Chapter 48
OUR GREATEST TREASURE
Matthew 13:44-46
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You in the name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Holy Father, as we study Your Word please open our eyes, our ears and our hearts so we can truly understand what You are teaching us. Help us, oh God, to love You with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind.
Amen
We begin our study by reading the parables of the hidden treasure and the precious pearl. To do this let us go to,
[44] “Again, 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.
[45] Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
seeking beautiful pearls, 46who, when he had found one pearl of great
price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Perhaps the best way to see the depth of the above parables and what our Lord is teaching us we will, as we did in our study of the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast, review some Biblical examples. Thus, for this study we:
1. We will look to the Old Testament to see how the behavior of Abraham and Daniel demonstrated that God was their greatest treasure.
2. To discover the true goal of giving our whole heart, soul and mind to God we will examine the example of Abraham within the context of the entire Scripture.
3. We will look to the New Testament to see how the behavior of Peter, Andrew, James, John and Matthew showed that God was their greatest treasure.
To insure we do not misinterpret what the Bible is teaching us we will then:
4. Explore some common misinterpretations of the above parables.
5. Discover what the true message is to be learned from the above parables.
With this introduction in mind, we begin our study with,
The first example is that of,
The Bible provides us with many instances during which Abraham demonstrated his complete and total allegiance to our God. For example there was the time when,
This encounter with God and how Abram responded is recorded in,
[1] Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. [2] I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. [3] I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” [4] So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. [5] Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. [6] Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. [7] Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … God told Abram (who was later renamed Abraham) to leave his country and his father’s house.
2 … God further told Abraham that if he obeyed He, God, would truly bless him and make his name great.
4-6 … Abram obeyed God. He gathered his goods along with his wife Sarai (later renamed Sarah) and migrated to the land of Canaan.
7 … The Lord appeared to Abram and promised to give the land of Canaan to his descendents. God did fulfill His promise to Abraham. As we read the Old Testament we find that Abram’s descendents eventually settled in the land of Canaan to become the land of Israel. In fact, even today Abraham’s descendents, that is the Jewish people, are living in the land of Israel.
Another example of Abraham’s complete and total dedication to God was revealed when,
Abraham was willing to offer his son, Isaac
Before we read about the time when Abraham was willing to offer his son, it is important to recall that when Isaac was still a child, God told Abraham it would be through his son, Isaac, that He would fulfill His promises to him ( Genesis 21:1-13).
With this in mind let us now read what happened when God tested Abraham’s faith and devotion to Him by asking Abraham to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice to Him.
Genesis 22:1-18
[1] Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” [2] Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” [3] So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. [4] Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” [6] So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. [7] But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” [8] And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. [9] Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. [10] And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. [11] But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” [12] And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” [13] Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. [14] And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” [15] Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, [16] and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—[17] blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. [18] In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
Let us notice the following verses,
1-2 … God tested Abraham’s devotion to Him by asking Abraham to offer his only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice to Him. It is noted that this episode of Abraham’s life is also a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ and God the Father. Specifically, it is a foreshadowing pointing to the time when Jesus, in obedience to God the Father, would come to earth to offer Himself as a sacrifice to save us from our sins.
11-12 … Abraham passed the test.
13 … God provided a substitute sacrifice to replace Isaac.
15-18 … As a result of Abraham’s faithfulness, God reassured Abraham that He would keep His promises to him.
Many who read about this episode of Abraham, Isaac and God wonder: (1) how a loving father could to this to their son? And (2) how could a loving God ask this of a father and son? In reading the New Testament we discover that what Abraham did he not only illustrated his complete devotion to God but also revealed the deep faith he had that God would fulfill His promise concerning Isaac. To see this let us read from,
Hebrews 11:17-19
[17] By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, [18] of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called, [19] concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
The second and last example from the Old Testament is that of,
DANIEL
The book of Daniel opens with a description of what occurred after King Nebuchadnezzar conquered the people of Judah and transported them to his home in Babylon. To read what happened let us go to,
Daniel 1:1-7
[1] In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. [2] And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god. [3] Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, [4] young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. [5] And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. [6] Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. [7] To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.
Let us notice the following verses,
3-5 … Even though they were held captive, the young, good looking men with wisdom, knowledge and the ability to learn were given special treatment. They were tutored in the language and literature of the Chaldeans. In addition, to physically prepare them for their service to the king, they were given food from the king’s table. In other words, even though these young men were enslaved, life was going to be fairly pleasant.
Daniel and his three companions refused to defile themselves
Specifically, they had purposed in their hearts to not eat the food God had forbidden them to eat (Leviticus11:15:33). To read what happened let us go to,
Daniel 1:8-16
[8] But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. [9] Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. [10] And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king.” [11] So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, [12] “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. [13] Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.” [14] So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days. [15] And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. [16] Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.
Let us notice the following verses,
8 … Even though Daniel was ordered to eat the delicacies from the king’s table; he was not willing to disobey God. In other words, for Daniel, God’s ways and laws took priority over man’s ways and laws.
