Treasure

Let me share something I learned from John Piper that has left my jaw hanging open and at the same time produced in me the welling up of a resounding YES! That is exactly it! I first read this in Desiring God, but I have since heard him preach on this in other places. The text is Matthew 13:44,

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

Piper says, "This parable describes how someone is converted and brought into the kingdom of heaven. A person discovers a treasure and is impelled by joy to sell all that he has in order to have this treasure" (70). He adds, "Faith has in it this element of valuing, embracing, prizing, relishing Christ" (90).

Hearing the words reminds me of the joy, and I am able to recapture it again. Yes! Jesus is all I need, He is all I want. Of course I do not always think like it, or live like it. That is why I need to be reminded of it. Does this world disappoint you? It matters not when you remember that you know Christ, that He is yours, and you are His.

Have you come to know Christ as your treasure? Do you value Him and desire Him so much that everything else becomes rubbish? For me it is another already and not yet. I do, oh, I do. Yet, I still do so imperfectly. I do not love Him as I ought. We must value Jesus above all else. That is what it is to be converted. This is what we must do if we are to go to heaven when we die.

This is what I want and what I am growing toward, to live consistently with this faith. Jesus is my treasure.

When I am done trying to explain this it seems inadequate. I will have to keep trying, so more on this later.