Matthew 13:44 (NIV) “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.”

Joy is something that outshines happiness and there are times that only the word “joy” can be used to describe what we are feeling. A good example is when we experience the joy of being reunited with someone that we care about that we haven't seen in a while or the joy of spending precious moments with someone that you love. Then there is the ultimate joy that an intimate relationship with God brings. That joy is unlike any other in that it remains through all seasons of life, including good times and difficult times. With that in mind, it is good to consider the joy described in the verse above.

The Word of God here describes a man who found a treasure in a field and then went joyfully to sell everything he had to obtain that treasure as his own. That treasure is none other than Jesus. The treasure is an intimate relationship with the God who made us. That treasure was worth everything to that man. That makes we wonder about those of us that consider ourselves as followers of Christ. There are many Christians that I meet that exude that joy because of their relationship with God and we get to share that joy as we worship the Lord together. But then there are those who don’t seem to have any joy concerning the treasure that they supposedly have. Think about that for a moment. Who has ever not been joyful when they have discovered a great treasure? Just look at the many examples of people who have found earthly treasure and the joy that is written all over their face for having found it. While that kind of joy doesn’t last as all earthly treasure fades with time, they still experience joy at that moment. Having considered that, how can we purport to have the treasure when there is no joy accompanying our confession?

Notice that the man in the story that Jesus told not only sold EVERYTHING he had in order to make that treasure his own, but he did it joyfully. Many Christians are reluctant to give up all things for the greatest treasure ever known to mankind, which makes me wonder if they really have found the treasure. Perhaps they heard about the treasure and liked the idea of the treasure, but they didn’t make it their own. What I mean is that they weren’t willing to give up everything else for it. That leaves them knowing about the treasure but not owning it. There is no joy in seeing something that is valuable and not having it as your own. I pray that everyone who confesses Christ as their Lord and Savior will experience the joy of having Him and the joy of releasing and letting go of all things in order to buy what no amount of money would be able to pay for. You buy it by joyfully making Jesus the number one love and priority of your life. When you do that, the joy of that real, amazing and life-giving treasure will be yours for all of eternity. Don’t miss the joy of finding and owning the greatest treasure of all time: Jesus!

Pastor Joey Vazquez