Title: People in Heaven.../Matthew 13:44-46
Our definitive answer is yes. One of the many reasons is that he brought the 'Kingdom of God' to us in this world.
Even at the beginning of his ministry, Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God. He proclaimed the kingdom of God even in the midst of his ministry. And even at the end of his ministry, he proclaimed the kingdom of God and made a request to us. This was the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 13: , 24:14, Mark 1:14, Mark 16:15). Even after the resurrection, the theme of the gospel that Jesus preached was the kingdom of heaven (Acts 1:3).
The 13th chapter of Matthew is the famous 7 gospel theory of the kingdom of heaven that describes the kingdom of heaven in seven parables.
I. Heaven is likened to treasures and pearls.
Matthew 13:44 says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field… ' he said. Verse 45 says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls.”
Here, 'treasure' or 'pearl' means something rare or valuable. You think about the wealth, honor, and honor of the person who owns it. Not only that, but also the minority and specificity of those who own it.
A man named Roy Engel came to see the 'Diamond of Hope' on display at the National Museum. The indescribable brilliance of the world's most beautiful blue diamond was unparalleled by the many other jewels on display next to it.
After staring at the diamond for a long time, enchanted, he said to the receptionist, "How much will this cost?" I asked. Then the receptionist proudly said, "The price of this diamond cannot be quantified. Nothing in the world can quantify the amazing value of this gem."
That's right. When Jesus compared 'the kingdom of heaven' to a treasure hidden in a field or a fine pearl, that is, a pearl of great price, it shows that the kingdom of heaven that Jesus has brought to us is a mystery that cannot be measured or explained by anything else.
II. The people of heaven are those who have been given the grace of discovering treasures and pearls.
A farmer who finds hidden treasure in a field (Matt. 13:44) and a merchant looking for a pearl of great price (Matt. 13:45-46) are the same. However, the difference between these two people is that when they find the treasure hidden in the field, they find the result unexpectedly, and when they find the Pearl of Great Price, it is the result of discovering what they had already foreseen through steady quest.
The case of discovering the hidden treasure in the field is the case of those who were indifferent to the gospel of salvation, loved sin, loved the world, and lived according to their own stubbornness. Then one day, God decisively regenerates and converts him, and he discovers and accepts Jesus Christ as the Savior.
The case of possessing the Pearl of Great Price is the case of those who have already lost the seed of rebirth. He already knew the preciousness of the pearl. Still, he did not own it. So I was looking for that pearl. Then he said that he had finally found the pearl he was looking for. It refers to a case in which it takes a certain amount of effort and effort to receive Christ as the Savior even for those who have fallen from the seed of regeneration.
In other words, among those who have received the seed of regeneration (the grace of being born again), there are cases where they receive the Lord immediately without hesitation, and on the contrary, there are cases where they receive the Lord through the struggles of the seeker, as if searching for and seeking pearls. .
The important conclusion is that in both cases, it is God's irresistible grace that we can't refuse to find the kingdom of God (heaven). This is because unless a person is born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3).
Ⅲ. Heavenly people are those who seek treasures and pearls.
A farmer who unexpectedly found a treasure in a field and a merchant looking for pearls were different until the moment they came across the treasure. Nevertheless, both of them had the same result of having access to treasures and pearls. After that, their thoughts and actions coincided in making the treasures and pearls they found their own.
1. First, we recognized the value of treasures and pearls equally.
In the case of a merchant looking for pearls, they were already aware of the pearl's value (Matthew 13:45-46). So I was looking for it. But the farmer's case was unexpected. Nevertheless, it is a fact that he recognized the value of the treasure when he saw his thoughts and actions of hiding it after discovering it and buying all the fields where the treasure was buried. It's a new perception. It is a new change in the perception of value.
In this case, it is the fact that we immediately recognized the value of the gospel, its preciousness, its vitality, and its dignity. He immediately recognized the uniqueness of the gospel and the toxicity of the gospel. It is the blessing of immediately recognizing the Savior of Jesus Christ (John 4:42, 14:6, Acts 4:12).
2. The joy that comes from recognizing (discovering) treasures and pearls.
The treasure hidden in the field that was found unexpectedly (Mt 13:44) and the pearl that she was looking for with anticipation (Mt 13:45-46) gave great joy to the farmers and merchants without exception. It was a shocking joy. It was a joy that evoked the power to give up everything and pursue only treasures regardless of difficulties. It was a joy incomparable to the joy the world has to offer.
3. Decided to own treasure and pearls.
In Matthew 13:44, “… Found it and hid it... back … sell everything... ' shows his strong determination and action to possess it.
In the case of a merchant looking for pearls, “… Let's meet and go... sell everything... Let's see the case where he said ' (Matthew 13:46)
It means an immediate decision, an immediate action. There was no hesitation or hesitation. It's a new resolution. It is a determination to pursue a better future than the present. It is a voluntary and hopeful decision. It is a leap forward for a new trajectory of life.
