2017/07/31 Based on Matthew 13:47-52

July 31, 2017 

“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 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. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked. “Yes,” they replied. He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” '

Matthew 13:47-52

When our kids were young, I would hide their Easter baskets and give them hints that sent them all over the place, inside, outside, in the barn, or in the cars. I didn’t make the clues easy either. They were cryptic, and the kids had to work hard to figure them out.

One example might be: “Treasures of Japan, in languid pleasure, molten aurous.”

I’ll bet you’re scratching your heads over that one. Roughly translated: “Treasures of Japan” refers to koi fish. They tend to swim slowly (“in languid pleasure”), and “aurous” means gold. The kids would have to look up any words they didn’t understand and try to put it all together. In that case, it meant the baskets (or the next clue) were under the koi tank.

They never minded the work, figuring out what the clues meant, searching where the clues led them, spending the time, because there was a treasure at the end of their hunt: their candy! It was worth the effort.

In the scripture today, we read about people who found a great treasure and sold all they had to obtain it.

The pearl was so magnificent that the merchant who found it sold everything he owned to ensure the jewel would be his. It was worth the risk and the cost.

The fisherman found it easy to throw out any bad fish so his catch would be perfect and bring him a rich reward.

Treasure is worth it.

The only difficult part of the passage today is the final verse, 52:

“Every scribe and teacher of the law who has become a student of the ways of the kingdom is like the head of a household who brings out some new things and some old things from the storeroom.”

I used one of my study Bibles to look this up, and it referred to the disciples, then and now, us, who would be sharing with the world the teachings of Jesus and the new covenant. But they also had the Old Testament and all the teachings of the old covenant to share as well. Those are the “old and new things” brought from the storeroom.

You all have a great treasure. If you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, you have the greatest treasure, and you should be so in love with that treasure that you would willingly give up all you have to keep it.

You also have another treasure: the Bible.

In that Bible, there are countless treasures hidden within its pages, but you need to find them, and that can be challenging.

Let’s look at some facts about the Bible.

It was written over a span of 1,600 years, across 40 generations, by 40 different authors, from kings and philosophers to farmers and peasants. It was written on three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. It was written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

Imagine: 40 different authors, all revealing the heart of God and His plan from the very beginning of creation. There are 66 separate books, yet the same themes run through them all, God’s ultimate plan to reveal Himself to us and redeem us through Jesus so we can be with Him and love Him as He loves us.

The Bible is also historically accurate. Several secular historians writing at the same time confirm its facts. The most well-known is Josephus, a Jewish historian who wrote about Jesus, not as a follower, but as a historian. Another was Tacitus, a Roman who had no reason to lie about Jesus or His impact on the region.

The Old Testament has 17 historical books, 5 books of poetry, and 17 prophetic books.

The New Testament has 4 Gospels, Acts, 21 Epistles, and the book of Revelation.

Now compare some ancient writings to the Bible:

• Plato wrote around 427–347 BC. The earliest copies we have are from 900 AD, 1,200 years later, and only 8 ancient copies exist.

• Aristotle wrote between 384–322 BC. The earliest copies are from 1100 AD, 1,400 years later, and only 49 copies exist.

• Homer wrote The Iliad around 900 BC. The earliest copy is from 400 BC, 500 years later, and 643 copies exist, with 95% accuracy.

Now the New Testament:

• Written between 50–100 AD.

• Earliest copies appear around 130 AD.

• Over 5,600 copies have been found, with 99.5% accuracy.

Archaeology also supports the Old Testament with around 42,000 evidences, documents, and copies, found in collections, synagogues, museums, seminaries, and private holdings. The accuracy of these copies is remarkable.

What does that mean for you?
It means you can trust the Bible.

