MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Hidden Treasures

The book of Matthew has several parables that speak concerning the nature of the Kingdom of God. Some parables speak about the Kingdom being within people’s hearts. Some parables speak about the Kingdom as something yet to come. Yet others speak of who will make up the Kingdom of God. In this article I would like to explore with you the parables that speak to the value of the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 13:44 reads as follows, “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.”1 This story describes a man who is hired to work on a field to prepare it for seeding. He accidentally discovers a great treasure hidden in the field. In those days there were no banks into which one could put their valuables. Since wars and raids were rampant during these years, the safest thing to do was to hide your valuables in the ground or in a cave. Occasionally the people who hid these treasures died without telling anyone or were taken away as slaves and never reclaimed the treasures.

When the man finds the treasure, he decides that he needs to buy the field, as the treasure is the property of the owner. However, the field will cost a substantial amount of money, much more than he has available to him. He determines to have the field, whatever it costs him.

He goes home and puts his house up for sale. He sells the furniture, as well as his horse and cart. He borrows from his neighbours. He does all that he can until he finally has the funds that he needs; then he goes out and buys the field and claims his treasure.

This parable illustrates the value of the kingdom of God. Jesus is really the treasure of great price. Like the man in the parable, we must be willing to give up everything in order to acquire a saving relationship with Jesus.

1 The New King James Version. (1982). (Mt 13:44). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Gary Hodder, President, Alberta Conference

Alberta Adventist News (AAN) March 2019