Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Hidden Treasure (part 2)

Matthew 13:44 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.

Last week we dwelt on the first half of the parable, particularly the fact that the treasure was not exposed for all to see, but “hidden”, implying that the gospel is intended only for those who are enabled (by God) to find it. This speaks to the fact that the specific “whosoevers” that gain Christ’s righteousness were actually of God’s sovereign design. The seeming indiscriminate language of verses like John 3:16 KJV references the human perspective on who would embrace Christ as Lord; God has always known His elect. (John 6:64-65, 8:47, Acts15:18)

"Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

First of all note that there is joy. Sometimes a man can find treasure, without comprehending at first its true value. He still pays a price to gain it, but for a time may question whether or not it was truly worth it. Peter too had his doubts as he pondered the price he has paid…

Matthew 19:27-30 Then Peter said in reply, "See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" (28) Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (29) And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. (30) But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

See, Peter’s dilemma was the same as ours: we sell out everything to gain the field, but we don’t immediately reap the full tangible value of the “prize” we have “attained”. In selling everything to gain what seems to the natural eyes to be of little value, it seems that we have taken a place at the back of the race because it seems that we have given up far more than we have gained…

Philippians 3:14-16 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. (8) Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ (9) and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith- (10) that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, (11) that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (12) Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. (13) Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, (14) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (15) Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. (16) Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Both Paul & Peter were reflective, taking note of all they had lost in order to take possession of the field with its glorious treasure, but one seemed despondent while the other seemed joyous. What was the difference? Why did Paul, who at the time he wrote this had actually had lost more than Peter (with the loss of his freedom), have so much more joy than Peter? Verses 9 & 10 hold the keys- Paul had greater faith & knowledge in Christ. Truly, what “we have attained” by selling out to the natural man is the full righteousness of Christ. We really do possess the field & its inestimable riches, but can’t cash in to gain the full tangible value of the treasure right away. Examine Paul’s statement in verse 9, that we do in fact possess the righteousness of Christ, but cannot fully apprehend it, in this body, for all its magnificence. Therefore is the reason he says it “depends on faith”. In tough times, the natural man says “Look at all you have lost; for what? A worthless field that bears nothing but pain? O, woe are you.” Thus, the field seems in times of hardship to be too much of a burden to bear.

But yet there is joy to the one who keeps his eye on the prize of Christ & the day that the treasure’s full value will come to us. See, the thing to do in those low times is to take some time to research the value of the treasure. Spending time to study up on the as yet unattained full tangible value of the treasure of Christ that you surely possess will turn your depression into exuberant jubilation. This is, in part, is the value of Bible study, good preaching, prayer, praise, & fellowship. They train our eyes on “the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

The field owner with no joy is the one who has lost sight of the glory of sharing in the riches of Christ. Study up on the value of having Christ’s righteousness & your joy will return.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Hidden Treasure (part 1)

Matthew 13:44 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.

Let’s break down the riches of this short parable to find to see it for all it has to teach us.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up."

Like treasure hidden in a field, the Gospel is found most often by those who were not looking for it.

Who looks for treasure in an open field? Treasure seekers will spend their time looking in more likely locations- caves, shipwrecks, & shorelines. Spiritual seekers often do the same, hitting all the gurus with appealing messages that overtly sound really good right from the get go. The Gospel has no such appeal with all of its focus on our sin nature. This is how the “seeker-sensitive” word-faith, name it & claim it, blab it & grab it churches grow to the point of seating thousands while the true Gospel treasure is only found by the few drawn to dig into the dirt of their sinful nature.

So there was found the treasure, not intentionally looked for, but stumbled upon in the course of daily life. It seems, at first, to the uninitiated, a purely happy accident.

But the mature come to understand the complete sovereignty of God, that there are no “accidents” in all of God’s creation, happy or otherwise. God is the creator of all we see & He is likewise the sustainer of all we see, down to the most minor of minutia…


Matthew 6:25-34 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? (26) Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (27) And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (28) And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, (29) yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (30) But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (31) Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' (32) For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (34) Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

If God sovereignly cares even for such trivial concerns as the natural “grass of the field”, of course He would have concern for the Heavenly lasting treasure hidden under that perishing pastureland, now wouldn’t He? This first half of the parable magnifies the absolute authority of God over all of His creation. But note the fuller context of the quote above; though God is fully in control, this does not mean that our life will not have its share of “anxious… trouble” The “trouble” of Judas was known & prophesied of long before it happened, but it was still allowed to happen (Matt. 26:24).

So it is only as we mature & reflect on all the circumstances in our life that led to that supposed “accidental” finding of the riches of Christ, that we realize that it was indeed not a mere “lucky” happenstance that we stumbled upon His righteousness. Surely, it was one ordained circumstance after another that led us to toiling in that field with shovel in hand, merely intent on laboring for another day’s wage, but gaining eternal riches instead. How wrong we were to think that it was we who “decided” to accept Christ into our soul. No, it was God who prepared our hearts, so that at the right time, when we were ready, He could lead us to the exact spot, in the exact field, to dig to “find” that eternal treasure.

The fact that the treasure was hidden directly implies the doctrine of election. The treasure was not exposed for all passers-by to see & apprehend in all of its magnificence. It was instead buried & only found by the “elect”. Many try to quibble with election on ethical grounds, but one thing is for sure- no one can argue with it on Biblical grounds. Election is implicit in this parable by the fact that Christ’s glory is “hidden”, but is also explicit by the mere fact that He using a parable in the first place…

Matthew 13:9-17 “He who has ears, let him hear.” (10) Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" (11) And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. (12) For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. (13) This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. (14) Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: "'You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. (15) For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.' (16) But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. (17) For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

Parables then have a twofold purpose; they allow the elect natural man, the “wheat”, to peer into the spiritual kingdom, while also shielding such insight from the “tares”, those who would have no such residence there. This is also why Jesus particularly restrained the full revelation of His glory when speaking in public, most often choosing instead the still prophetic, but demure title “Son of Man” in place of the more direct “Son of God”.

The utter sovereignty of God, & the doctrine of election that both Scripturally & rationally descends from that idea of complete sovereignty, are like golden threads weaved through the whole of God’s Word; no one can deny them without concordantly denying the entire revelation of His Word.