Welcome to the “But first, Bible” daily devotional podcast with Dave Miers.
Today’s readings are Genesis 42-43 and Matthew 13:33-58. If you haven’t had a chance to read/listen to them yet, pause this podcast to go do that now.
Welcome back.
Matthew 13 has a lot to say about the kingdom of heaven. What is the kingdom of heaven? It’s the kingdom where Jesus – the king of heaven – rules and reigns. So to be part of the kingdom of heaven is to belong to Jesus and his people, both now and for eternity. Jesus explains what the kingdom of heaven is like with a bunch of short parables.
I want to focus on just 3 verses
- The Parable of the Hidden Treasure (verse 44)
- The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value (verse 45-46)
Let me read them first,
[44] “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
[45] “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, [46] who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (ESV)
Two different people find the Kingdom of Heaven in two different ways.
The treasure hidden in the field is most probably found by a poor man who is out working the fields, when he accidentally discovers this treasure. The pearl of great value is most probably found by a rich man who has been deliberately out searching for this great pearl.
Whether rich or poor, whether through accidentally stumbling or deliberately searching, people find the kingdom of heaven.
Now, I referred to Marie Kondo’s Tidying Up Netflix show the other day. Apparently I pronounced her name wrong, sorry about that. I still haven’t watched it, but my wife has and so I asked her what it was all about.
Apparently when it comes to working out what you should keep and what you should throw out she encourages you to determine whether a particular item sparks joy or not. If it doesn’t, thank the item and throw it out. If it does spark joy, keep the item.
Let’s take a step back for a moment, if we want to talk about sparking joy, the kingdom of heaven is to spark the greatest joy, like the treasure in the field. And the kingdom of heaven is of greatest value, like the pearl.
Jesus wants us to know that the kingdom of heaven is worth more than any possession or experience in this world. And that being part of Jesus’ kingdom is worth giving up everything to take hold of what he has to offer.
Questions for reflection:
- Does the kingdom of heaven spark joy for you?
- What could your life like today to show that you treasure belonging to Jesus above all else?
Until tomorrow, keep trusting Jesus.