The Treasure PrincipleExemple

True Joy In Matthew 13:44, Jesus tells us: “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.” If we miss the phrase “in his joy” in this passage, we miss everything. The man wasn’t exchanging lesser treasures for greater treasures out of dutiful drudgery but out of joyful exhilaration. In this parable, Jesus is appealing to what we do value—temporary, earthly treasure—in order to make an analogy about what we should value—eternal, heavenly treasure. We should think of the treasure hidden in the field in Matthew 13 as representing the true and lasting treasures we find in Jesus, the Gospel, and God’s eternal kingdom. Any earthly treasure we part with to obtain that far greater treasure is well worth the exchange! In Matthew 6:19–21, Jesus fully unveils the foundation of what I call the Treasure Principle. When Jesus warns us not to store up treasures on Earth, it’s not because wealth might be lost; it’s because wealth will always be lost. Either it leaves us while we live, or we leave it when we die. No exceptions. Imagine yourself near the end of the Civil War. You’ve accumulated lots of Confederate currency. Suppose you know for a fact that the North is going to win the war soon. What will you do with your Confederate money? If you’re smart, you’ll immediately cash in your excess Confederate currency for US currency—the only money that will have value after the war. You’ll keep only enough Confederate currency to meet your short-term needs. As a Christian, you have inside knowledge of an eventual worldwide upheaval caused by Christ’s return. This is the ultimate insider trading tip: Earth’s currency will become worthless when Christ returns—or when you die, whichever comes first. In light of the inside information revealed in Scripture, to accumulate vast earthly treasures you cannot hold on to is equivalent to stockpiling Confederate money even though you know it’s about to become worthless. According to Jesus, storing up earthly treasures isn’t simply wrong. It’s just plain stupid. He invites us instead to discover the joy of exchanging earthly treasure for what will last. In what ways does our culture try to convince us that money or earthly possessions will last?