Verse of the Day 1/19

Through the Bible - Genesis 47, Matthew 14:22-36

 

Good morning,

Our previous home in Huntley was located next to a farm field. The person that farmed it did not own the property, he leased it.

 

I used to walk through the field at different times of the year, primarily as the corn or beans were first coming up or right after harvest.  I was amazed at the number of rocks that remained in the field (some of them fairly large) even after a century of farming. 

 

Reading in Matthew 13 over the weekend, it was hard to imagine how people farmed in some of the areas in Israel that had a lot more rocks, possibly even predominantly stones, making farming difficult.

For today's verse we'll go to this chapter and a short parable.

 

Matt 13:44 "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.   NIV

Helmut Thielicke writes " The laborer in the field was probably dismayed at first when his plow struck an obstacle.  His first outburst may have been, "Oh these confounded stones!".  How often we fume and fret over the lumps of fate which the plow of our life strikes, the senseless blocks that fate flings in our way.  Whereas in reality it is the pearl, the treasure waiting to be found".

 

Sometimes we go through our lives, avoiding the rocks, or working around them, never knowing the treasure that may lie beneath them.

 

People in these ancient times often buried family treasures in fields when they expected to be overtaken by intruding armies.  Hoping that someday they'd be able to come back and unearth their treasures.  It's quite possible that this farmer, this laborer found such a treasure, perhaps something much more vast than a simple treasure chest.  It could have been the cache of a king, that would take years or the rest of his life to unearth.  He couldn't dig it up all at once, if he wanted to search for what was there he'd have to purchase the field.

 

Sometimes we find God, find our Lord Jesus Christ in (or underneath) the trials of life that we may consider as stones to be avoided.  We find treasure in God's love, in His Word, a treasure that will take a lifetime and beyond to unearth.  A person would be foolish to pass up the treasure and not spare any expense in obtaining that field for His own.

 

The price of that that field is giving our lives to Christ.  (Jesus has paid the price for our salvation, but if we want His life, if we want to follow Him we will surrender ours to Him.)  Whether you are like the rich young ruler or a laborer, it involves giving all you have, giving your life to the Master.

 

People may have thought that the laborer was crazy to purchase such a rocky field, but He knew what was beneath the surface.  People may think you're crazy for following Christ, giving up "worldly things", but we know what is under the surface, a great treasure of hope, of peace, of mercy, and love.  What else might you add?

 

Can you look back in your life and see times when you found obstacles, what you thought were "confounded stones" lead you to a deeper understanding of Jesus Christ and His love through His Word?  Would you trade those experiences that brought you closer to Him?

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Matt 13:44-47

 

Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

 

44 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.

 

45 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!    NLT