Hidden Treasure

Today, sermon is the beginning of a sermon series entitled Parables of the kingdom. It is a follow-on to the series. I did last fall. That was entitled, good, teacher life lessons from The Lord of life. We will be considering Parables during this series that were not a part of that earlier Series in the fall, on the teachings of Jesus. We know that, that Jesus taught in three primary ways through his actions through his sayings, and through his Parables Jesus, especially used Parables, as it is said, in the scripture, we heard this morning, Jesus told the crowds all these things in Parables without a parable. He told them nothing. This was to fulfill. What had been spoken through the prophets. I will open my mouth to speak in Parables. I will Proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world Jesus. It was quoting Psalm set. Note, the idea that he would use parables in order to help people grasp. What otherwise had been hidden from their view that relates to the two Parables that will be our Focus this morning to be promoted to the spirit of Prayer. In the words of my mouth and meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight. Oh Lord, our strength and Our Redeemer. I'll men. People love stories about Hidden Treasures. Lots of contemporary movies, feature hidden treasure. The Indiana Jones character was always searching for Hidden Treasure. Pirates of the Caribbean series as fairies Hidden Treasures, Disney's recent Jungle Cruise movie features, a quest after a flower. Are they hidden tree that has marvelous Powers tapping into that human interest in Hidden Treasures. Jesus told to Parables about finding a treasure, the parable of the hidden treasure and the parable of the pearl of great price. In the first Parable, Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid, then his Joy, he goes, and sells all that he has and buy that field. In the Ancient World hidden treasure was relatively commonplace. There were no banks like ours. So people had to either guard treasure or hide their treasure bearing. The treasure in a secret spot was a ready, option, but it was a turbulent time with lots of fighting an illness in crime. If someone buried a treasure and then died without informing anyone else as to where the treasure was the treasure would remain hidden. In the parable, someone finds buried treasure. There's no suggestion. The parable that the person was actually looking for buried treasure. That would be pretty pointless. If you had no idea where to look at the original Heroes of the parable, would more likely have imagined a day labor working away in a field digging with a hole in the soil when suddenly clonk the whole hits. Something a person has stumbled upon treasure. Recently, there was a story in the news. About a mountain climber on Mont Blanc who stumbled upon treasure the Mountaineer while climbing the mountain back in 2013, hit by chance upon a box, which was full of Jewels, Emerald, rubies, and sapphires. The hiker turn the box over to authorities in accordance with French law and Hike was commended for his honesty. It took a long time for the legal system, to determine who rightfully should own the gym. It was determined. Finally, the third, the Box most likely originated from an airline flight, out of India, that had crashed into the mountain, back in the sixties there, by depositing this box on board, and it's hidden on the mountain. The original owner was dead, and it turned out to be impossible to identify any other claimants. Treasure Trove, so just last month, the legal decision, finally came down that the hiker could keep half the treasure worth about $170,000. And the other half went to the local community and whose region the treasure had been found. The legal system was different in the ancient world. There was no interest in spending years, trying to figure out who rightfully on to treasure. The law simply was that if a treasure was discovered, it belong to who ever owned the field. In the parable. The scenario is that the treasure was not something that was buried by the person who currently owns the field. Otherwise, the person would never consider her selling the field later rather. The snow is said like that on Montblanc. A treasure that happens to be there coming from somebody from long ago. I was now long gone and now has been found in contemporary friends. It was finally the side of the treasure should be divided between the finder of the treasure and the community and whose area the treasure had been found. But in the ancient world, if a worker had announced that he found a treasure, the treasure would go to the owner of the field, even though the owner of the field had nothing to do with the treasurer would probably already rich. So in the parable the field worker decides to bury the treasure hiding it. Once again does not simply follow the treasure secretly witch. Would have been unethical instead he determines to buy the field. Does the property owner will be rightfully compensated for the Valley of the field and the worker, then in owning the field. In the end will legally possess the treasure. People reflecting about this Parable that sometimes gotten into debates about the, the ethics and all this, but Jesus Parables were not designed so that we would get wrapped up in the details. Jesus Parables, typically have one Central image, which is designed to grab our attention, to shake us up some way and to move us to new insight and response in life. Jesus talked about the purpose of his parables. In those verses we heard from the gospel of Matthew, when he said, the reason I speak to them in Parables. Is that seeing, they do not perceive and hearing, they do not listen, nor do they understand with him and deed is fulfilled. The prophecy of Isaiah that says you indeed. Listen, but never understand and you indeed look, but never perceive for this people's heart has grown doll and their ears. Are hard of hearing and they have shut their eyes so that they might not look with their eyes and listen with your ears and understand with her heart and turn and I would heal them Jesus here, addresses the great human problem. That's so often the people shut their eyes and their ears to God, even when they may acknowledge that God is is out there. They are not really paying attention to what God is saying to them, how God would speak to them. Jesus told parables in order to penetrate the dullness of our heart, to shake us up in some way to get us to perceive God's truth. A fresh and recognize God's call tour online.

