See The Treasure

Matthew 13:44

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. (Matthew 13:44)

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS like a treasure. When God conceived it, he knew it was worth the sacrifice of his Son. When you see it, you realize it’s worth everything you have. So what happens when you see it growing within you? Is it a casual matter, or does it command all of your attention? Or to take it a step further, what happens when you see it—or even its potential—in the lives of people around you? Does it capture your heart?

Far more often, we look at other people and see their flaws. We admire some, to be sure, but we also realize that every human being has the ability to disappoint us. When they do, we begin to define them differently—by their mistakes or by our own misperceptions. We tend to focus on the earthly vessels of human nature. We miss the treasures the vessels hold.

God doesn’t see us that way. He is well aware of our earthen nature, but he also tells us we have an unimaginable treasure inside (2 Corinthians 4:7). We are carriers of his Kingdom, hosts of his presence, incarnations of the divine nature he has given us (2 Peter 1:4). He sees us according to our future, not according to our past, always calling us into our potential rather than focusing on the ways we’ve fallen short. He knows our destiny in Christ, and it’s a magnificent image.

Learn to align your vision with God’s—to see priceless treasure not only in yourself but also in others. It will change your relationships. You will cease measuring people by their shortcomings and be amazed instead at the image of Christ being formed in them. You will see them not for their earthen humanity but by the divine nature promised to them. They may look like products of their past, but they aren’t. Neither are you. In Christ, by faith, we are all vessels of glory. Let your eyes of faith see the hidden treasure—the Kingdom buried in human hearts—and celebrate it like God does.

{Lord, give me a vision of the fullness of Jesus in every person, whether they claim him yet or not. Show me the glory of our future. Then move me to treat everyone I meet according to that vision. Amen.