The Costliness Of Possessing Christ – Part 1
THE DISCOVERY OF A GREAT TREASURE
MATTHEW 13:34 – “All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them”:
MATTHEW 13:35 – “But it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been KEPT SECRET from the foundation of the world”.
MATTHEW 13:36 – “THEN JESUS SENT THE MULTITUDE AWAY, and went into the house: AND HIS DISCIPLES CAME UNTO HIM, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the (wheat and the) tares of the field”.
Christ Jesus had sent the “Multitudes away,” and now he is alone with His disciples. Then, the disciples ask him about the “Parable of the Wheat and the Tares”. Previously, Christ Jesus explained “The Parable of the Sower of Seeds” (MATTHEW 13:18 – 23) and now the disciples asked Him about this other parable, “The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares”, to be explained (MATTHEW 13:36) and He explains this parable also (MATTHEW 13:37 – 43). Later on (MATTHEW 13:47, 48), Christ Jesus gives another parable, “The Parable of the Dragnet in the Sea”. Then Christ Jesus explains that parable (MATTHEW 13:49, 50).
* BUT “SANDWICHED” BETWEEN THESE EXPLAINED PARABLES – ARE THESE OTHER TWO PARABLES – THAT CHRIST JESUS DOES NOT EXPLAIN:
* THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE UNTO “A TREASURE HID IN A FIELD” – MATTHEW 13:44
* THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE UNTO “A MERCHANT MAN SEEKING GOODLY PEARLS” – MATTHEW 13:45, 46
Many believers skim over the parables quickly. They think they see the obvious lesson and quickly move on, or they dismiss the parable’s meaning as not applying to them. They turn to the Apostle Paul’s writings instead, seeking the “Deeper truths”. But in these two parables, there are some of the most profound truths, “THE BELIEVER” can lay a hold on!
* Because there is such a variation in interpretation of “THE PARABLE OF THE TREASURE HID IN A FIELD” AND “THE PARABLE OF THE PEARL OF (GOODLY) GREAT PRICE”, it is easy to miss Jesus’s main point – THAT “THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN” IS OF IMMEASURABLE VALUE! And practically speaking, what is the “Kingdom of Heaven”? Is it not the salvation entered into when we are “Born Again” (JOHN 3:3)?
The definition of what constitutes the “Kingdom of Heaven” can be broken down into several parts, with the main sense of the “Kingdom of Heaven” today being THE RULE OF CHRIST JESUS IN THE HEARTS OF GOD’S PEOPLE! In that regard, it is interesting that the “Kingdom of Heaven” is HIDDEN (LUKE 17:20, 21).
JESUS SAID THAT HIS PRESENT KINGDOM RULES INVISIBLY IN THE HEARTS OF BELIEVERS AND IS THEREBY “HIDDEN”, FROM PHYSICAL EYES, BUT THE IMPACT IN THE WORLD IS DEFINITELY APPARENT!
“A TREASURE HIDDEN IN A FIELD” – What is the context? In this case, the historical context is important because in Jesus’s day, there were no banks or safety deposit boxes, so valuables were commonly buried in the ground. Some of our older relatives who went through “The Great Depression” did the same thing because of so many of the banks that failed. And what would happen if the person died or was taken off to another country because of war? The “Treasure” might remain hidden and might later be discovered by someone digging in that area.
* NOTICE, THAT WHILE THE TREASURE IS HIDDEN – IT IS MEANT TO BE FOUND BY SOMEONE!
* MATTHEW 13:44 – “Again, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE UNTO TREASURE HID IN A FIELD; the which when a man hath found, HE HIDETH, AND FOR JOY THEREOF GOETH AND SELLETH ALL THAT HE HATH, AND BUYETH THAT FIELD”.
The “FIELD” here represents the “Christianized world”. It is in every area where the Gospel has been preached and received. The “MAN”, laboring in the field, represents everyone who IS SERVING Christ Jesus.
* This “MAN” has learned from a reliable source that a great “TREASURE” is buried somewhere in the “FIELD”. While other field workers LABOR HALF-HEARTEDLY, this man digs ferociously, spending hours, days, weeks, months, years, looking for the “TREASURE”. HE HAS SET HIS HEART ON UNEARTHING (GOD’S) HIDDEN TREASURE, knowing that the only way he’ll find the secret treasure is to “DIG”, with everything he’s got, and it doesn’t matter what tests and trials that confront him – he just keeps “DIGGING” – UNTIL HE FINDS THE TREASURE!
