Field Work
Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field, the which when a man has found, he hides, and for the joy thereof goes and sells all he has and buys that field.
Matthew 13:44
What is Your Treasure?
Everyone is seeking a treasure in some way. Lottery players are hoping that the number they have selected will be the winner. Shrewd investors have placed their hopes on a high return on their investment. Everyone is seeking a treasure of some sort. This raises an important question of whether we are seeking the right kind of treasure.
No matter how great are the treasures of this earth, they are all temporary. There will come a day when the treasure leaves you or you will leave the treasure. Things of this earth will certainly lose their value. There are treasures that cannot be traded on the stock market or won as some kind of prize. Love is a fortune that if a person does not possess it, they soon lose their sense of belonging. Hope is a prize that helps us find meaning in life and anticipation of the future. Trusted relationships are tremendous jewels that bring joy to our lives and the lives of others. All such treasures cannot be measured in dollars, yet they are extremely valuable.
Today, many may be lacking in material riches but possess high quantities of kindness, respect, and confidence. These are resources that are often overlooked in our modern times and yet they make up the very fabric of a healthy society and world. Take the time and write down the things that are valuable in your life. Include things like family, church, good co-workers, and a healthy community. I guarantee that once you count these things, you will find that they have brought you the greatest blessings.
Not only should we consider what are the right kind of riches, we must also ask where will we store our treasure? There have been tremendous developments in developing security systems to protect your identity from cyber threats. Protection of your home and personal property is also a grave concern. What about your life investments and the riches of your soul? What have you done to secure those irreplaceable things? Even your money and other assets are at-risk if you have not asked for God’s help. You and I must realize that everything we have in our possession is subject to the threat of loss. The only full security is that we place our valuables to the care of Almighty God.
Jesus told a story in Luke12:16-21 about a man whose land yielded a remarkable crop one year. The harvest was so abundant that he did not have room to store it. He thought to himself and asked the question that all of us would ask, “where am I going to store all of this abundance?” Finally, it dawned on him that he could build bigger barns and that would solve his concerns. In his mind, the riches meant that his soul was at ease. But the man left God out. Tragically, he died the very same night and Jesus asked the question, “Now what will happen to all those things that were gathered?” Is that our ambition in life? Do we want to gain a lot of possessions or do we need to invest in the Kingdom of Heaven? Jesus provides that answer in this passage. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field, the which when a man has found, he hides, and for the joy thereof goes and sells all he has and buys that field. There are four truths about this Kingdom treasure that everyone must find.
First, the Kingdom of Heaven is the most valuable treasure you will ever find.
Second, the treasure must be revealed.
Third, God’s Kingdom treasure brings joy.
Fourth, the only way to the treasure of God’s Kingdom is to give up everything.
You’ve Got to Work the Field
The riches people in the world are not those who wisely invest on Wall Street and other world exchanges. The wealthiest people of our day are not the Elon Musks, the Bill Gates, nor members of the Walton Family. The wealthiest people of the world are the believers in Jesus Christ. Why? Those other “rich folk” cannot take their riches any further than the grave. But the believer’s riches are for this life and the life to come.
In this short parable, Jesus stated that a certain man found a treasure in a field that he did not own. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field, the which when a man has found, he hides, and for the joy thereof goes and sells all he has and buys that field. The man happened to find riches hidden in the field. That required some field work. Seeking is the plow that turns the ground of opportunity. No, the man did not own the land but he happened to be working when he found something of great value. That is field work. The Kingdom Gift of Grace is the most valuable treasure that one could ever find but we do not possess it until a transfer is made. Please do not buy into the argument that people are saved automatically. That is not true. You must first conduct your field work and find God’s Grace for yourself. Your mother nor your father can work the field for you; it is the task of your faith to believe in God. Here is the good news; God will give you the tools to dig with to find the Kingdom of Heaven.
This is the mystery of God’s Kingdom. It is hidden from the natural eye but not from the eyes of faith. The field worker notices that something is there and begins to move the ground in order to find it. Notice, the Scripture does not speak specifically as to what type of treasure. It may have been the treasure that required planting and waiting for the harvest. Perhaps it was a miracle crop. Perhaps it was the treasure of gold that required mining. Perhaps there were minerals hidden and required some process of refining. Either way, the man did some field work to find the treasure.
Notice also that finding the treasure was not the completion of the process. The Kingdom treasure must be revealed. Without the Holy Spirit bringing things to our knowledge our fickled minds would soon become distracted to something else. When God shows you something you cannot shake it off and ignore it. The Holy Spirit creates a holy hunger in your heart to act on what you have seen. This is now the ministry of God working with the treasure. When God saved you, did He not call you with such an urgency? God would not let you go nor leave you alone. When God called the child Samuel, he kept speaking until Samuel responded, “speak Lord for Your servant is listening.” O the Grace of God that will not let us go. In the parable, the man acted. First, he found that it was truly a treasure, then he reacted by hiding the treasure. Second, he sought a place to hide such a great discovery. The things we value must be placed in a secure place. Where better to hide God’s Kingdom than in your heart? For if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. Romans 10:9. That’s field work.
There was yet another transaction that took place in the field. The man took possession of the field. It is critical that we do whatever is necessary to take possession of the field. So often, the Word of God is sowed on stony ground and people run for joy for a little while, but then turn back into the world. What happened? They never took possession of the field. Something else claimed their attention. The call of their friends or their old habits caused them to forfeit the field agreement. You must work in the field and not allow other things to steal your treasure. This is the Miracle of God that you still have the field. Through all your struggles, God kept you. Keep working the field.
In the Old Testament, the wicked king Ahab wanted to take possession of the field of a man named Naboth. Ahab tried everything, even offering to give him another place for his vineyard. Naboth refused because he was committed to keeping his family’s inheritance. Well, Ahab’s wife decided she would just take the land by force. Jezebel conspired to have Naboth killed and then told her husband to go down and take possession because the field was now his. But according to 1 Kings 21:21, the prophet Elijah told Ahab that he will lose his life for taking Naboth’s vineyard. Simply put, when you keep what God has for you, others might try to take it, but it is still registered in the Kingdom of God. This joy that I have, the world did not give to me. Since God has given you the field and the treasure – hold on to it. Work the field.
Lastly, the man settled the deal by giving up everything he had. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field, the which when a man has found, he hides, and for the joy thereof goes and sells all he has and buys that field. This is the point of total surrender to God. Half hearted confessions will not do. The field work is not complete until you and I give up everything. We talked about the Mystery of God, the Miracle of God, and the Ministry of God. This surrender of everything points solely to the Majesty of God. This was the majesty that Paul found when he gave up his career to follow Christ. This was the majesty that the Apostles found when they left the fishing occupation to follow Jesus and become fishers of men. You and I must surrender everything if we are to truly become Disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, if anyone comes after me, they must first deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matt. 16:24. That is field work.
Yet, instead of being sold out some are still holding out. It is difficult if not impossible to get people to volunteer for anything in ministry these days. In that case, some have forgotten their field work. But you cannot forget all that Christ has done for you and me. He left His Throne in Glory to take upon Himself our sin. How can we now back out of the deal. Remember the Treasure is still good. Remember that you will get more than what you put into it. Seal the deal by giving God everything. Then watch how God brings you such an abundant return.
The cost of the field = Everything I own which is not much.
The joy the field produces = Priceless because it was God’s Gift all along.