Hidden Treasure

I stayed up past my usual 7:30 pm bedtime last night. Check this out: I was awake until 10! WHA!! I know, crazy awesome right? (Wrong; it’s lame.) And today there appears to be far too much blood in my caffeine system.

But it was totally worth it. I went to a Jason Gray concert last night, sponsored by our local Christian radio station. If you don’t know who he is, I strongly encourage you to go to his website and check him out. And if you ever get the chance to see his live show, do. Because not only is he a talented musician but he is hilarious. The show was equal parts music, poignant stories of God’s grace and stand up comedy.

Before the memory of last night falls out the back of my tired mommy brain, I want to share with you, my 12 readers, something Jason Gray said last night that really spoke to me.

The Parable of the Hidden 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

Who is the man? What is the treasure?

Many of us (me included) have always interpreted the story pretty literally: the Kingdom of Heaven is so nifty and valuable that anyone who stumbles upon it should immediately sell all their stuff and then go follow Jesus.

And while I am not saying that the above isn’t a valid interpretation, or that Jesus isn’t worth unloading all your worldly possessions, last night I heard a new interpretation that I think fits much better. After all, the point of parables is to not be literal!

What if the man isn’t me?

In the parables right before this one, Jesus tells the story of a farmer scattering seeds on the ground. Then he compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed growing into a whomping huge tree and then to a tiny little yeast granule that works through the whole dough to make it fluffy and delicious bread.

In the two seed sowing stories, I am definitely not the farmer character; I am the ground. Actually, in all the parables leading up to verse 44 the action is being done by God. So I think it’s safe to assume that the treasure-finder is also God.

Which makes me the treasure.

Imagine that. Jesus thinks I’m so nifty and valuable that when he finds me he is so stoked he gives up everything. And he doesn’t just buy me, he buys the field. All my dirt, all my empty, wasted potential – he scoops that up too just to acquire the hidden treasure that is me.

And you. You are a shining treasure too.

So often, I go to bed thinking, “If only I could be a better wife/mom/person/Christian. If only I was closer to God.” Maybe if I tried more, gave up more, valued the Kingdom more then maybe God would like me more. It’s exhausting and futile.

That’s why this story got me. I don’t ever love God first. I don’t. I don’t any more than Troy loved me first. Before he was cute enough to melt plastic, before he snuggled into my side, before he ever made me laugh – I loved that kid. I loved him as he lay helpless and bruised on my chest in his first moment; I loved him as he wiggled around in my enormous pregnant belly; I loved him when he was just test results on a piece of paper. Long before he could be or do anything, Troy was my treasure.

Long before I could be or do anything, I was God’s treasure. There I was, covered in crap, hidden away in a field. And there was God, finding me, loving me, seeing in me something of enormous value.

My Treasure

So what about you? Can you stay up past 8?