Hidden Treasure
Matt 13:44-46
1.
Life is investment. When God sends us to this world, He gives us what we need
for life: our body and soul, in which God has hidden so many wonderful powers
to achieve our life mission. Where do you invest your God-given life? Successful investors do not simply follow
temporary trends but make a right perspective to the future of the target to
invest. If it is invested to a small company and it grows to a big company,
investment will grow tremendously. But if you make a wrong choice, your
investment will be a great failure. Wrong investment results in tragic failure,
especially when it is the investment of life.
2.
When Jesus said that “the Kingdom of
heaven is like treasure hidden in a field,” (44a) He demands for us to make
a right investment of life. A laborer found a hidden treasure in a field where
he worked. He asked the land owner to sell it and agreed the price to be paid.
The owner must have had no idea about this hidden treasure. Maybe it was hidden
by someone else who had suddenly died without telling this secret. The price of
this land was too much for this poor laborer. So, he joyfully “sold all he had and bought that field.”(44b)
A merchant who found the great value of fine pearl did the same (45-46). Like
Esau, the owner did not see the worth of this land. But like Jacob, the laborer
knew it enough to sell everything he had and invested it for this treasure
land. He was a successful investor!
3.
The Kingdom of God is worth to invest our life and everything we have. The
beginning of this Kingdom seemed not so attractive. People had a wide consensus
that it will collapse soon. The Roman Empire had policy to abolish it, and the Kingdom of Jesus
seemed so powerless before the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Caesar.
In spite of all those dangers and weaknesses, a small number of people invested
their lives fully to this Kingdom, because the Holy Spirit gave the sure faith
and clear vision for this Kingdom
of God. Even though it
was small and weak in the beginning, the future of the Kingdom was bright as
the sun and big as the whole universe, because it was slowly but steadily growing
from the Livingstone of Jesus Christ.
4.
Now after two millennia, it will be easier to invest your life to this Kingdom of God, because it has grown quite big now
enough to be attractive. But if you have doubt, I will assure you that this
Kingdom will continue to grow and fill the whole universe. I invested my life
fully to this Kingdom, because God gave me grace to believe the Word of the Kingdom
without any doubt. Many devout Christians did the same. But it is not possible
with conviction. Believe in Jesus Christ and His Word of the Kingdom fully, and
invest your life fully to this Kingdom. Listen to the Holy Spirit inside of you
and you will get His guarantee! It is worth enough! If you have reservation and
do not invest fully with all you have, you will regret in the future, after
death, and in eternity.
5.
You have come to church and participated in the Kingdom of God
in some way. So you are blessed! But, you do not invest fully. You invest here
and there, little by little. But the Kingdom
of God is the most sure
and best place to invest. Sell every other stock and buy this stock. Then, you
life will be wonderfully successful and eternally glorious! Invest your time
for the Kingdom! Invest your body and energy for the Kingdom! Invest your
talents and capacity for the Kingdom! Invest your possessions for the Kingdom!
Invest your passion, tears and laughter for this Kingdom! Invest your family
and friends for this Kingdom! After all, they are what God gave to you for this
purpose. As you pastor, I like to encourage for you to spend more time, more
possession, more energy for the Kingdom work until its fullness: spread the
Gospel, reconcile with your enemies, reach out to the poor and oppressed
people, support and participate in the activities of the church and the
Kingdom.
6. If you do not fully invest your life to the Kingdom of God, there are mainly two reasons:
Either you have no sure faith in the Kingdom, or you are too attracted to the
pleasures of the world. When you believe in Jesus and become a member of His
body, your sins are forgiven and you are saved from eternal punishment.
However, it is different from your participation in the Kingdom of God.
If you are saved by the grace of Christ and then you do not invest your life to
His Kingdom, you will be “saved in fire” or “saved in shame.” You will realize
it when you die or when Jesus comes back. Then, you have no chance to recover
it. You will repent forever. Your life is too short. Before late, I beg for you
to invest all you have for this Kingdom
of God. If you listen to
me, you will say “thank you” to me in heaven.
