“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”
I heard a man quote this recently when he was talking about leaving behind all the vestiges of a successful home building career to follow Jesus. As rare and powerful as that testament was, it really got me thinking about why it is such an infrequently referenced passage and why that life is so rarely lived. Maybe it is because the depth and breadth of that treasure is not completely understood. Maybe it is like Morpheus said in the Matrix and it is “the world that has been pulled over our eyes… to keep us from the truth.”
The weekend before last, I was part of a team that led 40 or so of us through a weekend to uncover much of that treasure. It is a weekend that I have been a part of at least a dozen and a half times. The progression of the weekend goes something like this:
- Awaken core desires in the heart of a man
- So that he can find how perfectly those desires of his heart fit in an authentic retelling of the gospel
- In order that the dissonance between the life he lives and the one intended might be revealed
- So that he might have the courage to walk backwards into his story and see all the broken and incomplete places
- In order that he might desire and receive the full work of the cross… the healing and restoration ministry of Jesus
- That he may know a new identity and possibly even a new name as restored and redeemed
- So that he will take his rightful place in the Kingdom of Heaven and lead with the strength and nobility intended
Surprisingly, much of that weekend is a revelation to Christian men. As if they had no idea and no prior knowledge of those concepts above. I don’t know why that still surprises me, it was a mystery to me the first time I ventured into these waters. Somehow I immediately knew that it was deeply true, eminently available, and desperately needed. Every day I have lived since has been different.
If the treasure found in the field is simply sin management and a pass to keep us from eternal damnation, I can understand why so many people walk on by. But if the treasure really is…
- Healing, here and now
- Leading as a co-heir of a Kingdom
- Dominion and rule over a territory (family, company, or community)
- The ability to do as the Father did
- Playing a uniquely divined role that only you can play
- Changing the world as an ambassador of the King
- Being an image bearer of a most high God
…who wouldn’t take a flyer on this? And why would we be doing anything other than introducing others to this treasure? Why would we be spending any time on the religion of tips, techniques, and behavior modification, when all the riches and treasures of the Kingdom are ours to claim?
- Honestly, what treasure are you looking for?
- Does your life and leadership reflect that quest?
- Would you sell everything you own and forsake all you have, to claim it?