The Parables Of ChristMuestra

"Treasure"

What we treasure will grow into God things! Isn’t that what this parable of the treasure and the pearl is all about? Growing treasures into God things can obviously be a good or bad thing, and that’s the point. We will ultimately sacrifice all for what we deem as valuable--either to God, or to idols--and in these parables Jesus points only to himself as the supreme treasure.

Treasure only becomes valuable when it is lost and then found, or when it is carried in the hands of one who is valuable—Jesus. A pearl is merely sand in a slimy clam until the clam gums it for a while into a priceless gem.  Treasures always take a while to form, and so we must be careful what we choose to hold onto. The kingdom reveals its treasures slowly, but they are worth it if we wait on the right things.

This is what Jesus was communicating about the kingdom in the treasure and the pearl in Matthew 13. Whatever we treasure will eventually grow up into something of value or something that is worthless, but it will consume us nonetheless. 

Jesus promises a kingdom that is priceless and incomparable, and therefore challenges any hope we may embrace apart from the treasure of his life. He paints a picture for us as his disciples, of a future that is only valuable if we trust in his life and resurrection.

This treasure hunt of the kingdom is costly. It requires that we lose our life to find it, and that we invest all our talents to see it multiplied in others and us. These parables relating to treasure help to expose how we steward our possessions in light of the kingdom. These parables help expose our true affections and allegiances and to align our hearts with what is most truly important. If we prize anything above Christ, we will find ourselves only led to dead-end payoffs.  In investing our treasures in the kingdom, and abandoning all lesser loves, we will deepen in our love for Christ.