Not too many of us remember what it was like to be without the Gospel. A good number of us have known the Scriptures and the Savior since infancy just like Saint Timothy. That means we are at great risk of being spoiled spiritually. That’s the last thing God wants to have happen. Jesus told many parables in Matthew chapter thirteen, all of them dealing with the topic of the kingdom of God—what it is, how to get in and how to stay in. Today’s Gospel lesson takes us through four of those parables, all of which could be summarized simply: "Treasure The Gospel". Don’t take it for granted. Don’t underestimate its value. Recognize what you’ve got, hold on to it at all costs, and tell the world about it so they can have it too.

The first of the four parables is short and simple: "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. The point Jesus wants to get through to us is simply Recognize what you’ve found.

In one way or another, everyone is searching for what God offers us in his Word. Not that people know what they’re looking for. They don’t. But everybody does know one thing. They know there’s something missing, something wrong—there’s a longing, an emptiness, a hole in their hearts that needs to be filled. The dumb search for happiness in drugs, alcohol and thousands of other stupid places. The more erudite search for it in the words of philosophers and gurus. Last week thousands of people gathered in central park in New York City just to hear the Dalai Lama, hoping that he might drop some pearl of wisdom on them that would fill that emptiness that money and jobs and things and entertainment have never been able to heal. They didn’t know exactly what they were looking for, but they were sure hopeful they’d recognize it when they found it.

The man in Jesus’ parable didn’t know exactly what he was looking for either, but when he found the treasure hidden in the field he knew that’s what he wanted. Jesus tells us exactly what the real treasure is. It’s the kingdom of heaven, and we’ve found it. We’ve found him. You see, the big hole in our human hearts is caused by sin, and forgiveness is the only thing that can take that hole away. And Jesus is the only one who can give us forgiveness. As saint Augustine put it: our hearts are forever restless until they are at home in God. Money can’t do it. Mohammed can’t do it. The Dalai Lama can’t do it. Only Jesus can, because only Jesus lived a holy life in our place and only Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Only Jesus rose from the dead and only Jesus went ahead of us into heaven to prepare a place for us. Things and philosophy and false religions might convince you to ignore the gaping hole, but only Jesus can patch it up. You have found Jesus, or better yet, Jesus has found you and given you the kingdom of heaven. Recognize what you have and treasure it! God may well have performed his spiritual heart surgery on you when you were still an infant. If so, you may have no real memory of the bleeding hole you once had in the center of your heart. But that doesn’t have to mean that you take the treasure of Jesus’ healing for granted. The devil and the whole world may try and will forever try to get you to undervalue the greatest gift of all. But you don’t have to. Recognize what you have and treasurer it above all else!

That’s the point of Jesus’ second parable. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Jesus compares the treasure of his kingdom to a pearl of great price. You have that priceless pearl. You have the kingdom of heaven. Now the question is, what are you going to do with it? Jesus doesn’t leave room for guessing. Through his parable, he tells us exactly what he wants us to do. He wants us to imitate this merchant. Don’t let the devil fool you into thinking there is anything more valuable than forgiveness and eternal membership in the kingdom of heaven. So what did the merchant do? Jesus said "He went away and sold everything he had and bought it." Now, you don’t have to buy the kingdom of heaven. It’s already been given to you as a free gift by God’s grace. But holding onto that priceless pearl—that’s what Jesus is talking about. Jesus wants you to take all your resources and use them to hold on to that priceless pearl. God’s kingdom comes to us and remains in us through Word and Sacrament. That mean studying and growing in the Word and diligently and thoughtfully partaking of the sacrament are absolutely Job #1 for the Christian. That’s what it means to seel everything you have to obtain the pearl of great price. That’s what saint Peter was talking about when he said "Make your calling and election sure." Peter wouldn’t say that if there weren’t any chance of falling away. But there is, and I’ll bet every one of you can tell me of someone you know who was once a member of the kingdom of heaven—but isn’t any more. One or all of the unholy three—the devil, the world and the sinful human flesh—dragged them away. All because they didn’t sell everything and buy that pearl. They didn’t put all their wealth and ambitions and power into the service of job #1—holding onto the kingdom. They didn’t love the Lord their God with all the heart and soul and mind—and they lost Him. They lost their faith. They lost their place in the Kingdom of Heaven.

You begin to grasp the full seriousness of Jesus’ admonition when you hear what our Lord has to say in the next parable.

There are, of course, hypocrites who know they’re hypocrites. They’ve made a conscious decision to join the church even though they don’t believe what Jesus teaches. But I would guess such a blatant hypocrite is somewhat more rare than the kind who hasn’t really even taken the time to think through what it means to be hypocrite. We are talking about those who may have joined the church just to make their wife or husband happy. Or those who may have become church members for the business connections it might give them, or for the respectability it lends them in the community. Then there’s the hypocrite who hasn’t the foggiest idea he’s a hypocrite. I suspect this type is more common. He wants to be a member of the church for whatever reason and is pretty sure he’s going to heaven. He thinks church membership really is about going through the outward motions, and having some vague kind of a warm and fuzzy feeling which he thinks is faith. Such a person may have belonged to the Lutheran church their whole life, and yet if you and ask them if they’re going to heaven and why they’d give you a clearly anti-Christian answer, namely, "I think so, because I try my hardest and I’m sure God will accept that." Despite instruction class, despite years of sitting in the pew under the pulpit, they still don’t get it. They still don’t understand that even our most righteous deeds are still filthy in God’s sight. They still don’t understand that we can only get into heaven by pleading Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Despite everything Jesus says to the contrary, they still think all faiths lead to heaven and they still think most people are pretty good. ⁴⁷ "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸ When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹ This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. People who have had every opportunity to hear the truth but have not truly listened and believed—such people will not only be judged unworthy and sentenced to death—their punishment will be all the more severe, just because they had the opportunity—in abundance!—yet threw it away. Don’t let this happen to you, Jesus says. Treasure The Gospel!

Jesus’ fourth and final parable in our text gives us some sure-fire advice to make sure we don’t wind up in the bad fish pile. ⁵¹ "Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked. "Yes," they replied. ⁵² He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old." These words apply to everyone who has become a disciple of Jesus. Disciples share the gospel, but in order to share the gospel we need to constantly learn, to be thoroughly instructed about the kingdom of heaven. Instruction about the kingdom of heaven is a lifelong process. It doesn’t start with confirmation class nor does it end there. 20 minute sermons don’t provide the opportunity for thorough instruction. That’s what Bible classes are for. If the gospel is truly the pearl of great price, if it’s truly worth giving up everything in order to get it, then it’s not enough that we treat it as an afterthought. We need to be searching the Scripture daily, mining the treasures of God’s word. We need to be sharing devotions will zero or in our homes. We need to be in Bible class. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Mt 6:21)

Then you’ll be able to brings out of [your] storeroom new treasures as well as old. Then you’ll be able to share ancient passages and modern insights with your neighbors, friends, relatives, coworkers. Then you won’t have to be embarrassed when someone asks you about your faith. Then you’ll be living up to the noble purpose for which God has made you a priest, as Peter said: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Pe 2:9) Make sure you are thoroughly instructed about the kingdom, so that you can share the treasures of Salvation.

People have a tendency to take things for granted. We see it in spoiled children. We see it in spoiled adults. Let God not see it in you. Don’t take God’s gift of salvation for granted. Treasure the Kingdom of God. Treasure your Savior. Treasure the Gospel. Amen.