Matthew 13:44-46, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

My Mom taught me to read when I was five years old, and I have been an avid reader ever since. That part of my mom still lives in me. As a young boy, I was fascinated by a wide variety of books. I remember reading Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island.” I don’t recollect ever wanting to become a pirate, but I often imagined sailing the seas and looking for hidden treasure.

When Jesus spoke about a hidden treasure, He didn’t provide any details about what it was or where it came from. All we know is that it was hidden until one fortunate adventurer found it. If you read all of Matthew chapter 13, you will see that Jesus used several illustrations to convey His idea of a true treasure. One of them was a pearl of great value. While these discoveries could have been stumbled upon accidentally, I think it’s also possible to say their discovery was the result of a deliberate search. They may not have known initially what they were looking for, but they were searching.

I remember when the phrase, “I’m trying to find myself,” was popular. Some thought that what they were searching for could be found in a prestigious job, or a certain someone who would complete their life. Having a family, raising kids, and growing old together, is the proverbial “white picket fence, pie in the sky” syndrome. There is a degree of contentment in those things, but even if we achieve what we thought would bring success, we often find that an empty void remains deep inside. It is a God shaped void that can only be filled by God.

Jesus came to show us what the true treasure is, and while we can experience a portion of it now, the ultimate reward awaits us in heaven. That treasure is worth whatever cost we have to pay in this world to attain what’s waiting for us on the other side of death. Are you searching for the treasure of heaven?