Answer
Jesus used many short, metaphorical stories called parables to teach open and receptive listeners deep truths about spiritual realities. Christ’s true disciples were indeed receptive but had many misconceptions and preconceived ideas about the Messiah and His kingdom. Thus, in Matthew 13:1–52, Jesus presents a series of seven parables to clarify their understanding of the kingdom of heaven. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure reveals much about the nature and value of heaven. Jesus taught, “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 he had and bought that field” (Matthew 13:44).
Although brief, this parable illuminates several significant realities. One initial detail is that the kingdom of heaven is hidden from plain sight. God’s kingdom exists within the realm of the spirit and cannot be perceived with physical senses such as sight and hearing. Many will miss out on the kingdom of heaven because it is obscured to them through the callousness of their hearts and spiritual blindness (see Matthew 13:11–17, 14; 2 Corinthians 3:14; 4:4). But people whose eyes have been opened by God’s Spirit will discern spiritual truth and find the heavenly treasure hidden, as it were, in a field (see 1 Corinthians 2:12–15).
A second feature the parable illustrates is the surprising or accidental nature by which the value of the treasure is discovered. We are so caught up in our lives, going our own way, that, apart from God taking the initiative to reveal the worth of His kingdom to us, we would remain cluelessly lost (see Isaiah 53:6; Matthew 18:12–14; Romans 5:6–8; Ephesians 2:8;1 John 4:10, 19). However, once our eyes are opened to the kingdom’s incomparable worth, we are filled with profound and inexpressible joy (Psalm 4:7; 132:16; Isaiah 12:3; 1 Peter 1:8).
The value of our heavenly treasure is priceless; it is worth everything we have. In the quest of the rich young ruler to gain the kingdom of heaven, Jesus advised, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Luke 18:22, NLT). Unfortunately, the young man did not see the value of what Jesus offered, and he turned away from the Savior (verse 23).
The apostle Paul writes of his change of perspective after finding the metaphorical treasure hidden in a field: “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him” (Philippians 3:7–9, NLT).
While our heavenly treasure is worth it all, there is still a price to pay—there is a cost to discipleship. Kingdom seekers must accept all the sacrifices and responsibilities that come with possessing this treasure. Jesus taught His disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Matthew 16:24–26, NLT).
For as long as we live on this earth, we will endure persecution, hardship, and loss as believers. The priceless treasure we find hidden in a field is now held in “fragile clay jars” to make “it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live . . . in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life” (2 Corinthians 4:7–12, NLT).
