There are four Gospels in scripture that share direct accounts of the life of Christ. Each of them has at least on joy verse. Matthew (8), Mark (1), Luke (21) and John (14). I’m going to try to finish off the Gospel joy verses in the next few weeks, which should be pretty easy to do since I only have one left in Luke, two in Matthew, and then most of John (with the exception of 15:11 which I used during Holy Week last spring).

For today, let’s take a look at what may be the shortest parable in the Bible, from Matthew 13:44.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

What must it be like to stumble upon something amazing, and realize that it’s within your power to have it? I think sometimes I fall into the trap of assuming that this gadget or that item of clothing will bring ultimate fulfillment, but in reality they are just “things” and at the end of the day can’t satisfy.

But the kingdom of heaven – that is of utmost value. It never falls out of fashion, it never becomes obsolete, it is never outshone by something newer and shinier. Oh, sure, this world would like us to think that there are things out there better than God’s kingdom. There is nothing. All of that stuff eventually loses favor, collects cobwebs, rots. It all returns to dust.

Could I give up everything I own for the sake of God’s kingdom? I hope so. I don’t know if I’ll be asked to, but sometimes I think I’ve already had that asked of me. Letting go of my children was harder than losing any “stuff” I might have, and no, it wasn’t easy. I know without God’s help, and without faith that the kingdom would be waiting for them, I couldn’t have done it.