By David Wilkerson

1. The first parable is about
the treasure in the field.
"The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field" (Matthew 13:44).

First, I want to ask, what does the field represent here? It signifies the Christianized world. It's every area where the gospel has been preached and received. Of course, the church is a part of that field. There is a home mission field and a foreign mission field. And the man laboring in the field represents everyone who serves Jesus.

This man has learned from a reliable source that treasure is buried somewhere in that field. Likewise today, we've been told, "Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). While other field workers labor halfheartedly, this man starts digging furiously. He spends hours, days, weeks doggedly looking for the treasure.

Who is this man? He represents every devoted servant who's heard what the prophets spoke of Jesus: "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 13:35). This man doesn't care what others think of him. He has set his heart on unearthing God's hidden treasure. And he knows the only way he'll find it is to seek it with everything he's got. So he digs and digs, absolutely bent on locating it.

What's the treasure he's looking for? It's the incredible discovery that Christ is all he needs. His treasure is knowing that all joy, direction and purpose, indeed, the very riches of heaven, are his in Jesus. It doesn't matter what trials and tests confront him. He knows that in Christ, he's been given every resource. Jesus is his all in all.

When this man finally finds the treasure, he does a curious thing: he immediately hides it. "Which when a man hath found, he hideth" (Matthew 13:44). What's he doing here? Why would he hide this wonderful, newfound wealth?

We find a clue in Paul's testimony. The apostle tells us, "When it pleased God, who separated me...and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood; neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia" (Galatians 1:15-17).

Paul had been given an incredible revelation of Christ. So, why did he choose to keep it secret? It was because this treasure was absolutely precious to him, dearer to him than anything. You see, Paul had fasted for this truth, prayed for it, sought it diligently. He'd served God with zeal, as a Pharisee, but without knowledge of the truth (see Romans 10:2). And now that he'd found the truth that was Christ, he wasn't going to be robbed of it.

So Paul went to the desert of Arabia to hide his treasure. In essence, he was "selling everything he had to buy the field where the treasure was buried" (see Matthew 13:44). Paul was declaring, "I don't want anybody or anything to sidetrack me from this great truth I've found in Christ. I don't want to hear anyone else's opinion about it right now. I've got to possess it for myself. And I will share it with others only after I've understood the full magnificence of what I've found."

I picture the field worker in the parable marveling at the treasure he found. Once he opened the chest, he held up his treasure, examined it, rejoiced at it. Yet, immediately, he sensed that handling it and gazing at it were not enough. He told himself, "I must have this. I've got to possess it totally. If I do, it will see me through to my dying day."

Paul is an example of those who have discovered the priceless treasure of a heart-revelation of Christ. He dug deeply, found the treasure, and was overjoyed at his discovery. Yet he hid it deep within his heart. He was saying, "It's not enough for me to merely admire Jesus or marvel at him. I need him living inside me. I've got to have him as my very life. I don't need any more theology about the Savior. I've spent a lifetime learning doctrines. My one focus now is to know Christ and possess him. I want Jesus to live through me, and for my old self to die."

When Jesus says the field worker "selleth" all he had, the Greek meaning is to trade or barter. This signifies an exchange of goods or services without the passing of money. In other words, whatever is being sought can't be bought.

This opens up the meaning of the parable even further. Jesus is saying, "You can't buy spiritual things with material things." Paul lived out this truth. He owned nothing but the clothes on his back, and perhaps some tools for tent-making. Yet here's what it cost Paul to lay hold of his treasure: "What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ...I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ" (Philippians 3:7-8).

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Todo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece.
Filipenses 4:13.