“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid, and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44

“Again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:45

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds, but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” Matthew 13:31-32

What does it mean to be a Christian? What is faith, or the kingdom of heaven? The verses above give us a powerful insight to spiritual truths, but only if we can understand and see with spiritual eyes.

How can we truly serve the Lord our God, and love him in a way that he is worthy of? I like to think of another verse when I think about the true worth of the kingdom “… go and sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Matthew 19:21.

Now this is not to say that only by selling all our possessions can we gain the kingdom of heaven, but rather there is a deeper truth, and that is, who is God to us? Jesus was called many things, a good teacher, a prophet, a heretic, a blasphemer, but John the baptist and Peter understtod he was more than all those things, he was the Christ, the Messiah, the true sacrifice and holy lamb, and were willing to treat him as such, offering themselves as a living sacrifice.

We, if God is truly the first in our hearts, would not be concerned with the things of this world which are temporal and passing, but rather on the things which come from above, things that glorify God, we would not be concerned with finances (which is not a free pass to ignore them, but to know that God will lead us and guide us in a way to properly use them for His purposes), nor with the laws of this world, which at times will contend themselves against the will of God, but rather we will always seek to glorify God, trusting in Him who is faithful to His word.

Our faith, which starts out as something small, but precious, when watered and given time to grow to its fullness, can become a great sight to behold, a tower and a beacon of strength and hope, helping bring others into the knowledge of God. Individuals such as Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, Paul, Smith Wigglesworth, Billy Graham, and so many others, started out with a small portion of faith, from which grew an utter dependence and trust in God that they moved mountains. They had seen the treasure, and knew that it was more valuable than anything this world has to offer, and so they were willing to part with any treasure to see God glorified.

This is the key to the treasure, the understanding of the secret, the vision we must see with our spiritual eyes, that knowing and trusting in God is greater than any economic, mental, or social wealth or status we could hope to obtain in this world. God and his righteousness is greater than all that which is in this world, for even a little with God is greater than all the earthly treasure one could acquire with many lifetimes.

Who is God to you, and what is His place in your heart and life? Do you merely serve him with lip service, do you attend church for the sake of eye service? Or is God God to you, have you found the treasure in the field? How much would you be willing to lose or sacrifice for the sake of God? I ask not that you go and sell what you have, or become irresponsible, but rather, would you be willing to part with the things of this world, in order that you might receive God as a far better replacement, is God enough for you? once we have placed God at the center of our lives, then all else will follow, but we must make sure that we see the value of God, and worship Him in spirit and in truth.