The parable of the hidden treasure for census with a man who hits upon a long hidden treasure. The treasure Jesus makes clear, is the Kingdom of Heaven for he says, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field. It is significant that in the parable, the treasure has been there for a long time but has been hidden from you that reflects, the fact that the age-old truths and Promises of God. Have long been readily at hand, but often people do not perceive them, just as Isaiah had said. How then does the man in the parable, find the treasure. He basically stumbles upon it like that climber on montrois who was not looking for Treasure while he was climbing, but then just came up on a box, full of jewels in the parable. The treasure comes to the band as a windfall. Hear the parable is pushing us to a key. Insight about the gifts of God. God's Treasures are not something that we deserve. Something that we learn that something that week, that something we receive because we have been on such a diligent and worthy Quest. The great Treasures of God come to human beings has a windfall as an enormous blessing. Falling to us, even though we were not really looking for it. The Apostle Paul Express this truth, when he said, while we were yet, sinners Christ died for us. It was, while human beings were not even thinking about God. The god came to us in Jesus Christ and acted for our salvation. In other words, we do not find the treasure, the treasure finds us.

But, of course, once we recognize that are Treasures in hand, we need to act the parable continues. Then, in his Joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that filled the worker in the field, takes a Resolute action. Sacrificing everything in order to possess the treasure, the Apostle Paul would later. Say I regard everything as lost because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus. My Lord for his sake, I've suffered the loss of all things but I regard them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ. The parable, that's moves us to take action to lay, hold of the great treasure that has come before us by recognizing the Supreme value of God's grace and committing ourselves whole hardly to Christ. Is it for the note for the wedding zactly. The treasure is when Jesus refers to the kingdom of heaven, he's referring not only to Heaven as the promise of Life Beyond Jesus uses. Both the phrase kingdom of heaven, and Kingdom of God interchangeably. Meaning the same thing. The kingdom is the reign of God. It is wherever God rule is in effect. So the kingdom includes the promise of Eternity, but it also includes the present reality of God's Wrath in the here. And now, as Jesus said, the kingdom of God is at hand or the kingdom of God, is among you. The Treasure of the kingdom is the ability to enter right now into a fellowship with God. In which we are joined with God's grace, God's guidance God's power in, which we share in God's love and blessing that will extend forever. To find that kind of connection with God, is indeed to find a treasure.

