Today’s Reading: Matthew 13:44-46, 53-58; Mark 6:1-6

“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.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!” – Matthew 13:44-46

Jesus painted a beautiful picture of what God desires from us — to be all in. He wants our full attention as we give ourselves completely to the life He is calling us to. Nothing is more important; nothing has more value than the Kingdom of Heaven.

The man in the parable discovered the treasure in a field. Perhaps he was not looking for it but knew the value of what he had found. He sold EVERYTHING in order to have the treasure. On the other hand, the merchant was searching. He was on the lookout and his attentiveness caused him to discover a pearl of great value. He was looking for choice pearls and found one of even greater value than he was expecting. He sold EVERYTHING. He bought into it and fully owned it.

When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country. He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. – Matthew 13:53-57a

The merchant was amazed at what he had found, just as the people of Nazareth were amazed at the wisdom and healing power of Jesus. They had always known him as the son of Joseph, but they struggled to see him as the King of Kings. Their struggle to believe became an aggrievance as they dug in their heels, refusing to accept Jesus as anything more than the son of a carpenter. They had found a pearl of great value, but walked away empty handed.

Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. – Mark 6:4-6

THEY MISSED OUT ON THE EXPERIENCE OF JESUS.

They did not see Jesus as special. They went from being amazed by what Jesus could do to offended that he was trying to be anything other than a hometown boy. They hardened their hearts and refused to believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah. And because of their unbelief, many went unhealed. Their experience of the ministry of Jesus was minimal because they lacked the faith to believe he could make that level of impact on their town.

When God’s people have a strong faith in God and spend much time rejoicing and praising Him, He moves in their midst and the evidence of His presence is marked by miracles and healings. When negativity, pride and jealousy are stronger than our praise and faith, we miss out on what God could be doing in our midst.

I CAN CHOOSE TO BE OFFENDED BY OTHERS OR AMAZED BY GOD.

It saddens me how often I run into people who are “deeply offended” because I believe it affects their ability to experience what God has to offer them. Their focus turns inward and they spend more energy feeling sorry for themselves and expecting an apology from someone else than they spend focused on God. I know I have been guilty of this myself, and it is a miserable existence.

Today, I choose to praise God and not worry about who has offended me. I want my coffee with a little room – room for faith and praise, not room for self-pity and pride. I want my coffee to be sweet with grace instead of bitter with unforgiveness. I want to empty myself of anything that would block the presence of the Lord in my life.

Where do you see yourself in this morning’s coffee? Do you see the experience of Jesus as something worth seeking? Are you willing to give your all to that which has eternal value? Perhaps this parable describes who you used to be, when you were searching and discovering Jesus for the first time. Beware, my friends, it is easy for the stories of Jesus to become so commonplace that we no longer treat them as special. We allow Jesus to be so familiar that we are no longer expecting something special from him.

Lord, I need a fresh passion from you this week. Give me a hunger to search your scriptures like a merchant searching for choice pearls. Open my heart to the discovery of something of great value. May I be intentional to give you my full attention, experiencing you in new and powerful ways this year. Surprise me beyond what I can even comprehend — a pearl of greater value than expected. Empty me of all that blocks your presence in my life. Forgive me for believing in my own rights more than just trusting in you. I love you, Lord. Amen.