9 … It was God who gave Daniel favor from the chief eunuch.
10 … Initially, the chief eunuch was afraid to comply with Daniel’s request.
11-13 … Daniel proposed a 10 day test.
14 … The chief eunuch agreed.
15-16 … At the completion of the 10 day period of not eating the king’s delicacies, Daniel and his companions appeared to be in better health than all the other young men.
Because of their faithfulness and the putting of their life on the line to remain true to God
God blessed Daniel and his companions
To see this let us read from,
Daniel 1:17-20
[17] As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. [18] Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. [19] Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. [20] And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.
After a period of time the Babylonian Empire was over thrown and became incorporated into the empire of the Persians and Medes. Even under this new empire Daniel held a very prestigious position. To better appreciate Daniel’s position or standing within the Persian and Mede Empire it is helpful to note that King Darius had organized his kingdom to have 120 satraps. Each satrap was given the authority to rule over several provinces of King Darius’s vast empire. King Darius then appointed three governors to rule over the satraps. Because king Darius acknowledged that Daniel had more wisdom and understanding than all of his wise men, which were the astrologers and magicians, he appointed Daniel to be one of the three governors. Consequently, Daniel held a very high position within King Darius’ government.
However, as time went on the satraps and the two governors became jealous of Daniel. They felt threatened by the favor he had with the king. Consequently, they sought an opportunity by which they could have him removed from office. This conspiracy is recorded in,
Daniel 6:3-5
[3] Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm. [4] So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. [5] Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”
Let us notice the following verse,
5 … The satraps and two governors came to the conclusion that the only way they could find a charge against Daniel was through his faith and devotion to God.
To put Daniel in an unfavorable position with the king, the governors and satraps devised a scheme whereby they could manipulate his faithfulness to God against him. The scheme they devised was to convince King Darius to establish a law that would not permit Daniel to pray to and or worship God. Specifically, they convinced the king to edict that no one was allowed to seek after any god or man except for the king. In other words,
Idolatry became mandatory
To read exactly what the governors and satraps convinced the king to do, let us read from,
Daniel 6:6-9
[6] So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: “King Darius, live forever! [7] All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. [8] Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.” [9] Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.
Even though Daniel knew what the consequences would be if he was caught seeking after God, he did it anyway. In other words,
Daniel remained faithful to God
To see this let us read from,
Daniel 6:10
[10] Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
When the governors and satraps found Daniel praying to God they promptly reported it to the king and demanded that Daniel be cast into the lion’s den. This is recorded in,
Daniel 6:11-17
[11] Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. [12] And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.” [13] So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”[14] And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. [15] Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.” [16] So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” [17] Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.
Let us notice the following verse,
16 … By reassuring Daniel that God Almighty would save him from the lions, King Darius, the supreme ruler over the Mede and Persian Empire, expressed his faith in God.
As we read further in this account of Daniel we find that,
God did save Daniel from the lions
This is recorded in,
Daniel 6:18-23
[18] Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him. [19] Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. [20] And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” [21] Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! [22] My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” [23] Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.
Before we leave the Old Testament examples with the misunderstanding that if we totally submit to God then He will grant us, in this life on earth, health, prosperity and the “so called good life”, we will now expand the example of Abraham within
Even though God greatly blessed Abraham he still only considered himself as a pilgrim and stranger upon this earth. To see this let us read from,
Hebrews11:8-16
[8] By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. [9] By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; [10] for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.[11] By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. [12] Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. [13] These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. [14] For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. [15] And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. [16] But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
Let us notice the following verses,
9-10 … By faith Abraham and later Isaac and Jacob dwelt in the land of promise as a stranger. They did this because they were waiting for the city that was to be built by God.
13 … Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob did not receive the promise while sojourning here upon this earth. Since they saw God’s promises to be in the future, while upon this earth, they considered themselves to be strangers and pilgrims.
16 … Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Jacob looked towards a better home than what we have now. Specifically, they looked to the heavenly home that God was preparing for them and us. This is why God was not ashamed to be called their God.
It is also noted that while waiting for their heavenly home not everyone prospered as well on this earth as Abraham and Daniel. To see this let us considered what is written in,
Hebrews 11:32-40
[32] And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: [33] who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, [34] quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. [35] Women received their dead raised to life again.
Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. [36] Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. [37] They were stoned, they were sawn in two, £were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—[38] of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. [39] And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, [40] God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
So what is the point? Why should we give all our love and devotion to God? The example of Abraham provides us with some insight to the answer to these questions. However, the answer is even more specifically addressed in,
1 Corinthians 15:19
[19] If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
In other words, if in this life we only have hope and faith in God for health, wealth and the “so called good life”, we have missed the whole message of the Gospel.
Specifically, Jesus Christ came to this earth to save us from our sins so that we will have eternal life with Him. This truth is clearly revealed to us in,
John 3:16
[16] For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
This is the goal of our faith and devotion to our God. This is why we are to consider our Lord Jesus Christ and His Kingdom to be our greatest treasure.
