Buried Treasure, a Pearl and a Bugatti Sportscar

This post is an excerpt from a talk I gave in August 2022, at my local church.

Jesus told two short parables, recorded in the gospel of Matthew 13:44-46 (NIV).

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. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

It’s not hard to see parallels between the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl. Yes, the high value of the Kingdom of Heaven, through the treasure and the pearl stands out. Another similarity is that the person who finds the valuable item, whether by chance or by diligent search, sells everything to possess it.

As we ponder these parables, letting them roll around in our minds, and earnestly seeking their meaning, we realize that the value of the Kingdom and the willingness to sell everything to obtain it really go hand in hand. 

Have you ever held and examined a pearl? It’s one thing to store up some facts about pearls in our minds and then have a logical understanding of what Jesus said, and it’s another to ponder a pearl, roll it around in our palm, and earnestly seek its meaning and its beauty. 

A Syrian theologian who served as a deacon did this very thing in around the year 360 AD. Based on his hands-on experience with a single pearl and his thoughtful reflections about it, Ephrem the Syrian wrote seven hymns. 

Among other things, he observed that the pearl speaks with “silent mouth” of the trophies, victories and crowns of Jesus Christ. The bright and luminous gem was for him a reflection of Jesus, the “Light of the world.”[1]

If buried treasure and a lustrous and valuable pearl feel too distant from our everyday experiences, let’s reimagine the parable of the hidden treasure and the parable of the pearl using a more current example of something out of reach for most people.  

It was suggested to me as a modern equivalent by a Grade 8 student during class devotions, when asked, “What is something today that somebody might sell everything to get?” 

Consider with me: The Kingdom of Heaven is like the case of a collector of classic cars, who scours websites and advertisement and travels to dealerships and auto shows every weekend for months. He is seeking for the one car that meets all his criteria for design, speed, and luxury. One day, he spots a one-off Bugatti sportscar and knows he doesn’t need to see any others. 

He smiles broadly and sells all the other cars in his collection and everything else he owns to get that sportscar. 

The man who sold everything to buy the field, and the merchant who sold everything to buy the pearl, and the car enthusiast of our modern example did not feel they were making a sacrifice. It was a calculated decision; they knew the supreme value of the item they were seeking. Therefore, I also hesitate to use the word “sacrifice” to describe what citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven choose to give up in their loyalty to Jesus. 

After all, what else has lasting value? Through Christ and his Kingdom, in the words of the hymn writer, we have “pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, [Christ’s] own dear presence to cheer and to guide, strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Blessings all [ours] with ten thousand beside.”[2]

JOY is the motivation for a Kingdom citizen to give up things of minor value so that they become more and more centered on their King and Lord. Committing every part of oneself to serving the Lord is a joyful process, and it will take a different form in your life than it does in mine. 

[1] http://www.voskrese.info/spl/pearl.html

[2] Lyrics from the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923. 

Power Parable: The Persistent Widow

The parable of Jesus that appears in Luke chapter 18 has been given alternate titles by different editors:  The KJV calls it "The Parable of the Unjust Judge," while the NIV gives it the name "The Parable of the Persistent Widow."  Through these two titles we are introduced to to its two characters.

The Unjust Judge
This man takes on the status of a god because he has no sense of accountability to anyone.  He does not fear God or care about the opinions of others.  He has a position of privilege, which cannot be taken from him. In the big picture, however, the judge receives the power he has as a gift. Romans 13 is clear that all governing authority comes from God and is intended for the benefit of society as a whole.  His power exists to restrain evil and to put people in their place when they step over the lines that jeopardize community.

The Widow
She is facing an adversary, and nobody will stand up for her--no husband, and apparently no sons.  She knows that the judge has the authority to help her, but he refuses.  Instead of despairing, she continues to have a kind of faith in his office, what he is supposed to do.  Despite her vulnerable place in society, she does not crumble.  She continues to point out his obligations until he can't stand it anymore.  Even if she does not awaken a conscience hardened by his sense of invincibility, she nevertheless receives the justice for which she has been pleading.

   We join the ranks of the persistent widow when we send a letter or email to the Prime Minister or President on behalf of the unborn or when we advocate on behalf of a prisoner of conscience through Amnesty International or Voice of the Martyrs.  Sometimes we get back the carefully worded form letter that tells us our letter was intercepted by an administrative assistant.  But sometimes we hear the astounding news that a prisoner has been freed, as recently occurred in the case of Meriam Ibrahim.  In that case the Sudanese officials did not so much change their policies about the status of Christians or their belief in the death penalty, but they were overwhelmed by all the "persistent widows," who pressured their governments to save this woman's life.
   I don't want us to miss the point of this parable, however.  It is really about prayer.  The ultimate purpose of the parable is to contrast God with the unjust judge (or any corrupt leader).  God will see to it that his chosen ones, who call out to him day and night, will receive justice.  There is no favourtism with the Lord; his sense of justice is unbiased.  This may also be a reminder to us that when we pray about the settling of personal disputes we ought to pray for Justice and not simply getting our own way.

