Matthew 13: 44-45
"True Value"
How do you figure out the true value of things?....
How do you figure out the true value of things? Antique Roadshow has experts who can figure out the auction value of an item or the insurance value for complete coverage. But isn't the real value simply what you are willing to sell it for or what someone is willing to pay?
And this realization leads to negotiation. One type of negotiation or selling technique is the old "bait and switch". In Genesis, this is basically the type of technique used on Jacob. He negotiated for Rachel, but got Leah. But Jacob didn't leave it at that, he renegotiated. He worked some more because Rachel was worth it to him. She was valuable to him.
Working like Jacob is the way that we usually get things of value. You could get something of value through inheritance, inventing something new, winning the lottery or a lawsuit, or buying and quick selling something for a profit. But the usual way, the most dependable way, is through hard work. And through this hard work, you gain more than something of monetary value, you gain love, respect, and reputation. Usually this takes a long time, like a fruit tree that takes 5 to 7 years before it bears fruit. But never doubt the fact that hard work will bear fruit!
So, what are you willing to work hard for? Are you willing to give years of your life for something...someone? Do you have a treasure in mind?
The spiritual treasure of Jesus Christ and the loving God that He came to connect us with is that kind of treasure. His love is worth giving up everything for! In Matthew, Jesus teaches us that it is like a treasure in a field that you would sell everything you have in order to buy the field just so you could own that treasure. It is like a rare pearl that you must sell everything you have in order to have enough to buy. But the good news is that something that there is something more valuable than the field or the pearl and it is not for sell! It is not even earned! It is given away!! Isn't that unbelievable? Doesn't that go against everything our world teaches us? Isn't that against everything in this sermon? But it is true---the most valuable thing in the world--security and love from our Lord---is free! AMEN!!
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