A Study of Luke 9: 23
Our Hidden Treasure
Do you remember what it was like when you first met your wife? I remember the first time I saw Jeanie. We were on a church outing where she was with her boyfriend and I was with a girl who was just a friend. From that moment, she had me spell bound. It was a couple years later when I came home from Clemson for the weekend that I was confronted with her again. I walked up into the balcony of our church that Sunday morning and there she was, sitting right in front of me. She is amazed that still today I can describe how she looked in every detail. That started a heart pounding pursuit on my part that has led to us being a great team and she being my best buddy.
When Jesus says in Luke 9: 23, "If anyone wants to come with me", He is describing the same kind of pursuit we had with the woman of our dreams. When I began my pursuit of Jeanie, she consumed my thoughts each day. I spent hours planning on how we could be together every weekend. The more we were together, the more our affections for one another grew. When we were not together, we spoke to one another through our letters each day. I had discovered a treasure that I wanted to be with continually and I was not about to let it go.
In the thirteenth chapter of Matthew, Jesus tells the parable of the hidden treasure and the priceless pearl. He compares the kingdom of Heaven to a treasure hidden in a field and also a merchant in search of a priceless pearl. In each case, upon discovering the valuable item, the finder goes and sells all he has in order to obtain this new found treasure. The most interesting thing about this is the joy they are experiencing, not only in finding their treasure, but also in selling all they have to obtain it. Think about their moment and the moment you found the wife of your youth. Your heart is pounding, it comes by surprise, and there is unbelief in that you could be so lucky. Joy and excitement consumes you to the point you would skip classes and drive for hours just to be with your treasure.
This same excitement should fill us as we discover the treasure of coming with Jesus. But that only happens if we "want to" come with Jesus. He will not demand it, but only offer the opportunity. What He does promise is that it will be like finding the greatest treasure on earth. It will be worth giving up everything else in life just to be with Him. Joy will over flood our lives. But it can only happen to those who want to follow. Admirers will not be willing to pay the cost. The person with a casual relationship with Jesus will not get carried away. They will want the treasure, but not the cost.
"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4: 19. When we realize, not only does Jesus love us, but how much He loves us, how can we help but come with Him. I think I fell in love with Jeanie before she fell in love with me. She may disagree. But regardless, we each fell in love with the other because of the love expressed to us. God first loved us in that He created us, sent His Son to die for us, and paid our sacrifice. He has left us His Word to instruct and guide us, and his Holy Spirit to comfort us. He answers our prayers and has provided a plan for each one of our lives. WOW! How He must love you and me.
Jesus will settle for nothing less than to be the great love of our life. His pursuit of us is relentless. To often we don't see or recognize Him when he is standing before us or sitting in the pew right in front of us. We say we can do it another time, we have other things we find more valuable at the present. It may be just plain old spiritual apathy that is keeping us from the greatest love relationship we could ever experience. Read Psalm 63 and see the love and pursuit David had for his Lord.
Do we recognize a treasure when we see it? Are we willing to place the pursuit of Jesus above all else in life? What do we get when we come with Jesus? "And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst," John 6: 35. We receive a trip of unspeakable joy, peace over strife, strength in times of trouble, courage in adversity, contentment over unrest, grace over unforgiveness, mercy over judgement, and an opportunity to share His message with all. But it also comes with a cost.