4. It is the decision to sell all of one's possessions.
There was a change in the value perception of treasures and pearls for farmers and merchants seeking heaven. I was determined to own it. Finally, he takes the action of a drastic decision to own it.
It is an act of selling all that one owns.
What is 'owning yourself' here? It points to all the obstacles that arise in accepting the gospel.
These are ① self-righteousness or prejudice, one's own opinions or ideas. ② It may be a wrong god or a foreign religion that you have already believed in. ③ It may be of blood or flesh. It could be a house or a land, an ancestor worship or a family tradition. ④ It may be the world's honor and wealth. ⑤ It could be some kind of worldly habit or pleasure. ⑥ And it could be a worldly friend or some other kind of group.
In other words, it is self-denial. In Mark 10:29-30, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, he who has left houses or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for me and for the gospel, is in no time to leave houses and brothers and sisters and mothers. There is no one who will not receive a hundred times as much money, children, and lands, but with persecution, and in the age to come eternal life.”
5. I finally got the treasure and the pearl.
“… I bought the field” (Matthew 13:44). “… I bought the pearl” (Matthew 13:46).
The farmer who found the hidden treasure in the field and the merchant who was looking for fine pearls eventually got what they wanted as their own. They ended up getting what they wanted.
It is their actions that speak of 'the result of their faith'. The salvation of Jesus Christ, who is like a treasure and a pearl, belongs to me through faith. The fact that the only way to possess that salvation (treasures, pearls) as mine is through faith.
There is an intellectual component to that belief. It is for us to immediately realize the truth of the gospel (treasure, pearl), that is, to recognize it.
Also, there is an emotional (heart) element in that belief. It is to rejoice and rejoice in that salvation (treasures, pearls), and to have the determination to possess it.
And there is a volitional component to that belief. It is the decision to decide and act to make it mine.
Dear saints!
In Jesus' parable of the kingdom of heaven, Christians were compared to farmers working in the fields and sometimes to merchants doing business. They were the people who lived with the many people of this world.
Nevertheless, they were given a decisive opportunity to become a genius Ilwoo (千載一遇). I was given the opportunity to discover treasures in my living field (field) where I was working, and to know the extremely valuable pearls in the world of business. This was the selective and sovereign grace from God among the many creations.
It is the fact that we have come to know the gospel of heaven, which is not from this world, but like a treasure, like a pearl of great price. This was not a product of blood, not of the flesh, not of one's own individual, but only a gift of grace from God (John 1:12-13).
It is said that it is a shocking event of blessing for sinners to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and become the people who will inherit the kingdom of God, such as the discovery of treasures and pearls.
※ They had a new change in their perception of the value of the treasure and pearls. I was very happy with the result. Finally, he decided to own it, and sold all he had and made a great act of taking the treasure and pearls as his own. These are the characteristics of the lives of the people of Heaven who live in this world.
Christians are special people who have the nationality of this world, but live with the nationality of the kingdom of heaven, that is, the kingdom of God. Those who live with the treasures of heaven. The treasure of heaven is Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. He is the one who will save his people from our sins. Then, the treasure of heaven is the salvation offered by Jesus.
※ Heavenly people are those who regard salvation and heaven as treasures and pearls, possess it, and enjoy it. Then what about their wealth? This is a special wealth. It is spiritual wealth. It is the wealth of life. It is a progressive wealth from the present to the future. How is their happiness? How about their joy and gratitude? Isn't it 30x, 60x, 100x?
It is said that the woman adorned with the most jewels in history was Loria Faurina, who later became the third wife of the mad Roman emperor Carigra. She was later expelled from the position of Empress, but became heir to her grandfather's enormous fortune. The radiant brilliance of jewels adorned her body always enveloped her. It is said that the amount of jewels that once adorned her body was 40 million cestasez in currency at the time. It is said that the body was adorned with emeralds and pearls worth about 11 million dollars today. So, it is said that she was always accompanied by a jewelry appraiser who proved that the jewelry was real and not a fake, and Kyung-ri, who had a receipt with the value of the jewelry on it. Nevertheless, Loria, who was given the title of Queen of Jewels, has long since disappeared from the world we live in.
But the treasures that Christians in heaven carry with them are not the sort of things that jewelry appraisals or receipts for jewelry are accompanied by.
Christians are those who live with eternal treasures, guaranteed by the Spirit of God Himself (Romans 8:14-15). These are the people who are living with the treasure of immortality, the treasure that does not fade, the treasure kept in heaven, the treasure of eternal life, the treasure of salvation, and the treasure of eternal life.
These treasures and pearls are personal salvation, each of which is personally owned by each.
The people of the kingdom of heaven are not called to attain poverty in Christ, but to obtain the treasure of salvation, the ultimate spiritual riches. The people of heaven are not called to receive disappointment, but to obtain the fulfillment of hope. The people of heaven are not called to mourn, but to rejoice over the treasures and pearls to possess. That treasure is the movie Jesus Christ. If that treasure is salvation, why not sing the hymn of wealth? - Amen -