SERMON: SEARCHING FOR BURIED TREASURE

11 May 2014

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bible to Matthew 13:44-46

Matthew 13:44-46 (NIV)

44 "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.

45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.

46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

            -- as far back as I can remember, I have been fascinated with the idea of finding a buried treasure -- of stumbling on a parchment map hidden in the back of an old book, with a definitive "X" marking the spot of wealth untold

            -- this fascination was only reinforced when I learned in Georgia History that the infamous pirate Edward Teach -- Blackbeard himself -- used to sail along the coast and rivers of Georgia -- and rumor had it that he had buried some of his treasure on a Georgia island -- treasure that has not been recovered to this day -- it's still out there somewhere -- and maybe, just maybe, I would be the one to find it

            -- it seems like everyone is just as fascinated as me with the idea of finding a lost treasure -- I think that's one reason movies like "Indiana Jones," "National Treasure," and "The Goonies" are so popular -- it's not really outside the realm of possibility for us to actually stumble on a real, buried treasure -- people really do find buried treasure, even in our day and time

            -- and, as Kim can attest, for the past two weeks I've been driving her and my friends and family crazy about this idea of buried treasure because I just learned of a modern-day treasure hunt that has been going on for the past few years

            -- Forrest Fenn is an author and art dealer in the southwestern U.S. whose life reads like a character from an Indiana Jones movie -- growing up hiking and camping in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains -- exploring areas few people had ever been to -- becoming a fighter pilot and amateur archeologist -- discovering and excavating archeological finds all over the world, from the Philippine Islands to the deserts of New Mexico

            -- as Forrest was approaching the end of his life and began to experience some severe medical conditions, he wanted to leave a legacy that would be more lasting and enduring than simply the books he had written and the art he had collected -- he gathered up a small chest -- 10 inches by 10 inches -- and filled it with gold coins and precious stones and other valuable artifacts

            -- he carried it out into the wilds of the Rockies and set it down and walked away -- he then crafted a poem that contains all the clues necessary to find the hidden treasure -- and invited everyone to join in the chase for the gold

            -- whoever finds the chest, gets to keep it and all the valuables -- best estimates put the value of the chest at between $2 and $7 million dollars

            -- and while Forrest has added a clues and hints along the way in interviews and on blogs and in his 2010 memoir, "The Thrill of the Chase," over the past four years, no one has been able to find it -- it's still there

            -- all you have to do is decipher the poem, figure out where "X" is, and retrieve the hidden treasure

            -- this morning finds us in Matthew Chapter 13, where Matthew gives us a collection of parables from Jesus about the kingdom of heaven -- we've looked at several of these already in the time we've been together here at Koinonia, and I'm sure you are very familiar with the rest

            -- it's in this chapter we find the parable of the sower and the seed -- the parable of the wheat and the tares -- and the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast

            -- this morning I want us to take a moment to discuss two parables Jesus gave us about finding treasure -- the first was a treasure hidden in the field -- the second, the pearl of great price

            -- so, if you would, join me again at Matthew 13:44 and let's look at these together

II.  Scripture Lesson (Matthew 13:44-46)

            -- verse 44

 44 "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.

            -- the parable of the hidden treasure is a very straight-forward parable -- as Jesus tells us here, a man goes out into a field, finds a buried treasure, covers it up again, and then buys the field and keeps the treasure for himself

            -- now when we read this, it just sounds wrong to us, doesn't it? -- just this week I had someone tell me they thought the man in the story was dishonest in his actions -- an honest man, he said, would have gone to the owner and told them about the treasure since it was hidden on their property and rightfully belonged to them

            -- but here we see the difference between Roman law and Jewish law -- and we are Romans -- we are the descendants of the Roman empire -- our law and our culture and even our language and world-view -- our way of looking at and understanding this world -- all come from the Romans

            -- and yes, in our mind, the actions of this man appear to be dishonest, if not outright illegal -- that's based on our Roman heritage -- that's based on our way of thinking and understanding

