Value and valuable

You are the treasure in a field.

You are the one pearl of great price.

You are the fish caught in the net.

Therefore, you have value just because you exist. Psalm 139:13-14; John 1:9

You also are valuable because God the Father formed your spirit within you. Zechariah 12:1

Shall we back up to explain the treasure, the one pearl of great price, and the fish?

The Lord Jesus Christ taught, "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells everything that he has, and buys that field." Matthew 13:44

The usual interpretation is that Jesus is the treasure that WE find and that we have to lose our life spiritually to gain His life, Matthew 16:25 that is, "buy that field." Matthew 13:44

TREASURE HID IN A FIELD -- Alternate interpretation --

Jesus finds each of us, hidden in the world (the field), Matthew 13:38 as valuable with built-in value because He sees us as treasure.

The Lord then hides us in His favor as the Father and He draw us John 6:44; 12:32-33 and the Holy Spirit convinces us that we need the Savior. John 16:7-11

To initiate this plan, Jesus went and sold everything that He had when He emptied Himself, set aside His divine rights, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of people. Philippians 2:6-8

He bought us, the field, Matthew 13:38 with His own blood. Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12; 13:12

ONE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE -- Alternate interpretation --

Once again, most of us have been taught that Jesus is the one pearl of great price.

We have to sell all that we have to buy that expensive pearl. Matthew 13:45-46

But consider that pearls are formed by clams that try to remove dirt from their shells. That process makes a pearl, which is unique.

Each of us likewise is one of a kind: our hairs are all numbered. Matthew 10:30

Each believer is transformed spiritually by the washing of water by the word of the Lord Ephesians 5:26 and the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5

Jesus makes us individually become fishers of people. Mark 1:17

Spiritual growth is a process from new birth John 3:3-6 into babyhood, 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 to feasting on spiritual meat John 6:27 and strong meat, Hebrews 5:14 until the full stature of the measure of the Lord Jesus Christ, Ephesians 4:13, 15 which is a worthy goal. Philippians 3:12-14

It happens to people, one at a time as Jesus saves lost sinners Luke 19:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:15 who come to Him John 6:37 and believe, confess, and call upon Him for this. Romans 10:8-13

The Father sees you, me, and all of the world's people Whom He loved John 3:16; Ephesians 2:4-10 and will love John 14:23 as those He CAN conform into the image of His Son, Jesus. Romans 8:29

And just as Jesus paid the price to buy the treasure hidden in the field as cited earlier, Matthew 13:44 He did this also to obtain the "one pearl of great price" -- you, me, and each person. Matthew 13:45-46

Do you think it's true that Jesus would have suffered and died Luke 24:25-27 and rose again John 10:14-18 if only one person needed His salvation?

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him [Jesus], saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!"

But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes; but this Man has done nothing wrong."

And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!"

And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." Luke 23:39-43

FISH CAUGHT IN THE NET -- Clarifying interpretation --

To make this parable of Jesus Matthew 13:47-50 clear, let's ask the following questions.

1. Are you a good person?

2. Are you a just [righteous] person?

3. Have you always been a good person?

4. Have you always been a just [righteous] person?

I would answer these questions in these ways.

1. Can you define "good"?

2. Can you define "just" [righteous]?

3. No. This is why I needed Jesus, to make me good in the Father's sight.

4. No. This is why I needed Jesus, to make me just [righteous] in the Father's sight.

Most of us have a hard time to admit that we're NOT good and NOT just.

Most of don't believe that this Scripture applies to us --

For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. Titus 3:3

We may measure ourselves by ourselves, and compare ourselves among ourselves 2 Corinthians 10:12 and think that we're okay. Revelation 3:17

But the Bible doesn't have a hard time pointing out to its readers that we each have sinned and fall short of the Lord's glory. Romans 3:23

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks [non-Jews] are all under sin; as it is written:

"There is no righteous person, not even one;

There is no one who understands,

There is no one who seeks out God;

They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;

There is no one who does good,

There is not even one. Romans 3:9-12

How can we be good so that the angels don't cast us out as bad? Matthew 13:48

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

How can we be just [righteous] so that the angels don't sever us as wicked and cast us into the furnace of fire? Matthew 13:49-50

Being justified freely by His grace [God the Father's] through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:24

Much more then, being now justified by His blood [Jesus'], we shall be saved from wrath through Him. Romans 5:9

He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus] Who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

The kingdom of heaven casts a net that all are eventually caught in because it "gathers of every kind." Matthew 13:47

God the Father has planned for ALL to be good and just IF they will believe, trust in, cling to, and call upon the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son [Jesus], that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. John 3:16-17

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood— to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— He did it to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one Who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Romans 3:25-26

TODAY is our time to make it so for us.

For He says,

"In the time of My favor I heard you,

and in the day of salvation I helped you."

I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, "Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame."

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile [non-Jew]—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:9-13

Your thoughts?

R. Jason