire, every possession, every plan I ever had, and in exchange I get more than I could ever dream of having.
It’s my joy, to sacrifice what I have in order to have His kingdom. I am not suggesting we can ever earn our salvation. It is freely given, but it costs us everything, and it is worth more than we could ever offer.
There are three valuable aspects of the kingdom of heaven:
I. Presence of God
II. Purification from sin
III. Pure Pleasure
The Presence of God
If you are a Christian God is your King and your Father. You have His protection and He listens to you as only the most ideal Father could. We have His very real spirit present within us today, and have the hope that we will physically stand before Him in eternity. That in and of itself is really cool, but I think we easily forget who God is.
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created . . .” NKJV
What?
Everything. From the vast reaches of outer space, billions upon billions of galaxies all spin with clockwork precision to the inner complexities of the human cell. Each cell in a human or animal body is like a small factory with molecular machines using DNA instructions to maintain and reproduce. You ever watch videos of this stuff? Think: All of that is inside you and me. Then on the atomic and subatomic scale things get even more bizarre, and it all functions with precision.
God made this.
The mighty mountain lion, great black bear, giant whales, highest mountains, and the deepest sea.
God made this.
Cuddly kittens, sweet babies, sunset on a June evening, and all the ingredients that became chocolate.
God made this.
The joy of finding a spouse, loving each other and growing old together. The pleasure you feel at seeing your children grow up, and getting to hold your grandbabies in your arms.
God made this. Sin messes it up.
Sin has twisted and misshapen our world, but we can still see the evidence of what God created and then called “Very good.” The best in our world and the sweetest blessings are from God alone for are His creation. God made us, gave us breath and allows us to live even though we so often refuse to acknowledge Him or give Him the love and devotion He so richly deserves.
God made us.
Romans 1:19 & 20 “…because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”
What do the vast outer space and the vast inner space of our bodies tell you about God? What does all the sweep of creation from ants to kittens to people to giant squid tell you about God? A vast unsearchable, unlimited, unstoppable, all knowing, mind boggling all powerful being who brought everything into existence simply by speaking it.
Oh, by the way, He is willing to come and dwell in you.
He made you, so He owns you. He could just take you if He wanted, but he is offering you the choice, to dwell with Him in peace today. That is so cool!
Ever hear someone say, "I got back stage passes to [name the band]", or "I got to meet [name the celebrity]". We all say, “Wow! Let me see the pictures!” We pay big money to see certain people or go certain places. We will go to great effort, because we perceive certain things have great value, and our friends say, “That was cool.”
But really, who cares? Everything else looks like junk when compared to the unlimited, unstoppable Father god, who loves perfectly, always knows the best thing for us, and always does what is right. He never fails, makes mistakes, and he is always with us. He is offering to live inside us, and as we look at Matthew 13:44 he says that this privilege goes to those of us who want Him more than anything else.
Why would we ever want anything else? The promise is that as we live with Him now, we shall live with Him in eternity face to face. I have no clue what that will be like, but as I look at God’s creation I can’t only imagine that heaven will be awesome. It will be better than anything on earth. Wow.
What a deal! I’ll give up anything for this, because it’s worth more than I could ever offer.
But there’s a problem.
Next Week: Part II - Purification from sin leading to pure pleasure
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