With the above in mind let us now read some examples of those who were true disciples of Jesus Christ. To do this we go to
THE NEW TESTAMENT
As we read the New Testament one finds many examples of those who were willing to give all they had to become true followers of Jesus Christ. However, for this study we will limit our review to just five examples that illustrate the depth and meaning of the parables of the hidden treasure and pearl of great price.
The first four examples are that of
PETER, ANDREW, JAMES AND JOHN
To see what they did when they heard the call from Jesus Christ, we read from,
Matthew 4:18-22
[18] And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. [19] Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” [20] They immediately left their nets and followed Him. [21] Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, [22] and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
The fifth example is that of,
MATTHEW
To see what Matthew did when Jesus called him to be a disciple, let us read from,
Matthew 9:9
[9] As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
It is noted that the above passages occurred immediately after Jesus Christ called Peter, Andrew, James, John and Matthew to be followers of Him. What we must now do is what we did with the examples of Abraham and Daniel. That is, we need to seek the whole counsel of God with respect to this subject. To do this we begin by exploring,
SOME COMMON MISINTERPRETATIONS OF THE SUBJECT PARABLES
In considering the above examples one might get the notion that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is saying that to be a true disciple of His we must: (1) leave our secular jobs and (2) abandon our families both physically (that is sever our relationships) and economically (that is give all finances we have to the church and/or the poor). As one reads further in the New Testament we discover that this is not what He is asking us to do. On the contrary, our God wants us to work and provide for the needs of our families, both physically and economically.
First of all the Bible clearly teaches us that,
WE ARE TO WORK
To see this truth let us read the following excerpt from Paul’s letter of correction to the church at Thessalonica. The passage of interest is,
2 Thessalonians 3:6-10
[6] But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. [7] For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; [8] nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, [9] not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. [10] For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
Let us notice the following verses,
8 … Since this letter was penned by the Apostle Paul, in this verse he tells us that he and those who were with him worked day and night for the finances to pay for their substance.
9a … Paul, being an Apostle of Jesus Christ, did have the right to receive his substance from those to whom he ministered.
9b … However, to provide us with an example of how we are to conduct our Christian lives, he and his companions worked for their substance.
10 … This verse pretty much summarizes our Lord’s position on this subject.
Secondly, the Bible teaches us that,
WE ARE NOT TO ABANDON OUR FAMILIES
We begin this portion of our study by examining what the Bible teaches us about our,
Physical relationships with our families
As we read the Bible we discover that we are not to sever or abandon our physical relationship with our families. This is especially true with respect to the relationship with our believing spouses. To see this, let us read from,
Ephesians 5:22-29
[22] Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. [23] For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. [24] Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. [25] Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, [26] that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, [27] that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. [28] So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. [29] For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
Let us notice the following verses,
22-24 … The wives are to be subject to their husbands. Specifically for this study, this means that the born again wives are not to abandon their husbands. In fact, as the church is to submit to Christ, the born again wives are to submit to their husbands.
25, 28 and 29 … Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church. As it is with the wives the husbands are not to leave their wife with the excuse of following God. As an example, it is noted that the Apostle Peter did not abandon his wife. In fact Peter and the other apostles took their wives along with them on their missionary journeys. To see this let us read an excerpt of what Paul wrote while defending his authority to the church in Corinth. The passage of interest is,
1 Corinthians 9:5
[5] Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
In addition to not leaving our spouses for the so called cause of Christ, the Holy Spirit also instructs the born again fathers to raise their children in the Lord. This is clearly taught in,
Ephesians 6:4
[4] And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
To fulfill the above command, the born again Christian father must have a close and vibrant relationship with their children.
Let us now proceed and examine what the Bible teaches us with respect to our,
Economic relationship with our families
The Bible clearly teaches us that we are to provide for the needs of our families. This not only applies for the needs of our spouses but also applies for our parents. To see this let us read an exhortation our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gave to Pharisees and scribes, that is the teachers of the Law, on this subject. To do this let us read from,
Mark 7:9-13
[9] He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. [10] For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death [11] But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), [12] then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, [13] making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
In other words, our Lord is teaching us that we are not to offer so much of our resources for support to the church and/or poor that we become unable to provide for the needs of our families. To place an exclamation point on this truth let us read the following exhortation from the Holy Spirit as recorded in,
1 Timothy 5:8
[8] But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
This now brings us to
THE TRUE MESSAGE OF THE PARABLES OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE AND PEARL OF GREAT PRICE
The message of these parables is to point us to the first and foremost commandment. Specifically, we are exhorted to love God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind. To see this, we begin by reading the following excerpt from a conversation Jesus once had with a student of the Law.
Matthew 22:35-38
[35] Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, [36] “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” [37] Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. [38] This is the first and great commandment.
To see how this commandment is the true message behind the parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price, let us now prayerfully read the following excerpt from Jesus’ sermon on the mountain top.
Matthew 6:21
[21] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Shall We Pray?