            -- but when you study the Bible, you have to keep in mind the audience and how they received the message originally -- in order to properly understand and interpret the Bible and then apply it to our lives, you have to think of the context -- not just what it says -- but what it meant to the original reader -- before you do anything else with the text

            -- in this case, Matthew tells us the audience for this parable was Jesus' disciples -- Jewish men -- raised in Jewish tradition -- steeped in Jewish law -- they would immediately understand what Jesus was saying in this parable, and to them, the actions of the man would not be dishonest, but would be perfectly in keeping with the law of the Jews

            -- as William Barclay pointed out in his commentary on these parables, "in regard to hidden treasure Jewish Rabbinic law was quite clear" -- it stated, and I quote, "What finds belong to the finder, and what finds must one cause to be proclaimed? -- These finds belong to the finder--if a man finds scattered fruit, scattered money...these belong to the finder."

            -- in other words, the man who found the treasure hidden in the field had the right to keep what he had found according to the law -- in fact, a dishonest man would never have purchased the field -- he would have just kept the treasure and not said anything

            -- you've got to keep in mind it was a common practice in first century Palestine for people to bury their treasure for safe-keeping -- think about the parable of the talents -- the one servant who didn't use his talents as the master wanted kept them safe by burying them and digging them up when the master returned

            -- the thing about burying treasure is sometimes the treasure gets lost -- as apparently in this case -- if the owner of the field knew the treasure was there, he would have dug it up and moved it before he had the man work in the field -- more than likely, this was a treasure buried before the current owner possessed the field, and he had no idea it was there in the first place

            -- but, that's getting in the weeds -- the point of the parable remains -- the kingdom of heaven is like a buried treasure that a man finds in a field -- a treasure that is so valuable and so desirable that the man goes and sells all he has in order to purchase the field and claim it for his own

            -- the second parable is very similar to this one -- look at verse 45-46

45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.

46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

            -- in this case, the finder of the treasure is a merchant who is actively looking for fine pearls -- and when he finds a pearl that is more valuable than all of the others, he sells all he has in order to buy this one great pearl -- the pearl of great price

            -- the point of this parable parallels that of the first -- when a treasure of great price is discovered, the finder sells all he has in order to acquire the treasure he has found

            -- now I'm sure you've heard these parables taught in the past -- and I'm sure the interpretation of these parables has always been similar -- the actor in the parable -- the man who finds the treasure in the field and the merchant seeking fine pearls -- represent you and me -- sinners seeking eternal life

            -- and the interpretation we're given is that when we find eternal life through Christ, we are to sell all we have -- to give ourselves completely to Him -- in order to claim the treasure of the kingdom of heaven for our own

            -- however, just like we learned in the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast, the popular interpretation may not be the correct interpretation

            -- let's think for a moment about how these parables are usually interpreted and let's see where the popular interpretation just might not be right

            -- the first place we find problems with the popular interpretation is in the definition of the actor in the parable

            -- while these parables are similar, there are differences among them

            -- in the first parable, the man finds the treasure in the field while he is working in the field, going about his daily labors -- the interpretation you usually hear is that we find God in the every day -- that we find God, not only at church, but also in the ways and byways of life

            -- in the second parable, the merchant is actively seeking fine pearls -- he is looking for a pearl of great price -- and when he finds it, he sells all he has to buy it -- the interpretation here is that we find God when we seek Him -- that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us, which we read in James 4:8

            -- as I said, in both cases, we are told by most commentators that the actor in the parable is us -- you and me -- sinners in need for forgiveness and eternal life

            -- in one parable the sinner stumbles over the kingdom of God in the field -- in the other, the sinner is actively seeking God when he finds the pearl of great price

            -- everybody with me?

