Buried Treasure

“The ones that play a major role in old tales of magic, spells, and adventure can be understood as “hoardes” or “troves” from earlier eras, buried or hidden at a time of danger but then never retrieved by those who had left them behind. It was believed that they offered a relatively easy way to get rich– if one knew a few magic words and were willing to brave the curses attached to the treasures… Viewed rationally, the search for buried gold had little prospect of success; the basis for legendary quests may lie in symbolic traditions of late antiquity, like Gnostic doctrine, in which treasures stood for specific attainments sought on the path to knowledge. Guardians block access to these inner treasures and can be commanded only by those who possess secret passwords and geometrical symbols…” (Biederman, 350).

“The search for treasure has a twofold symbolism: either the search is for earthly treasure, such as gold or jewels, usually hidden in a cave or underground, the finding of which brings trials and tribulations and, where greed is the motive, leads to final disaster, or the search is for spiritual treasure, symbolizing esoteric knowledge or enlightenment, the search for the Center, for lost Paradise, the Grail etc… and the goal is guarded by monsters or dragons; this represents man’s quest for, and discovery of, his own true nature” (Cooper, 176).

In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus contrasted what he called treasures on earth and treasures in heaven. Treasures on earth are evanescent and corruptible, whereas treasures in heaven will never pass away or suffer corrosion.

““God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field. “Or, God’s kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for exquisite pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.”Matthew 13:44-46 MSG

Thus, God likens hidden treasure to a collection of interwoven things: Understanding, wisdom, the fear of God, knowledge of God, and God’s Word, all of which are positive and powerful factors in living God’s way of life. These are all things God must give, and they are hidden until He gives them.

“When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you,” Proverbs 2:10-11 NKJV

From the opening paragraphs we see perspectives on ancient treasure hunting and how people were keen to discover treasure they heard about through tales and folklore even if they had no direct connection to owning same. You may have also heard about pirates and their quest for treasure on the high seas. They literally risk their lives just to capture valuables to enrich their lives.

The kinds of research that men are willing to embark on just to find “supposed“ hidden treasure is utterly amazing. We have certain people whose whole lives are devoted to prospecting distant lands in the hopes of discovering gold and other precious stones. They invest in heavy equipment, deprive themselves of everyday luxuries and travel far and wide to satisfy this curiosity with so much zeal and passion. There are certain shows where people have invested for instance to discover the millions hidden by the famous Pablo Escobar. These expeditions are heavily funded by rich sponsors who may have some personal interest in the results and findings thereof. Are we as christians willing to dig deep into the word of God to discover what he has said, who He is and what he actually has in store for us? Would we go the extra mile to search for the treasures of His kingdom? How zealously affected are you for the Lord?

“But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 AMP

The scripture above refers to the good news of God’s word as treasure in earthen vessels (being us-human frailty-children of God- christians). This reveals what great a mandate we have as believers to propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ through our lifestyles and intentionally winning souls. It is imperative that we dig deep to discover what potential God had placed in us and how we can we exploit them to propel His kingdom. However our aim is not to make a name for ourselves but to be tools and vessels that ultimately portray the power and efficacy of His sacrifice for mankind.

“When Jesus finished telling these stories, he left there, returned to his hometown, and gave a lecture in the meetinghouse. He stole the show, impressing everyone. “We had no idea he was this good!” they said. “How did he get so wise, get such ability?” But in the next breath they were cutting him down: “We’ve known him since he was a kid; he’s the carpenter’s son. We know his mother, Mary. We know his brothers James and Joseph, Simon and Judas. All his sisters live here. Who does he think he is?” They got all bent out of shape.” Matthew 13:53-57 MSG

Familiarity breeds in the hearts of many who subconsciously give off the “I grew up in the church attitude”. Working in church corporate offices and being overly familiar with the administrative aspects of running the church account for this blunder. They gradually relegate the crux of service in God’s house to the back bench. They come to church as a job to earn a living and no longer as an act of worship and submission to God. Their service in church becomes more of a means to an end rather that an opportunity to be used by God in His vineyard. The reality is even worse when we consider supposed Christians who work circular jobs and he unexemplary their lifestyles are.

““Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she’ll call her friends and neighbors: ‘Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!’ Count on it—that’s the kind of party God’s angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God.”” Luke 15:8-10 MSG

Your treasure forms a part of your identity. That is why a person may be described as rich or wealthy. We can reasonably assume a person is a millionaire and refer to them as such because they wield millions. In the same vein we can say another loves God because we observe their works through their acts of service in God’s kingdom and their obedience to His word. It is important that we discover the treasure of God’s kingdom here on earth in order to be useful to His purpose. So that while we work here on earth we will also be storing up treasures that do not decay in eternity.

I pray that we all arrive at that point in our lives where we earnestly seek to live out our purpose in God through our obedience to His Holy word and our service in His vineyard. May we wholeheartedly offer up our resources to His service and instruction. That we shall daily search for him through His word and through prayer because we desire His presence just like buried treasure.

With Love, Esinam.