MATTHEW 6:33 – “BUT SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND ALL THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU”.
HEBREWS 11:6 – “But without faith it is impossible to please Him (God): FOR HE THAT COMETH TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS (GOD), AND THAT HE IS THE REWARDER OF THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM”.
COLOSSIANS 3:1 – “IF YE BE RISEN WITH CHRIST, SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God”.
COLOSSIANS 3:2 – “Set your affections on THINGS ABOVE not on things on the earth”.
COLOSSIANS 3:3 – “For ye are DEAD, and your life is HID with Christ in God”.
COLOSSIANS 3:4 – “WHEN CHRIST, WHO IS OUR LIFE, shall APPEAR (THE RAPTURE), THEN shall ye also APPEAR WITH HIM IN GLORY.”
* BUT WHEN “THE MAN” DIGS AND FINDS THE TREASURE – HE REHIDES THE “TREASURE” AND GIVES UP “ALL” TO POSSESS THE “FIELD”, WHERE THE “TREASURE” NOW LIES – SO HE CAN “RIGHTFULLY” OWN THE “TREASURE”!
* WHAT IS THE TREASURE THAT THIS MAN IS LOOKING FOR? IT IS THE INCREDIBLE DISCOVERY – THAT CHRIST JESUS IS ALL THAT HE NEEDS!
* THIS TREASURE IS NONE OTHER THAN, ALL THE JOY, DIRECTION, POWER, AND PURPOSE – INDEED, THE VERY RICHES OF HEAVEN, ARE HIS IN CHRIST JESUS!
EPHESIANS 1:15 – “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS, and LOVE UNTO ALL THE SAINTS”,
EPHESIANS 1:16 – “Cease not to give THANKS FOR YOU, MAKING MENTION OF YOU IN MY PRAYERS”;
* EPHESIANS 1:17 – “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, MAY GIVE UNTO YOU THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM (CHRIST JESUS)”:
* EPHESIANS 1:18 – “(THAT) THE EYES OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEING ENLIGHTENED; THAT YE MAY KNOW WHAT IS THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING, AND WHAT (IS) THE RICHES OF THE GLORY OF HIS INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS”,
* EPHESIANS 1:19 – “AND WHAT IS THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TO US-WARD WHO BELIEVE, ACCORDING TO THE WORKING OF HIS MIGHTY POWER”,
The Apostle Paul’s prayer to the believers, in the Church in Ephesus, was that: “Their eyes of their understanding would be enlightened”. Because they “knew” God was, but they were yet to understand “THE GREAT RICHES IN CHRIST JESUS” and WHAT IT WOULD COST THEM TO POSSESS THIS KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE WITH CHRIST JESUS!
GALATIANS 1:15 – “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and CALLED ME BY HIS GRACE”,
GALATIANS 1:16 – “TO REVEAL HIS SON TO ME, that I might PREACH HIM among the heathen; IMMEDIATELY I CONFERRED NOT WITH FLESH AND BLOOD”:
GALATIANS 1:17 – “NEITHER WENT I UP TO JERUSALEM TO THEM WHICH WERE APOSTLES BEFORE ME, but I went into ARABIA, and returned again unto Damascus”.
After “Saul” (The Apostle Paul’s) conversion and his initial ministry in Damascus (ACTS 9:1-22), He THEN went to” Arabia”. “ARABIA” is the Strong’s Greek word # 688 and is found only twice in the New Testament Bible (GALATIANS 1:17; GALATIANS 4:25). It means “DESERT OR BARREN (PLACE).
The Apostle Paul gave himself to study, prayer, and meditation, and went with the Lord alone in the desert. But remember that the Apostle Paul had the best religious teaching of the Old Testament that anyone could have at that time in Paul’s life. He may have spent the greater part of 3 years in “Arabia” (GALATIANS 1:18), and no doubt was involved in evangelism, as well as personal spiritual growth. The Apostle Paul gave himself the opportunity to be taught by the Lord.
