In [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:3
Chapter 13 in Saint Matthew’s gospel contains nuggets of truth in its seven parables, and one of them does deal with a treasure: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all that he had and bought that field” (Matthew 13:44).
The noun in the Greek text for “treasure” is thesaurus, a term commonly applied to a book containing a wealth of information on words, as in the case of “Roget’s Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases.” In Greek a thesaurus meant, first, the place where valuables were kept: a treasure box or chest. Second, it meant the treasure itself.
According to Jesus’ parable a man, quite by accident, found a cache in a plot of ground. He didn’t abscond with the treasure. That would have been theft, and besides, it may have been too heavy to carry. So he hid it again, then went to great effort to obtain it legally by scraping together all his money and buying the field.
The purpose of the parable is not to instruct us on procedure when we find an earthly treasure. Nor is it an investor’s guide on how to reconvert one’s assets. The lesson is spiritual. The heavenly treasure some people find – unexpectedly, as it seems to them, but surely by God’s guidance – is salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the forgiveness of sins, peace with God, the inheritance of eternal life. This treasure is so great that we gladly surrender everything else so that we might have and keep it. Christ is that valuable to us.
PRAYER: Thank You, Lord God, for the treasures you impart to me in the Gospel of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
(Devotions from "With Jesus Every Day" copyright 1997, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time emailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Genesis 23-24 Matthew 17
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