But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ... (Philippians 3:7-8)
There are things on this earth that, by man's standards, are of great value. Jesus uses some of those examples in the following parables, to describe the kingdom of heaven: “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. (Matthew 13:44) When we KNOW FOR SURE that something is valuable, we would probably be more willing to invest into it. Well, in the above parable, the man knows the field is worth more than he's going to pay for it, because he's hidden a treasure in the field. The same is true regarding the kingdom of heaven: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21; see THE GOSPEL: God and His Kingdom First)
“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 13:45-46) True pearls are always formed within the mantles of oysters and other shelled mollusks. In general, perfectly circular, iridescent pearls are the most prized. The most expensive genuine pearl in the world is likely the Pearl of Lao Tzu, also known as the Pearl of Allah, which is valued at $3.5 million. The man in the parable found a most precious and desirable pearl, and sold all he had to buy it. But the kingdom of heaven and the wisdom of God, knowing how to make wise chocies and investments is even more precious and of more value than any pearl: Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. (Proverbs 3:13-15)
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:47-50) A dragnet is a net drawn through a river or across ground to trap fish or game. It gathers everything, regardless of what it is. After all the catching is finished, someone goes through and removes the good stuff from the bad stuff. The good stuff is kept and the bad stuff is thrown away. This is how it will be at the judgement. (see THE GOSPEL: Parable of the Wheat and Tares) Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. ... And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelations 20:11-15)
Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” (Matthew 13:51-52) Jesus concludes by saying that each of us who have been given the Word of God are like scribes, Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. (II Timothy 2:15 NLT) And as a scribe, we are like a homeowner, who treasures everything we have in our home, whether it's new or old. We should also feel this way about the kindgom of heaven and the Word of God; they should be something that we treasure, see as having great value to us, all of it, whether from the Old Testament or the New Testament. Jesus taught, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17; see THE GOSPEL: Importance of The Commandments; From A-Z, Genesis to Revelations) Now that we understand just how precious and priceless the kingdom of God is, let's pray with even more conviction, Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.! (Luke 11:2)
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