            -- the only problem with the popular interpretation is that we can't find God on our own -- the Bible tells us we have no desire to find God because our hearts are wicked and deceitful above all things -- Romans 5:10 says that we are actually enemies of God -- "the natural man has no ability to come to God" on his own

            -- in other words, in our natural state we aren't looking for God -- we don't have any desire to find God -- and even if we tripped over God in a field or found Him hidden in a market, we wouldn't care

            -- how many people have you talked to who have no interest at all in Jesus? -- how many people have you talked to who just don't care about religion or the Bible or any other trapping of Christianity? -- there's a reason for that

            -- in John 6:44 Jesus says "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." -- no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him

            -- to put it another way, no one is going to look for God unless God first calls him through His prevenient grace -- the grace that reaches out to us before we are saved -- the grace that woos us to the cross -- the grace that makes us aware of our lostness and our need for salvation -- without God calling us in the first place, no one would even know there was a treasure available that offered eternal life

            -- let me give you an example of what I'm talking about -- several years ago Kim and I were trying to find a small station wagon she could use to haul dogs in -- and we saw one listed in the paper at an estate sale, so we went to go look at it

            -- we walked through the house and everything was for sale -- they had taken the pictures down and leaned them against the wall by the front door and we just glanced at them as we walked past looking for the owner -- we found him -- drove the car -- and ended up buying it

            -- a few weeks later we found out someone had found a treasure in that house -- they had discovered an original lithograph of the Washington Monument -- an artist's proof that had been made by the designer for approval before construction -- it had been signed on the back by several prominent early politicians -- I forget the value of the picture, but it was worth thousands of dollars

            -- and Kim and I walked right past it -- we walked right past a treasure -- inches from our knees -- why? -- we didn't know it existed -- we had no idea it was there -- because we weren't aware of it, we didn't look for it -- and even if we had stumbled across it, like something hidden in a field, we would not have recognized its value

            -- this is the problem with the common interpretation of this parable -- the natural man is not going to be looking for or recognizing the kingdom of God

            -- the second problem with this parable is what the actor does when he finds the hidden treasure or the pearl of great price -- in both cases, we are told the actor sells all he has to buy the field or to buy the pearl -- the interpretation is that we must give all we have to Jesus in order to find eternal life -- in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven

            -- now, I hope you can gather what is wrong with this interpretation now that you're looking at this parable with discerning eyes

            -- Ephesians 2:8-9 -- "For it is by grace you have been saved -- through faith -- and this not of yourself -- it is the gift of God -- not by works -- so that no one can boast"

            -- we are saved by grace through faith -- not by works -- as we often proclaim, "you can't buy your way to heaven -- you can't do enough good things to get to heaven -- you can only get to heaven through faith in Jesus"

            -- now, I don't know about you, but when I read here we are to go and sell all we have to buy the field with the hidden treasure or to buy the pearl of great price, that sure sounds like it's telling me we have to buy our way to heaven

            -- of course, the commentators are quick to say that's not what it means -- they say what Jesus meant is we should make any sacrifice necessary and give up whatever we need to in order to gain eternal life -- as Barclay said in his commentary, you have to be willing to give up everything in order to gain the treasure

            -- but they're skirting around the literal meaning in order to make sure their interpretation lines up with doctrine -- in other words, "this parable can't really mean you sell all you have to buy the field or to buy the pearl because you can't buy your way to heaven, so this is what it really means"

            -- but when I read it, it seems to be clear that Jesus says both the man and the merchant sold all they had so they could buy the treasure with their resources on hand -- they sacrificed all they had to buy the treasure -- and this just does not line up with the foundations of our faith -- "for it is by grace you have been saved -- through faith -- not by works"

            -- also, to further confound the issue, Isaiah told us in Isaiah 64:6 that our righteous acts are like filthy rags -- we don't even have the money to buy the field if we wanted to -- even the richest man in the world -- even the best man you know -- isn't good enough or rich enough to atone for their sin -- so how could we buy the field or the pearl in the first place?