Power Parable: The Rich Fool

Luke 12:13-21New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Rich Fool

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

   Humans are vulnerable creatures, and we know it.  The man in this parable has determined to overcome his vulnerability with wealth.  Any problem that comes along he would have the power to bribe or buy his way out of, he thinks.  The man is already rich at the start--he owns land and barns--but now he is able to harvest much more than usual.  What does he decide to do?  He seems to think there is no such thing as too much. He will build bigger barns to hoard all the wealth.  No relationships with others (no wife, children, neighbors) are mentioned.  His self-talk is all confidence: "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."  He has set himself up for the ultimate in leisurely and self-indulgent retirement.  He is blind to other uses of his crops and money besides to honor himself.  However, the wealth he embraced for the sense of power it could give him cannot forestall death.  It has become a snare and will do him no good in the end.

   We are vulnerable, and we know it.  Those who live in war zones or places where famine has struck will admit it out loud, but those in prosperity still experience it.  We start saving for retirement as soon as we start working because meeting or exceeding life expectancy has its costs.  Complex tools are given by financial planners so that clients will have enough to be "comfortable."  Will it ever truly feel like enough?  Do we even consider the possibility that a nest egg could be "too much"?

   An opposite parable also teaches that "life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."  A hard-working couple with a large family just manages to make ends meet month after month.  Giving to the welfare of the church and other people is a way of life, even when it makes them tighten their own belts.  When they begin to receive a social security cheque at age 65 they can't believe their wealth. They have no mortgage or rental payments and live simply.  They can afford to pay their adult daughter's airfare to visit them twice a year.  They lend some of their extra money to a Christian school, and donate back the interest payments. After the wife outlives the husband, she eventually moves to nursing care.  At age 95 she passes away at peace with everyone in her life and fully contented; she leaves behind just a few dollars to pass on to each of her children. 

   This was the living parable of my grandparents' life, and it continues to give me perspective as I make financial plans.

Power Parable: Mustard Seed

"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." (Matthew 13:31-32, NIV)

[Pickling spices, including mustard seeds.  Photo purchased from kristinpeereboom.com photography]

   Anyone who gardens knows that planting it is a deliberate process that is done with little fanfare.  When we are finished placing tiny seeds in the dark soil, we need to mark the place in some way because it does not appear much different than before we started.  Jesus' emphasis in the parable is that the seed is small.  But the fact that it is a seed deserves a bit more discussion.  A plastic bead or a small grain of sand or salt in a field would not yield anything like the results of the mustard seed.  The seed has an inherent power built into it.  In this minuscule wrapping is a genetic structure that will unfold into a plant that can rival a tree in one growing season. Mustard bushes can exceed the height of professional basketball players!
   The kingdom of God starts small but keeps growing, through God's unstoppable power.  This growth is not about making a name for itself but for the flourishing of society.  Just as wild birds perch in the mustard bush for the shade and seeds it affords, so wherever the kingdom of God appears people in proximity ought to reap its benefits and blessings in terms of care, respect and freedom.
   This is true on the large scale as Jesus' band of first followers have multiplied over generations to touch each continent on our planet.  But on the smaller scale of a particular time and place, the mustard seed principle is also evident in these ways and more:

• The hidden but deliberate prayers of faithful followers of Jesus Christ on both sides of the Iron Curtain eventually resulted in the dramatic fall of the Berlin Wall and various oppressive regimes.  People regained their freedom.
• The pattern of everyday faithfulness as a parent, that often goes on behind closed doors, (generally speaking) yields a mature child ready to go out on his or her own.  This person can take up a vocation for the benefit of society as a whole.  In moments when early forms of maturity shine forth, I've been taken aback with the rhetorical, "Where did you come from?"
• The quiet, purposeful work of a linguist trying to put an oral language into writing bears fruit in a written language, giving honour to a unique culture and showing its people that God's Word does not have to remain foreign to them.

Power Parable: The Good Samaritan

   I'm beginning a new series about the parables of Jesus and how they confront us with a new vision concerning power.  Power has become a "bad word" among many because of its abuse in so many contexts, but I am learning from Andy Crouch's latest book Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power that power can be a gift if it is received and used for the benefit of others.

   The phrase "Good Samaritan" has a life of its own today even if the people who use it are not familiar with its source in the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 10.  Here we read the full account of just a few unnamed characters:

• Robbers, whose power comes from stealth and from banding together
• the Traveler, who begins with the power and purpose to walk from one city to another and ends up completely powerless after the attack: wounded, lacking clothes and money
• the Priest & Levite, who come on the scene separately with the power of status and religiosity
• the Samaritan, with his donkey, who is considered racially inferior and a cultural foe.

   On the hierarchy of power, the Samaritan comes last.  Certainly, as a human being each character is invested with "the ability to make something of the world" [1].  However, the wounded traveler has lost this as the result of the robbers' choice to "take" something of the world; destruction instead of construction.  The religious folks refuse to get involved at all.   Strikingly, it is the despised man who decides "to make something" better in the world.  Using his assets--a donkey, oil, wine and currency--he restores another human being, a fellow image bearer.

   Power does not, first of all, arise from one's position in society or one's level of wealth.  Power is inherent in being human, whoever we are and wherever we are.  With eyes open to what God has placed before us, we daily have opportunities to use our talents, resources, time, and our very selves to enable others in this world to flourish.
 
[1] This is Andy Crouch's definition of power, given on page 17 of the book named above.