Since being born again as a Bible Believing Christian, in the first six months or so of this year I read through the whole Bible. As I read, I made a list of the verses and passages that spoke to me. One such verse was Matthew 13:44, which contains one of the shortest of Jesus’ parables: The Parable of the Hidden 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 he had and bought that field” (NIV)
This parable has caught the attention of several famous artists including Rembrandt, whose painting shows a man looking over his shoulder, a spade in his hand, just before reburying the treasure. The parable itself certainly does paint a picture and seems to convey several principles and truths. There is the idea of seeming to lose something in order to gain something that is so much more valuable, a principle echoed through the teachings of Christ.
For me, I also see that when you accept Jesus as your saviour, your life may outwardly appear the same to some people, just as the field may look much the same before the treasure was discovered and after it was buried again. However, as a Christian you know your life has been transformed. The treasure in the field represents to me the underlying joy and peace of knowing Jesus who is always with me. This reality now impacts all aspects of my life.
During the Discipleship Explored course I recently attended at PEFC, we read in Philippians 4:11 where Paul says that had learned to be content whatever the circumstances (NIV). The next morning I began to worry about something that had happened at work, but then I could also feel an underlying layer of joy and peace within my heart because of the Holy Spirit, knowing there is treasure hidden in my field. What a miracle that we have found the treasure of Christ and have purchased that field. It has changed everything for us and now we can now let others know about the joy of following Jesus; about the field of gold.
