The treasure hid in a field

Sermon notes from Sunday 14 October 2018 pm Rev Roger Higginson

Matthew 13 verse 44

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field, the which when a man hath found, he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field."

Matthew chapter 13 records 7 different parables the Lord told.  The most well known parable in this chapter is that of the sower which is found at the beginning of the chapter.  Then there is the parable of the man who sowed tares among the wheat, the parable of the mustard seed, the parable of leaven, then the parable of the treasure hidden in a field, the parable of the pearl of great price and finally of a great net cast into the sea.  A parable is an earthly story that relates to the world around us.  Real people and real events around us.  The Lord told and recounted them and then brought a spiritual meaning out of each.  One of the reasons the Lord spoke in parables was to make the gospel easy to understand, that we could take it into our hearts and lives.  When Christ was preaching the common people heard him gladly.  Those common people were people who attended churches, synagogues and the temple.  People could understand what he was saying.  He spoke as one with authority.  As people heard these words they were so relevant.  He was speaking into peoples lives.  He still does the same today, all these years later.  He can speak to you even tonight.  Here we have a simple parable.  Matthew 13 verse 44.  This man learnt something about this field, it had a treasure buried in it.  It is a treasure more valuable that the field itself.  He was willing to sell all he has to become poor.  When the opportunity comes to redeem or buy that field so that he might take that treasure for himself he buys it.  The field represents the world we live in.  The treasure represents the souls of men and women and the man that sold all he had is our blessed Saviour who came to reclaim the treasure of mens souls.  There are 4 simple thoughts behind this verse.

The treasure hid in a field.  That represents the sinners soul.  Here`s a field, no-one was interested in it but this man learns that treasure is hid in the field.  We do not know how he knows this.  The field is nothing special in itself.  Many will go past it and think it is not anything special.  Maybe it is not great for growing or grazing, hidden from view.  There is something of tremendous value.  As God looks down on this world with all its famine, sickness, strife, war and death he sees something of tremendous value.  The people who are living in it.  Maybe he sees in your life more that what you see or anyone else sees.  To him you are more than just bone, flesh or blood.  He sees all your faults, failures and mistakes.  In Genesis 3 God made Adam and breathed into him, he became a living soul.  The soul is the valuable thing.  The soul makes you individual, makes you you.  It is the will, intellect, emotions.  The human soul was made for fellowship with God almighty.  That is why you are much more than flesh and blood.  That is why you are more than chemicals brought together.  You are flesh and blood but far beyond that is the soul, the real me is on the inside.  When a person dies their soul departs from the body.  The principal of life has gone and the soul is so precious.  It is described in this verse as unto treasure.  Regardless of how you view yourself, your life is of tremendous potential and value.  Your soul is eternal.  The Son of God said one human soul is worth more than all the accumulated wealth in the world, all the gold and silver dug up, all the diamonds refined, every oil field.  All of it together is not worth as much as the human soul.  "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul."  This treasure is hidden in the field.  It cannot be seen.  It is hidden.  The multitudes did not think of that treasure.  There is how the world thinks of life, living for here and now.  Underneath the exterior there is a human soul so valuable but in the field it indicates its deadness.  The human soul is spiritually dead, separated from its souce, its life.  It also is cut off from its darkness.  "Men loved darkness rather than life because their deeds are evil."  It is also defiled.  It is covered in soil.  Someone looking at it wouldn`t know it is there.  We are all as unclean, all of our unrighteousnesses are as filthy rags in the sight of God.  God is so high and lifted up, pure and holy.  He humbles himself to behold things in heaven and then bringeth that to the things in earth.  This man is interested in this treasure.  It is important.  It cannot be raised to the surface until someone comes to rescue it.  What about your soul?  How do you stand before God?  Perhaps you have everything sorted in the temporal things of life but have you sorted out the most important thing - your soul?

