Devotion: "It's Like ... You Know" (Matthew 13:44-52)

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[Jesus said, ] 44 "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. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. 47 Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 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. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked. "Yes," they replied. 52 He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old." (Matthew 13:44-52)

When we ask someone to describe or explain something for us, especially something that is foreign to us, we expect them to use a comparison of some kind. So, if someone eats some exotic dish and we ask how it tasted, we're likely to get a response that starts out with "It tasted like …" ("chicken" seems to finish this sentence for a lot of things for some reason). In a similar way, when we ask someone how a change in life such as being married or having a child is going for them, they may respond "It's like …" If the person knows that we have shared in that experience, the answer may simply conclude with "you know."

"It's like … you know" is a phrase that describes the Kingdom of God for us. In Matthew 13, Jesus used three different images to describe the Kingdom for us. He said "It's like …" to help us understand something that is difficult to explain. By using comparisons -- even comparisons that don't fit our culture as well as they did the culture of His original audience -- Jesus gives us glimpses into the beauty and majesty of God's Kingdom. Each of the images that He used shows us something else (and something more) about the Kingdom.

"It's like" a man who discovers a hidden treasure in a field. With great joy he sells everything he owns to purchase the field so the treasure could be his (which was both legal and moral in his culture). You know that the Kingdom is like this because the joy that it brings to you is worth everything that you have had to give up in order to possess it.

"It's like" a merchant who prizes fine pearls. When he comes across the finest pearl he's ever seen, he sells off all of his other pearls, including those he previously prized, in order to have this one. You know that the Kingdom is like this because when it came to you and you saw it for what it is, you gladly got rid of all the other kingdoms in your life in order to prize His Kingdom.

"It's like" fishermen who sort out their catch, keeping the fish that are good for eating and throwing away the ones that are no good. You know that the Kingdom is like this because you share in the experience of God's Kingdom. By the working of the Holy Spirit, you have been gathered, sorted, and found to be "good" in God's sight and been given a place in His Kingdom. In His Kingdom you have true joy, immeasurable treasure, and the peace secured for you by Christ. All of the good things that make the Kingdom of God like … you know.