How Much Does the Kingdom Mean to You?

LET us say that you knew that a priceless treasure was buried in a certain field. If you sold everything you owned, you would have just enough money to buy the field where the treasure was hidden. What would you do?

Jesus Christ used such a situation to illustrate the importance of God’s Kingdom. He said: “The kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and for the joy he has he goes and sells what things he has and buys that field.”—Matthew 13:44.

Are you like the “man” in the illustration? Jesus was. When he learned of God’s purpose to have a heavenly government—here called “the kingdom of the heavens”—he, in effect, sold everything he had to buy that hidden treasure, which for him was the privilege of being the Ruler of that government. Jesus gave up his position as a mighty spirit person in heaven and became a member of a poor family on earth in the remote city of Nazareth. Later, he suffered painful persecution and, finally, death on a torture stake. Thus he proved that he was worthy of becoming the Ruler of God’s Kingdom.

Will you, too, make sacrifices to obtain a similar treasure? To emphasize the need to do so, Jesus also said: “Again the kingdom of the heavens is like a traveling merchant seeking fine pearls. Upon finding one pearl of high value, away he went and promptly sold all the things he had and bought it.”—Matthew 13:45, 46.

Yes, the merchant “promptly” sold all his possessions to raise the money to buy the pearl. What inconvenience and sacrifice this must have involved! But none of that mattered. He had to act before he lost the opportunity! The priceless pearl would make up for any sacrifice and inconvenience. So it is with the Kingdom. Putting it first in our lives may be difficult. But what else can be compared with the prize of being a coruler with Jesus Christ in heaven or with being one of his Kingdom subjects who enjoy eternal life on earth?

Is this how you view the matter?

Jesus urged his followers to have that view, even leaving them a model to follow. (1 Peter 2:21) His attitude toward life is shown by his words: “My food is for me to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:34) Jesus’ big objective was to do God’s will. He did not even try to have things that other people considered necessary for a “normal” life. He was concerned with one thing—obtaining the field that had the hidden treasure, buying the priceless pearl. Are you, too, really seeking first God’s Kingdom? Does your life course show this?—Matthew 6:31-33.