Post By: Angela Parlin
What do you desire?
It may be the most important question you’ll ever answer.
Before you respond with the answer you think you should say, give it some thought. Resist the temptation to use the fast-pass. Let these questions help you get to the heart of what you desire most.
- What makes you happy?
- What is it you crave, that you’re sure would make you happier?
- What do you worry about?
- What are you afraid of?
- Where do you run for comfort?
- What do you fear losing, or fear never attaining?
- What would you never want to live without?
Think about these questions, and you’ll probably yield more than one honest answer. You’ll uncover the truth not only of what you desire, but also what you treasure.
Jesus spoke about treasure in the book of Matthew. He told a mini-parable, comparing the kingdom of heaven to a treasure.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. 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, NIV)
After this, Jesus moved on. He told another parable, with the same storyline.
Many people think Jesus makes the point that we should treasure the kingdom of heaven so much, that we’d give up everything in order to gain it.
While most of us would agree, that finding the kingdom of heaven is like finding treasure, we struggle with the part about giving up everything.
Let’s be honest, don’t you want to believe Jesus wants you to have it all—and Him too? Yet this parable shows us something different.
In his Joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.
Clearly, the man saw something wonderful there. He found joy in the treasure.
We, too have found joy in God’s Presence. But like our mothers used to say, we “want to have our cake and eat it, too.”
We’ve turned our eyes upon Jesus–but for many of us, the things of this earth have not yet grown dim.
We know He’s the only One who satisfies–yet we look to other people and things and involvements and accomplishments and pleasures–to fill our souls.
We need to bring it all to Jesus–to offer Him our worries, dreams, fears, and desires–and then ask Him to BE our greatest desire.
Even so, there’s another interpretation of this parable. It changes the whole conversation.
What if the man in the story who found the treasure is Jesus?
He sold all He had to save the world. With joy, He gave up everything, to reconcile us to God.
But the story didn’t end there.
He endured the cross, with joy, so we could taste and see His goodness. He bought the field, to make us His family.
He gave up all, in order to open wide the door and let us enter. And then everything He owns becomes our own.
The man in the story is Jesus. Which also means WE are the treasure.
And the world grows dim. Does it not?
May the world remain behind us, and the cross before.
Angela Parlin is a wife and mom to 3 rowdy boys and 1 sweet girl. In addition to spending time with friends and family, she loves to read and write, spend days at the beach, watch romantic comedies, and organize closets. But most of all, she loves Jesus and writes to call attention to the beauty of life in Christ, even when that life collaborates with chaos. Join her at www.angelaparlin.com, So Much Beauty In All This Chaos.