Talk of “all eggs in one basket”. This is one egg in one basket. The man sold all for this one thing.
What makes one egg in one basket worth it?
It has the following effects:
- Brings out the Extraordinary in the ordinary
- Separates the invaluable among the valuable
- Makes everything worth nothing
Bible Passage
Mathew 13:44 “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.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Brings out the Extraordinary in the ordinary
Colossians 1:27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
Unaware of the Treasure
“The Mystery of the Missing Owner” read the headline on the Chicago Tribune on Sunday, February 6, 2005 – a legal notice published by the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office seeking to give money away to rightful owners. There were abandoned safe deposit boxes, forgotten bank accounts, security deposit checks, uncashed paychecks, and dividend checks. More than a billion dollars is owed to nearly five million people and businesses that the Treasurer’s Office could not trace.. [1]
Living a life led by the Spirit brings to us the invaluable treasures in life.
What treasures might God be holding in trust for you to claim?
Separates the invaluable among the valuable
Mathew 13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Star of David
A rock hound named Rob Cutshaw owns a little roadside shop outside Andrews, North Carolina. Like many in the trade, he hunts for rocks, then sells them to collectors or jewelry makers.
Rob found a rock he described as “purdy and big.”
Star of David
He came close to hawking for a few hundred dollars what turned out to be the largest, most valuable sapphire ever found. The blue rock that Rob had abandoned to the darkness of a closet for 18 years — now known as “The Star of David” sapphire — weighs nearly a pound, and could easily sell for $2.75 million. [2]
Makes everything worth nothing
Philippians 3:8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.
Makes everything worth nothing
“He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose” – Jim Elliot
God is also searching
2 Chronicles 12:9 For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”
Where is your heart?
The body of David Livingstone was buried in England where he was born, but his heart was buried in the Africa he loved. At the foot of a tall tree in a small African village the natives dug a hole and placed in it the heart of this man who they loved and respected.
Where is your heart?[
Discussion
- What does “giving up everything” for one thing actually mean?
- How can we enjoy what God has given us without holding on to them?
- What prevents us from grasping the invaluable? How can we overcome it?
References
1.Neil Olcott, “Our Identity In Christ” 7/9/2009
2.John MacArthur, Grace to You Newsletter, April 15, 1993.
3.Sermonillustrations.com