            -- so, if the common interpretation is not right, then what is the better interpretation? -- let's think about this logically

            -- first, who is the audience? -- to whom did Jesus tell this parable?

            -- Matthew tells us these two parables were given to His disciples -- they were not given to the crowd -- and that means the teachings of this parable were not for the crowd, but for Jesus' chosen disciples -- the men who would build His church on earth after His death and resurrection

            -- so, secondly, what is the message of the parable? -- what is it that Jesus is trying to get across to these men? -- He's telling them the reason He came -- in these parables, Jesus outlines to His closest followers the purpose for the incarnation, for the cross, and for the resurrection

            -- let's consider with new and discerning eyes what the various parts of these parables might be

            -- in the first parable, a man goes out into the field, finds a buried treasure, and sells all he has to acquire the field and possess the treasure

            -- what is the field? -- the field is the world -- the field represents the world -- you could even make the case the field represents the Gentile world, because the next parable deals with the Jews

            -- so who's the man? -- we've already pointed out that it can't be us because we aren't looking for God in the first place -- and, even if we were, we don't have money to buy the field even if we wanted to -- so who has the resources to buy the field? -- who is the man? -- it's Jesus -- Jesus is the man -- or, as He called Himself, the Son of Man

            -- then what's the treasure? -- what is of such great price that He would sell all He had to gain it? -- it's us -- it's you and me and all the other people in this world -- Jesus came to earth looking for us and when He found us, He gave all He had -- even His very own body and blood on the cross of Calvary -- to redeem us from the curse and to offer forgiveness for our sins

            -- as it says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall have eternal life"

            -- Jesus paid it all because He loved us and considered us a treasure of inestimable value

            -- but what about the merchant looking for fine pearls? -- what's up with that?

            -- once again, Jesus is the merchant -- He's the only one who could afford to buy us -- the pearl of great price -- He's the only one who could sell all He had to redeem us

            -- the difference between this parable and the parable of the hidden treasure is location, location, location -- in the first parable, Jesus is looking in the world for those who will believe in Him -- who will respond to God's prevenient grace and put their faith in His atoning sacrifice on the cross

            -- in the second parable, Jesus is searching within the Jewish faith for those who believe and long for the true Messiah -- not the Messiah of their own making -- hidden within the pearls of God's chosen people are those men and women like the Apostle Paul and John and Peter who are pearls of great price -- who recognize and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior -- who respond to His call for salvation

            -- I think John hits the nail on the head as to the meaning of these parables in John 1:10-14 -- listen as I read that for you

John 1:10-14 (NIV)

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--

13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

III.  Closing

            -- okay, so now that I've turned these parables upside-down for you, what does it mean? -- what are you to take from this interpretation of Jesus' parables of the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great price?

            -- it simply comes down to this -- you are loved -- in the eyes of God you are a beloved treasure -- a treasure of inestimable value -- you are worth so much to the God and Creator of this universe that He sent His only Son to save you and redeem you

            -- Jesus gave all He had to purchase you -- to redeem you from your life of sin and death -- to claim you as His own and make you part of the kingdom of heaven

            -- regardless of what the world may say about you -- regardless of what others may think or how they may judge you -- God knows your worth -- God knows your value -- and He moved heaven and earth to find you and call you and draw you to Him

            -- perhaps He's still calling some of you today -- perhaps His voice is still wooing you from your place of lostness in this world -- perhaps He's still waiting for you to come and let Him redeem you and forgive you of your sins

            -- if so, then let me encourage you to respond to His call -- all you have to do is put your faith in Jesus and His atoning death on the cross -- believe that He is the Son of God and that He died for you to pay the price for sins and that He rose again on the third day to prove His victory over sin and death

            -- that's it -- that's all it takes for you to experience forgiveness and freedom and life in the kingdom of heaven

            -- so let us close now in prayer, thanking God for His grace and for His Son, who gave all He had just for us

            -- let's pray