What are we willing to give up?

It’s Lent. It’s the time of year we ask this question—what are you willing to give up--is the deal breaker for most disciples and an immediate revelation of what type of disciple or whose disciple we truly are at our core. What am I willing to give up? Is there a cost to discipleship?* Consider the parables of the field and the pearl.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:44-46 (NIV)

The field is a metaphor. But, we could use garden, suburb, subdivision, neighborhood, career, job or even the family farm. The setting is the search and the surprising discovery. But, the main emphasis actually lies in the cost. Consider the parable of the treasure. The possibility of finding a treasure buried in a field was rare but not entirely far-fetched in the ancient world. Given the lack of banks, 401k plans, pensions, or safe deposit boxes, the most secure place for one’s most treasured possession would likely be buried in the back yard or somewhere safe like “under the mattress.”

Jesus, however, is not overly interested in the details. He challenged us to consider what we value and to account for what we believe. Yes, Jesus is Messiah, Savior, Lord and a lot of other things. Don’t allow him to stay up on that pedestal so far removed that he has no direct impact in your daily life. Jesus is also a master teacher who uses our commonly held beliefs in order to show us our error and his way to live a life of Christian freedom. His concern and emphasis are on the price our treasure finder is willing to pay. And Jesus’ point here is striking and straightforward. It costs the man--everything to obtain the treasure. The treasure finder doesn’t even stop to do the math. He acts on impulse, moved and motivated by the energy of this new disposition of “joy.” (Matt. 13:44) Below the surface, the man is really a treasure seeker—constantly looking for the next best thing and when he discovers The BEST thing—he is willing to give up everything for something that is even more valuable….no looking back and only looking forward he gives up everything.

The trade up.

The beauty and glory of the kingdom are such that when we discover it—we respond out of a holy instinctive joy, sacrificing or releasing our preconceived ideas of what we once believed was valuable. Think about the ‘stuff’ you thought was important or valuable. Honestly, it’s not a loss but a sacrifice worth making in order to obtain something that was a dream or believed to be impossible.The parable of the pearl of great price appears even more surprising and more challenging in this regard.

On the surface, it might appear that not much is happening in the second parable that isn’t already more clearly stated in the first. In both, the searcher sells all to gain all—but there seems to be a bit of a twist in the pearl parable. There is something irrational in the merchant’s action that is worthy of our consideration.

The merchant doesn’t sell in order to obtain something of greater value, as in the previous parable. On the contrary, the merchant sells everything—including (presumably) his existing beautiful pearl collection—to buy one single pearl: “when he had found one pearl of great price, (he) went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:46 NIV) This is simply not good business. His actions demonstrate that he’s not in the pearl business for the money. He’s no merchant at all! He’s in it for the pearls and now he has found The Pearl.

The only pearl that really matters.

He’s not really a merchant who buys and sells things but a pearl collector. To own this pearl is to own the only pearl that matters. This response is not rational! Why did the merchant sell everything to evidently become the homeless owner of a single pearl? For the love of this pearl and for the joy of it. That’s the twist of the second parable. The merchant is apparently less financially motivated than the field worker. Something greater is at hand. The merchant sacrifices everything not for the hope of some greater income but for the simple joy of already possessing the pearl of great price. Consider whether or not you possess the pearl of great price and whether or not the Kingdom of Heaven is enough for you. Are you still seeking some greater treasure that is “still buried out there somewhere."

These two little parables challenge us to consider our love for The Kingdom and our love for other “stuff." With the treasure, Jesus asks us to examine items we value. Are we accounting rightly when it comes to the things we own in this world? Are we in alignment with God’s will and His righteousness? The world values advancement, success and achievement—keep seeking there is always something greater just around the next corner. But, would we sacrifice all that worldly ’stuff' to obtain something infinitely better? Then, presented with the pearl, Jesus asks an even harder question: are you living honestly for the pure love and joy of the Kingdom or are you living for something else? The hidden treasure probes the depth of our vision and values. Dig beneath the surface—perhaps there is a sacrifice worth making after all. What did Jesus mean when he told us to seek first the Kingdom--all the other ’stuff’ will be given to you? (Matthew 6:33) The pearl of great price probes deeper still into the depth of our human heart and will. What are we willing to give up in order to discover the only Pearl that really matters?

“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” Matthew 7:6 ESV

*The Cost of Discipleship. Dietrich Bonhoeffer. 1937

Pastor Jen