“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. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.“
Matthew 13:44-46
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SEPTEMBER 13, 2024
Several years ago I joined a weekly Bible study. What attracted me to this group was the enthusiasm shown by several members. According to them, it was the best study they had ever participated in. The material was excellent, the discussions were deep, and the leader was truly gifted at Bible teaching.
I signed on happily.
But before I could attend, the leader moved out of state. The group I met on my first day was sparse and dwindled to nothing within a few months. No big surprise: once the talented, compelling founder is gone, groups nearly always lose their steam.
But in the months after Jesus’ death we see a strange thing happening. The original followers—well known for their foibles, fear, and lack of understanding—now eloquently and courageously put their lives on the line to continue Jesus’ work. Thousands of people sign on. The growing community that results is radically devoted to learning, to fellowship, to emptying their lives and possessions.
How can this be? The answer is right in our text: the resurrected Jesus’ continued presence with them through the Spirit. The members—both the small crowd of disciples who had been with Jesus in person, and the new believers who had not—experienced the risen Messiah. Having seen Him, they knew beyond a doubt that Israel’s God was reigning in the world, right here and now.
They had found the pearl of great price. Their certainty of the risen Jesus’ power over the kingdoms of this world empowered them to make radical life choices; likewise, the community’s radical choices created a powerful testimony to the truth that Jesus was the Messiah.
What about us today? Nothing substantial has changed. Jesus is still present among us. The Good News is still the same: God has vindicated Jesus and called us to live a Jesus-shaped life in a Christ-shaped community. As one scholar** mused, the stunning question is not “How and why were these people willing to live so radically” but “How and why have we lost this radical, Spirit-drenched vision?”
Will we sell all we have to buy this pearl of great price?
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- What would it look like if we lived out the gospel we have received with the level of devotion we see in these first followers of Jesus?
- What cultural and doctrinal blindspots do you think hinder us in our discipleship?
* * Acts: A Theological Commentary on the Bible by Willie James Jennings
Church Reading Plan:
- Today, September 13: Ezekial 16; Psalm 58-59
- Saturday, September 14: Ezekial 17; Psalm 60-61
- Sunday, September 15: Ezekial 18; Psalm 62-63