The seeking Saviour.  Someone told this man about this field.  It had tremendous wealth and value.  This man investigates.  He goes on a mission to find this treasure.  God looked down from heaven, he saw a life broken that cannot be fixed by human hands.  Some of us on this planet are looking here and there - to political, educational, scientific or religious ideas to try and rebuild a society that is peaceful and prosperous.  We will never be able to build a society without God.  He became man, a little lower than the angels, took on himself the form of a servant.  He identifies with you, just where you are in life.  Maybe you are lonely or sorrowful or suffering.  He can understand it all.  He was in all points tried and tempted like as we are yet was without sin.  Jesus is come to seek and to save that which was lost.  He descended unto the lower parts of the earth.  He sat with harlots, publicans and sinners, people whose lives were possessed with demonic spirits.  George Whitfield said "Jesus Christ will save the the devils cast aways."  Maybe you acknowledge you have made a mess of things.  The Son of God can set you right.  The field was not attractive but this man saw something of worth.  God loves you tonight.  He knows exactly where you are tonight.  He saw something of worth.  He came to seek and to save you.  Notice what the text goes on to say - "the which when a man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field."

The supreme sacrifice.  He sold everything he had, everything of value to buy this field.  No-one has been interested in this field for years regardless of the price.  It is an investment.  There is something of great value to this man.  Isn`t that like our Lord?  "He laid aside his majesty, gave up everything for me."  2 Corinthians 8 verse 9 "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich."  We think of the riches we will enjoy for all eternity in the presence of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, surrounded by the angels with God himself for ever, worshipping and glorifying the Son of God in a place free from sin.  That place was made of everything that was good and pure and holy yet he left it all and came into the world, was despised and rejected by man.  He was born the son of a peasant woman, not in a nice hospital nor in a comfortable house but rather into a dusty stable.  He went to live in a despised town - Nazareth and grew up.  It was said of Nazareth "can any good thing come from there?"  Joseph his earthly father was a carpenter.  He never received a calling to the palaces of this world nor travelled any more than 100 miles from his home.  He never wrote a book nor commanded an army.  He went about doing good.  He was stripped of his only property, the seamless robe.  He was naked, whipped before the people, had a crown of thorns placed on his head, his very hairs from his head were plucked out, a purple robe was put on him and they smote him across his back.  He was constrained to carry a cross.  All his disciples had forsaken him and fled.  He bore the burden to Calvary alone.  Can you imagine the women around that cross.  We do not read about Joseph after the story of Jesus in the temple at 12 years of age.  Probably Joseph died when Jesus was young.  Jesus himself charged John to look after his own mother.  She was a widow and needed help.  Can you imagine when the news filtered through to Mary that Jesus had been arrested and would probably be nailed to a cross.  She needed to come and see for herself.  She looked on the 3 crosses but Jesus` visage was so marred more than any man that she would not have recognised him hanging there.  She heard him crying out "I thirst".  Whenever she saw John one of Jesus` best friends and heard Jesus himself speaking to John, she realised that he was her son.  His own Father in heaven turned his back on him for 3 hours.  He was hidden in the darkness.  He died on that tree to take our sins and the responsibility for every one of them.  Everything we have ever done in this life he bore it all on his body on the tree.  "If that isn`t love the ocean is dry, there`s no stars in the sky and the sparrow can`t fly.  If that isn`t love then heaven`s a myth, there`s no feeling like this, if that isn`t love."  Such was his love for the souls of man.  There was a desperate need for salvation.  That the Son of Man paid for your soul.  Paul said "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12 verse 2)  The value of something can be determined by the price people are prepared to pay for it.  Maybe you place very little value on your soul.  You are treating your soul for something that is worthless.  The redemption of your soul is precious.  The Son of God was willing to shed his life`s blood for your soul.  Will you accept that price?

He buyeth that field.  Redeemed is the word for buyeth in this passage.  We have forfeited our relationship with God.  We are sinners by nature and practice.  We are lost, cut off from God yet the Saviour came and redeemed us with his precious blood to bring us back to himself.  It is the treasure this man is thinking of.  John 3 verse 16.  In this verse the word "whosoever" is the treasure.  You are not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold but redeemed with the blood of Christ.  If you are not trusting in him tonight you are still lost.  You have to understand you are lost yet you are loved.  The Son of God can bring you to himself, make you his own.  A peculiar treaure.  Your soul is like treasure.  Your soul might be lost in this world but there is a man in glory who knows where you are, what you are.  He came to seek and to save that which was lost.  Are you lost?  Do you realise Christ came for you?  He shed his blood for you.  He was willing to give his life.  Do you want to know him, to belong to him?  If you call on him, trust in him, invite him to be your Saviour he will be yours today.