Matthew 13:44
“The kingdom of heaven is like a 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.”
During His ministry on earth, the Lord Jesus often taught His disciples and followers through parables. This verse is one of the parables that illustrate what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. It says that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a hidden treasure in a field, discovered by someone. That person can refer to anyone living in the field of life on this earth, including all of us. Our life on earth can be likened to working in a field. Like in the parable, we carry out various activities in the field of life: working, planting, digging, and handling worldly matters. And amid those activities, someone finds a hidden treasure.
This portrays the reality of our routine-filled lives. We wake up in the morning, get ready, work or study, come home at night, rest, and then repeat the same cycle every day. In such a journey, a person may come across a hidden treasure — the Kingdom of Heaven. If we can find that hidden treasure, it is solely by God’s grace. We cannot boast or think we’re intelligent or capable just because we’ve managed to uncover truths in the Word of God. Behind it all is the divine intervention of God, enabling us to find it.
However, this grace can be responded to in different ways. In another parable, the Lord Jesus described seeds falling on various types of soil — some on rocky ground, some among thorns, and some on good soil. It’s the human response to the Word that determines the outcome.
In this parable, the man’s response upon finding the treasure is remarkable: “In his joy, he went and sold all he had and bought that field.” This is a rare response. Many Christians today assume they are already saved and believe that salvation depends solely on God’s initiative. But after God has provided salvation through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, our response is still required. Not just a mental or emotional response, but real action. The joy of salvation must be expressed in tangible deeds.
The apostle Paul explains in Philippians 3 that he let go of everything he once considered gain. He regarded it all as rubbish to gain one true treasure: Christ. Jesus Himself also taught, “Anyone who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.”
Our response to salvation is critical. How are we filling that salvation? How are we working it out with fear and trembling? Don’t be a passive Christian who assumes you’re automatically saved. We must be vigilant, suspicious of ourselves, and mindful of the worldly pleasures we still cling to. We must be willing to let go of everything for the sake of gaining the Kingdom of God. Remember: losing everything on earth or letting go of all we have for the Kingdom of God is a sacrifice that brings great joy.