For every situation in life, you can find an answer or a comfort in its pages:

• Feeling weak: Psalm 18:1–29

• Lonely: Psalm 23

• Worried: Matthew 8:19–31

• Anxious: Philippians 4:4–9

• Depressed: Psalm 27

• Struggling with loss: Luke 15

• Struggling with money: Psalm 37

That’s just a few. You can go online and search for “emergency Bible verses” or “Bible verses for ___” and find guidance for whatever you’re facing

The Bible is not a history book, though it contains history. It is not a science book, though it mirrors science and can lead us to see God as the master scientist. It contains references to astronomy, geology, and agriculture. Hidden in the stories and parables, we can catch a glimpse of what life was like in ancient times and during Jesus’ days on earth.

In the Bible, we can see God at work from the beginning, bringing us all together. He shows us His heart so we can know Him and love Him.

There are also hidden dangers. A person can defend almost any position if they take phrases out of context. One can build entire philosophies and theologies out of a single passage of Scripture, and still be completely wrong.

A small example concerns tattoos. Leviticus 19:28 certainly says not to cut your bodies for the dead or tattoo the skin, but that is a far cry from having “Mom” tattooed on a bicep. Serious biblical scholars agree that this verse refers to pagan funeral practices, marking one’s body in devotion to a false god. Others argue that since the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, marking it is defiling that temple. But I ask you: what then about the verses saying a woman should not wear gold or pearls or costly array? Are we going to say we cannot wear our gold wedding rings? Or the pearl necklace your husband bought you?

As far as “defiling the temple,” have any of you colored your hair? Cut your hair? Do you wear makeup? Earrings and nose rings were common in both Old and New Testament times. Are you a man who shaves? All these things alter or decorate the body, and some have been spoken against in Scripture (there are verses about men shaving, women’s clothing, and jewelry), yet we do them, and still someone will single out tattoos as the sin.

Of course, I don’t believe any of those things are sinful. The passage about gold, pearls, and expensive clothing was a warning against flaunting wealth and tied into where we invest our hearts. Of course you can have nice things, but you must be sure you are investing in the kingdom of God rather than only in yourself.

Now, no more negatives. Let’s look at some of the treasures.

Zephaniah 3:17 says, “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; He will rejoice over you with singing.” One translation notes that the word rejoice carries the idea of twirling or dancing. Picture a father picking up his tiny child, spinning them around, laughing and singing.

After pages and pages describing sacrifices, later God tells us He doesn’t need any of that. In 1 Samuel 15:22 we read, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice.”

And what about that old faithful verse, John 3:16? “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

If you want to know a bit about that eternal life, you need to really pour over the Bible. Revelation gives us glimpses, but not a full picture. I believe heaven will be much like here, but without sickness, sin, or hardship. I think we will have forever to serve God and enjoy Him, and He us. If I want to study dolphins, I imagine I’ll be able to do that as long as I want, and maybe the dolphins will talk back. I believe all the dear dogs I have loved will be there, and we will be happy together. My mom has always been afraid of dogs. She once told me she was going to live in the “no pets allowed” part of heaven, and I could leave my pets at home when I visit her there.

The truth is, heaven will be what makes us not only happy but fulfilled. No doubt you’ve heard that we all have a God-shaped hole in our hearts, and we cannot be truly content until it is filled with Him. It’s true.

This week we begin our studies using The Story, the first step on our journey of discovery and rediscovery.

In this journey through the Bible, we will encounter story after story about individuals. We will recognize ourselves in some of them. This is what the study calls the lower story, the stories of people and events, hunger and fear, joy and rescue, need and love, war and famine, epic rescues and miracles. We will read about kings and shepherds, maidens and brothers, fathers and soldiers.

But we will also see the upper story, God’s vision, scope, grand design, and purpose. We will see how He created and orchestrated everything to bring about a magnificent world, a world to come, and our hope of eternal life with Him, beloved, and loving Him in return.

This is revealed in the Lord’s Prayer.
The upper story comes first: “Your will be done.”
Then comes the lower story: “Give us… forgive us…”

In the months ahead, as we journey together, this study should whet our appetite for God’s Word and encourage us to dig deeper into it to uncover all the magnificent treasures it contains.

A treasure hunt we can do together, and we all win the treasure.