Dear Christian friends,

What do you consider to be the most valuable thing in your life? People have various answers to this question: Some will say that good health is the most valuable thing in life, and, indeed, good health is valuable. Others will say that a good friend is to be treasured most, and a good friend is a great treasure. Some will, no doubt, say that money and social position are most valuable, and these things also have great value.

However, since you are Christians, I'm sure that you will all agree that Jesus Christ Himself is the greatest treasure.

But while we agree with this truth, does our life demonstrate it? I fear that for many of us it is an ideal that we find difficult to demonstrate by our words and deeds.

You probably have heard this question before, but it is very much to the point, so I will ask it again. "If you were accused of being a Christian, and your accuser took you to court, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"

Jesus would have us close the gap between what we profess and what we do. With the parables in the Gospel Lesson for today Jesus forcefully reminds us that He is:

Although we have found this treasure in the Gospel and have been led by the Holy Spirit to accept it and rejoice in it, we are in danger of losing it, by letting lesser treasures steal away our love for this Greatest Treasure.

I. So we are to be ready and willing to give up all other treasures so that we do not lose this greatest of treasures.

A. In the first parable the man who found the treasure hidden in a field went with joy and sold all he had that he had that he might buy the field and thus really own the treasure hidden in it. In other words, he gave up everything he had to now have this great treasure. And in the second parable the merchant looking for fine pearls, when he found one of great value went away and sold everything he had and bought it. He, too, gave-up everything he had to really possess the precious pearl. And you can be sure that both of these men did it freely, excitedly, and with great joy.

B. So we also must be willing to part with all for Jesus, leave all to follow him.

1. Whatever stands in opposition to Christ, or in competition with him, for our love and service, we must cheerfully quit it, though ever so dear to us. A man may pay too much for gold or for a pearl, but you can never "pay" to much for Jesus!

2. To the church at Laodicea, whose love for Jesus had become lukewarm Jesus had these stern words, (Rev. 3:17), "So because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, I am rich, I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing? But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent!"

3. Sometimes God must discipline us also by disaster or other adversities. He takes away from us these earthly treasures that cause us to lose the Greatest Treasure. Though it may seem cruel at the time it is "for the good" as Paul tells us in the Epistle Lesson for today.

Transition: And to encourage us further to be zealous and totally committed to this Greatest Treasure Jesus tells the third parable of our text:

II. The Parable of the Fish Net.

A. The explanation of the parable

1. The preaching of the Gospel is the casting of the net into the sea of this world, to catch something out of it for the glory of God, who is Sovereign of this sea.

2. This gospel net gathers of every kind, as large drag nets do. It gathers good fish and bad, true believers and hypocrites.

3. There is a time coming when this net will be full, and drawn to the shore; a set time when the gospel will have fulfilled that for which God sent it, when the mystery of God shall be revealed at the end of the age.

4. When the net is full and drawn to shore, there shall be a separation of the good and the bad that were gathered in it. Hypocrites and true Christians shall then be parted. The good shall be gathered into baskets, as valuable and therefore to be carefully kept, but the bad shall be cast away as vile and unprofitable.

B. The application of the parable.

1. Jesus, Himself and his angels will do the separating. The angels of heaven will do what the angels of the visible church on earth could never do and should never do.

The angels have both their commission and instructions from Him who knows all men. He knows them that are his, and them that are not. And we can be sure that there will be no mistake or blunder when the wicked are separated from the righteous.

2. We need not be concerned about the separating, but we should be gravely concerned about the terrible fate of the wicked after the separation. Jesus pulls no punches here. He tells it like it is. He plainly warns that they shall be thrown "into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (v. 50) Everlasting misery and sorrow will certainly be the fate of those who in this life lived among Christians, but themselves remained unchristian, who pretended to believe in Jesus, but in heart and mind did not really believe in Him and love Him, who were unwilling to give up the treasures of this world that they might have and keep the Greatest Treasure. God complained about the people of Israel saying, "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."

3. We need to examine our own hearts, our motives, to see if we have been or still are hypocrites. Ask yourself: Why do I come to church? Why do I give the tithe? Do I come to church out of habit, because its the thing to do in our circles, or do I come here to have God serve me with grace, mercy and forgiveness, that I may be renewed and empowered? Many years ago when I was pastor of Prince of Peace Church for the Deaf in St. Paul, Minn. a mother who had two teenage deaf youngsters, on Sunday morning asked the older son who had been confirmed this question: "Today you will go to the Lord's Supper. Why are you going to the Lord's Supper? He replied, "Because everyone else is going."

We all can easily be a church member for the wrong reasons and with the wrong motives. You can even be a pastor for the wrong reasons and with the wrong motives.

To the church at Laodicea, which had become lukewarm in its love and commitment to Jesus, after He had rebuked them said, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcome and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Rev. 3:19-22)

Conclusion: May Jesus be our Greatest Treasure for whom we will risk all that we are and have that we may truly possess him now on earth and forever in heaven.

Amen