This week, we will continue our study of Jesus' parables by examining how the simple "seed" provided outstanding teaching illustrations, and encouraged growth of his kingdom.
Before we begin our study, let's pray together: God, you have made the heavens and the earth. You have revealed your beauty in creation and inspired the book that we are now about to study. Please help us now as we read together. Take us deeper into understanding more about you and your love for us. Amen.
In Matthew 8:36-37, Jesus asked, " For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"
When you go grocery shopping you're forced to make value judgments. Is this coffee worth the sale price? Is the price of this pot roast reasonable? And, so on.
In the case of spiritual matters, the Lord stipulates that we make value judgments, as well. Referring back to the Lord's question mentioned above, it presents itself as more of a riddle since their really isn't any clear cut answer to it. After all, there really is nothing in the world of equal value to a human spirit.
What price can you put on a human spirit? In dollars? cents, or any other currency? I suppose if it could, God might have purchased mankind back from sin with cash; alternatively, only the blood of His beloved Son would be worthy.
The core value of the kingdom, is its purchase price, that "Jesus bore our sins in his own body on the tree" (1 Peter 1:24) . We, as Christians, are citizens in that divine kingdom having been carried into it by our conformity to the Gospel (Colossians 1:13). Jesus assured, we are in his church: "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 16:18-19). The Lord reveals to us that the kingdom and the church are equivalent; he constructed the city and entrusted the keys to the apostles.
Furthermore, we understand the value of the kingdom from Luke's history in Acts 20:28. Paul directed the Ephesian pastors to take charge of their congregation because it belonged to God; who thought they were worth dying for.
Sadly, today too many preachers and religionists balk on the subject of the kingdom or the church. Instead, they encourage the preaching of Christ while cutting out the church. However, the way I see it, to separate the two is the same as mortal spiritual decapitation. "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:22-23).
The Lord is the head of the church, ordering his will and obedience. Think of this as being comparable to one's arms and legs. They must obey the electrical impulses from the brain in a healthy, living organism. In similar fashion, the body of Christ, the church, must heed the commands of its Head, Christ in order to be in tip-top shape. So valuable, is the kingdom of Christ, that it must obey the sole lawgiver, the Lord (James 4:12).
In Matthew 13:44, Christ teaches us that no sacrifice is too great to gain citizenship in the kingdom. Subsequently, he in truth teaches that sacrifice will be necessary to meet the King's acceptance. In Matthew 13:45-46, Jesus repeats the same lesson using different imagery. In this passage, he reminds us that the kingdom is of singular value and number. During the time of Jesus, the pearl was quite valuable. Nonetheless, if it had a yellow tinge to it, or was rough, or irregular, its value dropped considerably. Only that rare pearl which was round, smooth and unblemished white was of unique value.
Jesus uses the parable in Luke 15:8-10 to bring the value of the kingdom down to a human level. And, by doing so, equating it with the refuge of redeemed spirits. In the manner of a woman who discovers a seemingly lost coin, so is the aggravation and joy at finding God's mercy after disregarding it in sin.
Each one of us has experienced the loss of something valuable, and finding it again after frantically searching for it. Our conversion to Christ should be considered in even higher honor, because the most valuable possession we have was lost, and is now found.
Collectors alike share the feeling of finding that rare and treasured piece, and digging deep into their pockets to add it to their collections. Thusly, a human spirit is added to Christ's kingdom; a priceless collection of unimaginable worth.
Questions:
1. What is something valuable that you once lost and then found? How did you feel when you rediscovered it?
2. For what do people sometimes exchange their souls in this life?
3. How often do we have to make judgments about relative value?
4. What's the value is a single human soul? Of your soul? Why?
5. At what price was the kingdom of God bought?
6. Who are its citizens? What are the terms of admission?
7.What happens if we preach only Christ and not the church?
8. How much was the hidden treasure worth to the man who found it?
9. What did Saul of Tarsus have to sacrifice to enter the kingdom (Philippians 3:4-11)?
10. To what kind of person might we relate to the merchant who was seeking pearls?
11. When that pearl is found, what should we do about it (Proverbs 23:23)?
12. What things might one have to sacrifice in life to become a Christian?
13. How much effort went into finding one lost coin separated from nine that were firmly held in hand? Why?
14. Why did the angels rejoice?
Until next time...
May your week be blessed!
Bibi
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