Monday, August 15

The Kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure, hidden in the field . . . Again the Kingdom of the heavens is like a traveling merchant seeking fine pearls.Matt. 13:44, 45.

In these two parables, Jesus showed that the truth is found in different ways. Some people are searching for it and have gone to great lengths to find it. Others, although not searching for it, have found it—perhaps by having it brought to them. Whatever the case, each man recognized the value of what he had found and was willing to make huge sacrifices to get ahold of it. How can we benefit from these two illustrations?  Ask yourself: ‘Do I have the attitude that these men had? Do I treasure the truth in a similar way? Am I willing to make sacrifices to get ahold of it, or do I allow other things to distract me from it?’ The deeper our heartfelt joy about finding the truth, the stronger our determination to keep it first in our life will be.

COMMENTARY

For good reason ours is called the Information Age. Information of all sorts can be obtained virtually instantly with a few clicks. Need to know the weather tomorrow in a city on the other side of the world? Click it. Want to know about ancient history without going to a library? Click it. Looking for a recipe? Health information? International news? Need to know the specs on an automobile tune-up for a specific make and model? Click it or just ask your smart phone to find the info.

In the business world information is considered very valuable. What are your competitors doing, for example? What is the mood of the buyers? Will the market go up —will it go down?

But there is a down side. Although information is easily obtainable, some of it is inaccurate. Or worse, intentionally misleading. But foremost, human knowledge is limited. That is most apparent when it comes to foreseeing the future.

God, on the other hand, has no limitations. And he has provided not only accurate information regarding history past, but has told us of the things to come. And the things to come are profound. According to God’s word the entire political, social and economic systems in place now, in short —civilization —is going to be overthrown and replaced. Every government, every religion, every corporation, is going to be dissolved. Even a world that most people to not realize even exists is going to be done away with —that is, the invisible realm where in the wicked angels operate.

In place of the present system God’s Kingdom will reign. It will be a completely different world. Although this information predates the Information Age and is widely available, most people do not accept it. But for those who believe it the Kingdom of the heavens is like the men in Jesus’ illustrations. They realize the value of the truth and the potential of the future and are willing to buy into it, so-to-speak, in order to obtain a place in the Kingdom.

In the illustration of the man who found buried treasure hidden in a field and then purchased the field, we might wonder why he simply did not take the treasure. Why hide it and buy the field? The reason is because he did not own the field and taking the hidden treasure would be stealing, but by buying the field the treasure was part and parcel with it and he then became the legal owner of all that was on the land.

In a similar manner we might liken the Watchtower Society to the “field” wherein lay the hidden treasure. In order to obtain the treasure a man buys the “field” and all that comes with it. It is not that the Watchtower owns the Kingdom treasure. It is just that it happens to be hidden within it. Buying the “field” is simply the means to an end.

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