When the “MAN” finally finds the treasure, he does a curious thing: HE IMMEDIATELY HIDES IT! IN “Which a man has found, HE HIDETH (IT) (MATTHEW 13:44). Why would he hide this wonderful, newfound wealth? We find a clue in the Apostle Paul’s testimony: “When it pleased God, who separated me… And called me by His grace, to reveal His Son and me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with “Flesh and blood”, neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were Apostles before me; but it went into Arabia” (GALATIANS 1:15-17).
The Apostle Paul had been given an incredible revelation of Christ. Why did you choose to keep it a secret? And because this treasure was absolutely precious to him, DEARER TO HIM THAN ANYTHING.
* BUT THE MAN WHO FOUND THE “TREASURE” – REALIZED THAT HE DIDN’T OWN THE “TREASURE” BECAUSE HE DIDN’T OWN THE FIELD – SO HE REBURIED THE TREASURE AND PURCHASED “THE FIELD”!
“Saul of Tarsus” had served God with ZEAL, as a Pharisee, but without knowledge of the truth (ROMANS 10:2). Now that Paul had found that the “TRUTH” (TREASURE) was in Christ Jesus alone, he wouldn’t be robbed of it. So it went to the desert of Arabia, to hide his treasure.
In essence, the Apostle Paul was selling everything that he had, “TO BUY THAT ‘FIELD’, WHERE THE TREASURE WAS BURIED! He was declaring, I don’t want anything to ‘SIDETRACK ME’ FROM THE GREAT TRUTH I HAVE FOUND IN CHRIST JESUS! I can’t hear anyone else’s opinion about it right now. I’VE GOT TO POSSESS IT FOR MYSELF! Then I’ll share it with others, after I’ve understood the full MAGNIFICENCE of what I have found.
* “SAUL OF TARSUS” (THE APOSTLE PAUL) HAD MUCH TO BE PROUD OF CONCERNING HIS (FAMILY) HERITAGE AND HIS ACHIEVEMENTS:
PHILIPPIANS 3:6 – “Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the Tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee”.
PHILIPPIANS 3:7 – “Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteous which is in the law, blameless”.
Thus, as to birth, pedigree, orthodoxy, zeal, and personal righteousness, “Saul of Tarsus” was an outstanding man. At this point, we might ask ourselves how a sincere man like “Saul of Tarsus” could be so wrong? The answer is: HE WAS USING THE WRONG MEASURING STICK! Like the rich young ruler (MARK 10:17-22) and the Pharisee in Christ’s parable (LUKE 18:10-14), “Saul of Tarsus was looking at the outside and not on the inside. He was comparing himself with standards set by men, not by God. As far as OBEYING OUTWARDLY, the demands of the Law, Paul was a success, but he did not stop to consider the INWARD SINS he was committing. In the “Sermon on the Mount”, Jesus makes it clear that there are SINFUL ATTITUDES AND APPETITES – as well as SINFUL ACTIONS (MATTHEW 5:21-48).
* HERE IS WHAT IT COST THE APOSTLE PAUL TO LAY A HOLD OF HIS TREASURE:
PHILIPPIANS 3:7 – “BUT WHAT THINGS WERE GAIN TO ME, THOSE I COUNTED LOSS FOR CHRIST”.
PHILIPPIANS 3:8 – “YEA DOUBTLESS, AND I COUNTED ALL THINGS BUT LOSS FOR THE EXCELLENCY OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS MY LORD FOR WHOM I HAVE SUFFERED THE LOSS OF ALL THINGS, AND DO COUNT THEM BUT DUNG, THAT I MAY WIN CHRIST”,
* IT COST THE APOSTLE PAUL ALL OF HIS “SELF-WORTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS” – TO GAIN THE VAST TRASURE OF CHRIST JESUS (MATTHEW 16:24-26).
MATTHEW 16:24 – “Then said Jesus UNTO HIS DISCIPLES, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
MATTHEW 16:25 – “For whosoever will save his life shall LOSE IT: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall FIND IT”.
MATTHEW 16:26 – “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul”?
*NOTE: This was the first Sunday that Randy Cartee was not in our Sunday morning worship service – absent from the church service as our prayer warrior, but present around the throne of God in Heaven.
