At What Price – The Kingdom of God

The idea of the Kingdom of Heaven is perplexing. Death is a mark in the sand of life when everything changes. The followers of Jesus had similar experiences of life and death. Often the answers that came from Jesus were utterly surprising.

They began by expecting a Messiah to lead a great army and defeat all their enemies. They got a baby born in a manger, to poor parents, in a small town. So, what would the Kingdom be like? 

They followed a man who talked about the meek inheriting the earth, turning your cheek when you are slapped, and forgiving seven times seventy times. The Kingdom they might previously have imagined would have palaces and servants, jewels and gold, and them wielding power and might. But listening to Jesus made that vision less and less likely. Jesus tried to help them understand the Kingdom of God using parables.

In today’s Gospel, the Kingdom of God is compared to a treasure in a field and a perfect pearl. In both cases, the treasure finder sells all he has. He purchases the area where the treasure is buried, or the exquisite pearl is found. In the parable, there were four significant steps, searching, finding, selling, and buying.

First, they had to find the treasure. The reading gives us the impression that they were searching for the treasure. It sounds like they were looking for a long time. They didn’t just stumble upon the treasure in the field or the perfect pearl. They were seeking it and working hard to find it.

Then the farmer and the merchant sold everything they had. Sometimes we overlook the importance of this step. It is a crucial step that, if we underestimate, we will never possess the treasure. 

Selling is hard. Most possessions were necessary for living. They probably didn’t have a lot of extras. It must have been hard to abandon what they needed and held dear. Yet they had found something more precious and willingly sold everything.

Finally, they bought the treasure. The parable tells us that these seekers sold everything they had. But it doesn’t tell us how much that was. It doesn’t tell us if the pearl and the field cost the same amount. All we know is they sold all they had to possess it.

The word parable comes from the Greek meaning parallel. What is the parallel for Jesus’ disciples and for us? When we want to understand the Kingdom of God, what does Jesus teach through the parable? 

Like in the parable, we must seek, find, sell, and buy. We seek God. Seeking God and being faithful to the journey is not for the faint of heart. Finding God and developing a relationship with God can be difficult. When we find and fall in love with God, we know we have found the most essential gem. Our faith is the treasure in the field, and it is the pearl of great price.

The purchase price of the treasure is the same for us as it was for the farmer and the merchant. The price is all that we have. And selling is hard. To make our faith in Jesus, our faith in God, the bedrock of our lives requires letting go of all that holds us back. 

Sometimes that is the “stuff” of our lives. But that is the easy part. The hard part is selling (letting go of): the attitudes we hold, the ego we cherish, our accomplishments, the importance we place on who we are, our need for the approval of others, and even our heart’s desire. We must empty ourselves to purchase the treasure of complete faith and trust in God. Selling all for God is hard. And the cost is the same for everyone…it is everything.

Finally, we purchase the field where the treasure is; we buy the pearl of inestimable value. We abandon all else and put our eggs in the basket of faith. We cling to our God of unending love. There is no going back once we have found the Kingdom of God, where love reigns. Then we know without pause, hesitation, or doubt that God’s love and grace are enough. 

In God’s Unending Love,

Gwen