Treasure

ILLUSTRATION: Find a news story of someone who found something extremely valuable — like in their attic or something.

• People love stories of unexpected wealth.

• We obsess over the random lottery winner, the celebrity who is somehow famous for being famous, and tales of people stumbling on buried treasure.

• This is why the gold-rush drove people to leave their homes and travel through dangerous terrain just for the chance to strike it rich.

• This is why people go broke buying scratch off tickets at the gas station.

• This is why people retweet or share those fake giveaway posts on Facebook. You think, "sure, it’s unlikely that this person is giving someone a million dollars to a random person on twitter, But it’s worth a shot, right?”

• Jesus uses the same viral story-telling strategy in this week’s parable.

• Let’s first review the definition of a parable. A parable is a simple story that explains a spiritual truth.

• In this parable, Jesus uses the natural metaphor of a buried treasure to reveal a spiritual truth about our values.

TENSION

• Do you want to know what people value? Look at how they spend their time and their money. Calendars and bank accounts reveal a lot.

• If a person spends hours in front of the mirror or shopping online, they prioritize their appearance.

• If someone spends all their time looking at shoes on Instagram and spends all their money on Jordans, they values sneakers.

• If someone takes you to coffee and puts their phone down to talk, they value you.

• We must take an honest inventory of our lives and ask, “What does my life say about my values?”

• This is the first parable that Jesus spoke directly to his disciples. They had slipped away from the crowd, and now they were listening to Jesus tell them about life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

• This parable is not designed to conceal the truth, but rather to contextualize it. Jesus wants his disciples to understand what life in this new Kingdom is going to look like.

• Jesus simply states that the Kingdom of Heaven is like “a 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.”

• This may seem farfetched to us. You might think of pirates of the Caribbean when you imagine a buried treasure. But this was actually very common back then.

• Think of this like an ancient bank. You had nowhere to take your money for safety, so you had to hide it.

• In ancient times, real estate contracts were very simple. When you bought land, you also got everything that sat on the land.

• Does the land have a bunch of bees on it? They’re your bees now.

• Does it have a herd of cats living on it? They’re your cats.

• Does it have a box full of gold and jewels on it? Congratulations! You get the treasure!

• God's Kingdom is like a hidden treasure in a field. Once you know it’s there, it’s worth sacrificing anything to make it your top priority.

— TRANSITION —

• People work hard for the things that they value.

• They put in fifty hours a week to provide for their families.

• They save up for the perfect prom dress.

• They sacrifice sleep to spend time with someone on the phone.

• In this parable, we see someone putting in major work when they experience a treasure — something of immense value.

• How should that change how we live?

Illustration: Have two students (boy and girl) compete in a short minute-to-win-it style contest like who can balance something on their head the longest. Don't build it up as anything exciting. Then have the same students compete again, but this time for a prize.

• The takeaway: Your effort changes when something valuable is at stake.

• We see this all the time in our lives.

• Students play harder when there is a college scout in the audience.

• People hustle harder when there is a cash prize.

• You write better on a final term paper than a pass/fail homework assignment.

• You sacrifice for things you value.

• In this short parable, Jesus suggests that a relationship with God is like a hidden treasure.

• It’s not just good— it’s worth sacrificing everything for.

• Jesus emphasized that the man was not searching for the treasure like a pirate or gold rush pioneer.

• He randomly stumbled upon it, then he immediately saw its value.

• This led the man to sell all his property to purchase the little field. He knew that he was going to gain something far more valuable than all his possessions, but it was going to take a short-term sacrifice first.

• Jesus is saying that the Kingdom of heaven is worth the sacrifice.

• There are no possessions that can even come close. You don’t need to hustle for more stuff, you just need to discover the most meaningful stuff.

• Think about it. Our culture has convinced us to be fixated with the idea of “more.”

• We want more stuff. We want more popularity. We crave more money. We want more Instagram likes.

• It can quickly become an unhealthy obsession.

• More is a myth.

• All of those possessions will one day end up in a landfill. Money will not give your life purpose.

• When you choose to prioritize Jesus, everything else in life will fall into place.

• This passage is not about buying heaven.

• It’s encouraging readers to check their priorities.

• Jesus is asking, “What do you value? Are you willing to sacrifice everything for a life with me?”

• The man in the parable was willing to give up what he had because he knew life with God would be better. He sold everything he had with a heart of joy! He knew that it was worth it. Sacrifice isn't always dreadful.

• It brings great joy to pursue God— even when it means sacrifice.

• Sacrificing popularity to do the right thing for Jesus is worth it.

• Sacrificing the higher paying job to uphold your ethics for Jesus is worth it.

• Sacrificing your pride to be honest for Jesus is worth it.

Landing:

• There is no one, no thing, and no experience in this entire world that is better than Jesus.

• He's worth treasuring.

• He's worth the sacrifice.

• He's worth prioritizing.

TALK IT OUT 

Go through these questions with your circle. Be honest. Be open. Talk through the tough stuff.

Q1: What do students our age usually prioritize? 

Q2: What are your top three priorities in life? Does the way you spend your time reflect that or something different? 

Q3: Have you ever made a sacrifice to do the right thing? Share an example with your circle.

Q4: How would someone spend their time, money, and conversations if Jesus were his top priority?

Q5: What can you do to prioritize Jesus this week?

READING PLAN FOR TREASURE

READ THESE PASSAGES IN ORDER EVERY DAY

John 4:5-6 

John 4:15-23 

Romans 3:1-10 

Romans 3:11-20 

Romans 3:21-31 

Do the following with each passage: 

ASK– God to connect with you here. In prayer, start by slowing down and inviting God to be present. Begin with focus and openness to see what God has for you today.

READ– the selected section of Scripture slowly. Take note of the words and phrases that intrigue you, reading them a second time if necessary.

REFLECT– on what grabs you. How does this passage personally relate to your own life and experiences?

RESPOND– to the Scripture. Speak directly to God about what’s on your mind and heart. Look for ways to live out what you’ve uncovered.