This morning, we’re beginning a new message series entitled, “Seek.”  Over and over and over and over again, we’re called in God’s word to seek Him.  We know that if God calls us to do something, it’s not something that we’re going to do naturally on our own.

What does it look like to seek after God, though?  Is it to read a devotional, pray before meals, listen to Christian music most of the time, go to church Sundays?  Is seeking after God a casual thing that we do in our spare time if nothing more important comes up?

Or is seeking after God supposed to look more like seeking our keys when we’re already running late?  A fervent, passionate, focused pursuit that stirs up the same concern and desire within all of those around us to join in that search.  Together, we seek until we find and nothing distracts us from that pursuit of finding those keys.

There’s nothing wrong with spiritual disciplines.  They are critically necessary to our faith.  However, if they just become tasks to check off of our list that we do religiously, then we’re missing it entirely!

Jesus said:

Matthew 13:44-46 (NLT)

44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.

45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

Do we seek after God in this way?  Do we see this level of value in the Kingdom of Heaven?  Are we willing to leave behind everything else in passionate and joyous pursuit of it?  Do we find excitement in seeking after God?  If not, then we’re doing it wrong!

The footnote in The Passion Translation of the Bible provides this commentary:

“The most accepted interpretation of this parable is that Jesus is the treasure, but Jesus taught that the field is the world (v. 38). The allegory breaks down, for a believer doesn’t sell all he has (works) and then buy the world to find Jesus (the treasure). It is more plausible to view the hidden treasure as a symbol of you and me. Jesus is the man who sold all that he owned, leaving his exalted place of glory to come and pay for the sin of the whole world with his own blood just so he could have you, his treasure. Heaven’s kingdom realm is experienced when we realize what a great price Jesus places on our souls, for he gave his sacred blood for us. The re-hiding of the treasure is a hint of our new life, hidden in God.”

For me, this is a whole new perspective on the two parables found in these two verses.  Whichever way we consider this parable of Jesus and the analogy found within it; I think it’s right.

Consider the value that Jesus placed on redeeming you and I.  He was willing to give up absolutely everything for us.  He stepped off the throne surrounded by glory and praise and worship to Himself and chose to humble Himself to become wrapped in flesh just like you and I, but without sin.  Then, He chose to give up even His humbled humanity in a horrific death as His blood poured out for us.

He did it all to take on the wrath that we deserve, the wrath that only He alone, not even the Father or Spirit, is worthy to unleash on His creation.

Consider the mission statement that Jesus adhered to throughout His earthy ministry and how He lived it out:

Luke 19:10 (NLT)

the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.  We see how He responded to those “sinners” who the religious leaders wouldn’t even speak to.  We see how He responds to us in our sinful condition.  He didn’t just lay down His life for us, He seeks after us.  He pursues us in the same way that He sought after Adam and Eve in the garden right after the original sin was committed. 

Jesus is passionate about seeking and saving lost sinners like you and I.  Jesus went out and met those si