Antique fairs are ever popular. People bring along their family heirlooms, often with interesting back stories. The articles are assessed by experts, and the final piece of the conversation is a pronouncement of their value in financial terms. It can be anything from a pittance to a “small fortune”.
What happens with the articles is down to the owner. There are comments such as,
“It will be passed on to the next generation.”
“It will remain in the family.”
The item may be sold, and its financial value realised. But whether or not it’s sold, the family will acknowledge that its real value lies in its history and the associations it has, perhaps of a beloved parent or grandparent.
When items are brought which represent wartime service, for example medals and flight logs, the approach may be different. Both expert and owner respect the item’s history, and may not either suggest or seek a financial value. What the individual did is beyond price—“Priceless!”, they say.
Beyond Price
One day a really rich young man came to Jesus and asked, ‘Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?’
(Matthew 19:16).
Jesus responded with a challenge. ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.’ He proceeded to explain: ‘You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
The young man assured him that he had kept all these commandments. Was there anything else he needed to do? Jesus said, ‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’
When the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful, because he was very rich. And Jesus then said, I believe with sadness, ‘Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven’ (v. 23).
The real values here were to be found in spiritual things. Materially the young man had it all: wealth, education, position, a positive spiritual background, the desire to find something which was beyond price—eternal life in God’s Kingdom.
But the price was too high. The balance sheet looked like this:
Material Wealth
Comfort and ease
Respectability
Status with friends
A conscience untroubled by the poor and needy of the world
Resources to use how I
see fit.
Spiritual Wealth
Following Jesus – a life of giving and serving
Personal self sacrifice
Facing the challenges which come with the Christian life
Faith that God will provide
Loving to the uttermost
Forgiveness and freedom from guilt
The prospect of eternal life in God’s Kingdom.
True Riches
All this is ultimately challenging. Where do we begin finding out about the true riches? Firstly there is God’s example:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him
(John 3:16–17).
Jesus told a parable:
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field
(Matthew 13:44).
The man finds something that is more precious than everything else he has. Obtaining it will require sacrificing everything. At first at least it will require a single-minded sense of purpose—nothing should be allowed to get in the way of having this treasure.
What we should realise is that Jesus is not talking about material treasure. He is talking about the Good News of the Kingdom of God—the most amazing hope that God has held out to us, by giving His Son to die to save us—as our balance sheet above clearly shows.
The Source Book
These true riches are not readily recognised in our world. Sadly it is not a place where wonderful spiritual truths are easily seen and obtained. Perhaps we would not value them at all if they were obviously available. And of course we all get embroiled in providing the material things of life. Happily, we do have a source book, in the Bible, God’s message to us. It contains the key to the real treasure, the secret of everlasting life.
When the kings and queens of the United Kingdom are crowned they are presented with a Bible with these words: “We present you with this book, the most valuable thing this world affords. Here is wisdom, this is the Royal Law. These are the lively oracles of God.”
What the new monarch does with this book is for them to decide. For us it is worth reflecting with Bible in hand on each of those phrases which describe the Bible itself.
Wisdom. ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding’
(Psalm 111:10).
The Royal Law. The Apostle James identifies this: ‘If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well’ (James 2:8).
Lively oracles. “Lively” is an old word that means “living”. ‘As good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ’
(1 Peter 4:10–11).
It is good and well to ack-nowledge that the book is God’s message to us, but its real value is only revealed when we get to know its teaching, and then use it as a spring board for all our hopes in this life, and for living daily to the honour and glory of God. It shows us especially who the Saviour is, and what he can do for us. Jesus said, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ (John 14:6).
Jesus showed us the way, lived the way, and shows us the truth. Clearly we need to search for him and find him. It is through him that we will find God and build a relationship with Him. Here we will find true riches.
David Nightingale