About treasure in the field

God knows man well and knows that mystery and suddenness inspire our admiration, interest, and curiosity. We are always pleased with what we only find after a long search. Therefore, Jesus also compared acquiring the Kingdom of God to finding a hidden treasure in a field. “The kingdom of heaven resembles a treasure hidden in a field. When a man finds it, he hides it and comes from joy, sells what he has, and buys the field ”(Mt 13,44). The kingdom of heaven is the greatest treasure we can gain in our lifetime. It has immense price and value. The treasure here expresses that value. It is found randomly, not in its own field, but in a stranger. The man who found him did everything he could to buy this field. He is willing to give up everything he has to get it.

This short parable is not only a theoretical illustration of the price of salvation but also an exhortation to draw personal consequences from knowing the value of salvation and to strive for salvation with certainty. With the same effort the poor peasant made to gain the treasure, the Christian should also focus his efforts on salvation. Salvation is to be the focal point of desires, thoughts, and work, for it gives us the most valuable treasures: God’s sonship, the right to eternal life, the profound sense of earthly pains and joys, certainty against all life’s problems, peace of heart and love in the purest form … Attaining this treasure is no sacrifice or effort.

Martyrs and devotees, from the Roman catacombs to the present day, show us a proper understanding of this parable of Christ. They all sacrificed life, property, family happiness, homeland, career, vocation, and goodwill for the kingdom of God.

In the biography of Edith Stein, a convert from Judaism, a Carmelite whom the Germans murdered in Auschwitz, we find an interesting story. In Frankfurt, Edith met her girlfriend. They decided to explore the city. They were most impressed by the cathedral. And one thing stood out: not the beauty of the architecture, sculpture, and paintings, but an abandoned woman immersed in prayer. For Edith, this was the first revelation of God present in Catholic temples. “For me it was something completely new. I will never forget that…”

Years later, Edith Stein associates her conversion and vocation with the prayer of the unknown, simple woman. For her, too, God was a hidden treasure in the field. When we read a novel, we want it to end well … But there is no more important novel in the world than the one we write our own lives. For our life to end well, we must seek and find its true value—eternal salvation. For this, we must sacrifice even the greatest values.

In the Book of Glory by English writer B. Marshal, canoeist Dulfy says, “We don’t think we will wake up once and be in heaven!” Heaven—it’s not something that is given for free. We must be willing to pay something for it. The Kingdom of Heaven is not given for free. Nor can it be stolen. However, it can be bought. And because it is the highest value, much, often everything, must be renounced for it. Only he who will appreciate it for all that he has will get it. He who does not do so is not worthy of it (Mt 10:38).