The second purple, we heard this morning was also about a treasure, but it has a different sort of storyline in the parable of the pearl of great price is commonly called Jesus, says, they came of God. It's like a merchant in search of fine pearls who upon finding one, pearl of great value, or grape Christ, went and sold all that. He had and bought it. In the first century pearls, were considered to be the most valuable of all jewels to get a pearl. You had to dive down into ocean water, holding your breath, and find an oyster. That happened to have a good Pearl. That was not easy and those pearls were rare. The very best pearls came from the Persian Gulf in the Indian Ocean. So April traitor, from Palestine, where Jesus audience was, would have to embark on a long journey to Exotic land in order to find the best pearls. One such traitor is the subject of our Parable. He is in search of fine pearls. Know how in contrast to the first Parable, in which the person, stumbles upon a treasure. This Merchant is searching for what is of value. It makes sense in the gospel that the parables are in the order, in which we find them. The first parable of the hidden treasure, makes the point that the great Treasures of God comes to us as a gift of God's grace. The second parable about the Pearl, adds an important idea of that when it comes to spiritual matters, we on our part, should not simply be passive. We should be seeking spiritual treasure looking for what will bring True Value and richness and fullness to life. In the parable, the merchant finds, not just a nice girl, but the Pearl defines a pearl would be a traditional translation describes as being a pearl of great price original. Greek in the parable means not simply of the Burl cost a lot or rather. This is a pearl of extraordinary value. It is the pearl of pearls a pearl against which all other pearls fade. What band does the merchant do? The Kingdom of Heaven Jesus says, like a merchant in search of fine pearls who upon finding a pearl of great price went and sold all that. He had and bought it. Like the person in the first Parable, the merchant takes decisive action. You very likely been in stores, on mobile occasions. That were selling. Beautiful items are at work jewelry rare Collectibles, you could stand there and admire the items, but it's something else entirely to actually buy and item in the merchant in the parable could simply have as mired, the Pearl, lots of people admire the teachings of Jesus. But in the parable, the merchant sells all that he has to buy the Pearl. He makes a wholehearted commitment. It is a picture of how we are called to respond to Christ. We see exactly that. Of course. The first disciples has Peter. Once said to Jesus, behold. We have left everything to follow you.

You could ask a question, of course is to what the merchant then would would do with such a pearl. But that is irrelevant. As we've already noted Harold's, The Parables of Jesus for xanthus generally with one Central image, which is designed to to move us in our thinking to to inspire us to some kind of insight and to spiritual response. The image in the parable about the Pearl, is that the merchant is searching for the thing that is of utmost value, and he is ready to commit, himself entirely to it. Very often in life, people are focused on things that are not really of value that are not worthy of our devotion as the prophet. Isaiah wants to put it. Why do you spend your labor on that? Which does not satisfy? The parable would move us to seek what is of altimate Worth to seek the kingdom of God and to be ready to devote ourselves entirely to it.

We often think as we head into a new year, about what we have to be striving after the New Year, many people make New Year's resolutions, The Parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price will inspire us to seek. What is of utmost value, and even more to recognize that through Jesus Christ. The greatest treasure is it hand? We are invited to respond with faith with commitments and with joy. Let us pray.

He told God, we give thanks and praise that through Jesus Christ. You have bestowed. The greatest treasure upon us. As far as Lord to perceive the value of what you are offering to us through your, through your grace. And as far as Lord to respond in faith, to take hold of that treasure for our own lives. That Lord, we might know. The Wonder of You are Spirit flowing to us at work with forgiveness with healing and renewing, power with inspiration and wisdom to guide us in life with strength to enable us to meet every challenge with the sure. Hope that comes from knowing that we have an everlasting future and you little slower to be drawn into that fellowship with you and which weekend, no, the great Treasures of your kingdom each day, and which in which we can share out of those Treasures with others around us. We thank you Lord that you draw us into the life of your church that together. We can grow in faith and growing our mission tour. The world, we do reach out to persons in our church or in times of particular challenge, remembering persons who are sick, especially this morning for Ray Joven. We think a person's around the world and Times of particular challenge, those our own community. And those would be on, we do, thank you. That we are connected with other Country, Creations and lift up, especially this morning or United Methodist at the peninsula, United Methodist Church. We pray the Lord he would lead us as as we would seek to be instruments of your good news and your grace in our time. Curtis Salgado as we indeed would open our eyes and our ears in our hearts to recognize how you are speaking to us, how you were acting for us, how you are drawing us today to live as your disciples move us, Lord, as we would respond in faith and then commitment, as we lift our hearts to you in, praise the name of Jesus. Our Lord & Taylor. We pray. I'm in.