Are We Willing To Sacrifice

Are We Willing To Sacrifice “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.” Matthew 13:44 This parable that Jesus told teaches us that the kingdom of heaven is of such great value that one should be willing to give up all he has in order to gain it. Jesus did not imply that one can purchase the kingdom with money or good deeds. The parable also tells us that the man joyfully made a sacrifice and sold all he had in order to gain the kingdom of heaven. This man doesn’t just sell everything he has; he does so with joy. He doesn’t regret it. He doesn’t complain about the sacrifice he has to make. In fact, he probably doesn’t even consider it to be a sacrifice. He gives a lot for the field, but he gets so much more in return. This parable reminds me of a story about two wealthy Christians, a lawyer and a merchant who were vacationing in Korea. They saw a field where a boy was pulling a crude plow, and an old man was holding the plow and guiding it. They asked, “I suppose they are very poor”. The guide replied, “Yes, when the church was being built, they were eager to give something, but had no money, so they sold their only ox and gave the money to the church.” The businessman thought for a moment and said, “That must have been a real sacrifice.” The guide replied, “They do not think that way, as they thought it was fortunate that they had an ox to sell.” The same principles stated above holds true in our walk with Christ. Sacrifices will be necessary, but only a deep love for Christ will make them a joy. The real test of our commitment is not so much whether we are willing to make sacrifices for our Lord and Savior, but whether we are able to make those sacrifices with joy. My Daily Devotional Volume III July 15 Robert William Brock, Jr.