"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.hosepipe, you are of course absolutely right in your argument, although you and Seven seem to be talking past one another. Seven, the parable is from Christ's very lips. We indeed "stumble upon the treasure hidden" and finding it there is a definite response! And there must be.
When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy
went and sold all he had and bought that field."
~Matthew 13:44
The treasure of the Kingdom of Heaven is here now. Wandering upon the earth some will 'find' it. Is it possible to 'find' such a treasure - even picturing here the literal one just out there in the field, available, unclaimed - and not wish to have it for oneself? If it is possible to possess the treasure by any means available, I suggest that anyone that 'finds' it will use all means at their disposal to obtain it. I am confident that this is Christ's meaning in the metaphor, and the point that hosepipe is making.
It is my personal testimony. When I 'stumbled upon' the surpassing riches of Christ Jesus I changed my sleeping, reading, purchasing, fellowshipping schedules, and many other things besides, so as to obtain Christ - to know Him, to call Him my own.
At the time I was miraculously saved I was married to an ardent unbeliever who was severely envious of my time spent with Jesus - in prayer, in Bible reading, in church attendance. So I began getting up at 2am, silently slipping out of bed so that I could be with Jesus until he woke up, at which time I would then devote my entire attention to him, as he wished. I have, by the grace of God, maintained this habit.
Before I knew Jesus Christ personally, when I got done work for the day I'd start in to drinking, and spend the whole evening wasted with fellow party animals, my husband included. There was nothing else to live for.
After 'finding' Christ my Treasure I would come home from work and spend my time in prayer and reading the Bible until my husband also came home. He still wanted to party, and I tried very hard to continue those same practices - going, even if not participating in the behavior - but my very presence there, not participating in "the same flood of dissipation" as it is written, made them extremely uncomfortable. Soon I wasn't invited anymore. Soon my husband left me.
The 'finding' of the great treasure of the Kingdom of Heaven, in Christ Jesus, effected changes in every aspect of my thinking and action, circumstances and relationships! How could it not do so? I was transformed from wandering aimlessly about the earth to being the possessor of the greatest treasure man can know.
"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life."Ain't no lie!
~Matthew 19:29
Consider what a person in a Muslim family or nation, or a strictly Orthodox Jewish one, risks and loses by 'finding' the Treasure of the Kingdom of Heaven - they may lose their very lives.
But what is life without Christ?
Gladly will I trade my life for His, amen.
SHuuuush... there will be MORE for US....
Thank you for your post.
Since you changed from the pearl to the treasure, I assume that you think that they have the same meaning. I do not. It is difficult for me to argue this point because I too, think that Christ is a valuable treasure and I don’t deny the merit of your point of view.
Here is my point of view, discern if you think there is merit. The fact that the treasure comes out of the earth and the pearl comes out of the sea suggests that the treasure is Israel and the pearl is the church. The order is also significant. (treasure, then pearl) I am sure that you have heard many of the arguments on this subject so I won’t take time to go into more details now. I have many questions, but this interpretation addresses the question of who will pay. The field is the world and Christ bought it. He paid it all.
Seven