Proof you can buy happiness!

In this week’s video we look at three aspects of the parable of the treasure in the field:

Jesus said to his disciples: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

The Kingdom of Heaven is Like a Treasure Buried in a Field

The kingdom of heaven is Jesus.  Why is He buried in a field?  Because the field is the world.  Isn’t it true that we lose sight of God through all the concerns and allurements of the world? 

The Person Finds and Hides Again

The “Person” is all of us. 

We often walk our dog (actually half dog, half mule, but all loveable) at the school down the street.  There’s a nice big field there.

We don’t know about you, but if we find a sack of Krugerrands buried in the field, here’s what will NOT go through our mind, “Let’s bury it again, wait for the school to close and the property to be put up for sale, and then we’ll buy it and the Krugerrands will be ours!”  Uh-uh.  While Steve walks our loveable mule-dog home, Karen will be checking the latest exchange rate for Krugerrands on her phone.

Anywho, back to Parable.  Pope St. Gregory the Great and St. Hilary specifically teach about this passage.  They get right to the point – trying to walk off with the treasure is like trying to “walk off with Jesus.”  It doesn’t work that way.  They explain that “the world will quickly steal the treasure away.”

This is anyone who just “dabbles” in going to Church or reading the bible (we’ve certainly been there).  It’s edifying for a moment, but without a genuine prayer life and relationship with Jesus, the concerns and allurements of the world quickly steal away our peace.

Sells All That He Has and Buys that Field

The key point here is that “finding Jesus” isn’t the same as “owning Jesus,” which is to say, having a genuine and transforming relationship with Him.

We take hold of that relationship by letting go of all the stuff we place between ourself and Christ.  The details of that are the subject of this week’s video (we even hear from Tom Cruise and Mr. Rogers).

What to let go of next?  For both of us it’s an embarrassment of riches.  Maybe for you too.  How do we know the next impediment to start removing?  Here’s one great indicator – what is something we least want to acknowledge?  Perhaps it’s a wounded relationship we don’t want to deal with?  Maybe it’s a little “pet sin” we don’t want to bring into the light (Steve shares one of his in the video – ha ha). 

Whatever we least want to confront is a great candidate for the next thing we need to “sell” to purchase that treasure.

Of course, it’s not something to sort out all on our own.  It’s something to pray through with the Holy Spirit.  And here we are, and Sunday (prime time for the Holy Spirit) is right around the corner.  A great time to decide what to “sell” next.

Relationship with Jesus, by the way, is synonymous with happiness…

… it turns out you can buy happiness.    

Blessings on your journey with Christ –

Steve and Karen Smith   

Postscript:  Mt 13:44-52

Jesus said to his disciples: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.  When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.  When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets.  What is bad they throw away.  Thus it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

"Do you understand all these things?"  They answered, "Yes."  And he replied, "Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."