Heaven – Matt 13:44-45

 

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” – Matt 13:44-46

 

There’s something I want you to notice about this passage and Matt 13 in general. No one has to die in order to obtain the kingdom of heaven in the parables. Let’s get rid of our preconceptions and let the word of God fill the spaces where those assumptions and cultural traditions once were.

 

When a lot of Christians describe heaven they either describe the heavenly city that’s highlighted at the end of the Book of the Revelation of John or the top of Mount Olympus according to Greek mythology. Everyone has wings and halos and just kinda float around with the same passions and motivations that they had on Earth. (Which makes sense when you’re made aware that most Christians picture God the Father, they’re really imagining Zeus. I covered that in another lesson.) 

 

However, in the gospels, Jesus gives us all sorts of parables and metaphors about what heaven/kingdom of heaven is like. One of the aspects of heaven that Jesus conveys over and over again seems very anti-thetical to hundreds of years of Christian tradition. The radical idea that one doesn’t have to physically die in order to obtain a spiritual reality. Remember in the garden of Eden, God said if Adam-male and Adam-female ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would die that day, but God didn’t mean biologically? {Lesson 3 – Death}

 

The Messiah is building on that same principle here. He consistently conveys that people shouldn’t, nor have to, wait for biological expiration dates to come due to in order to experience heaven, which is spiritual in nature. That’s a MAJOR paradigm shift even almost 2000 years later. The truth that Jesus conveys is that heaven is simply a domain where God reigns. Where the Word of God is law. Where the love, grace and light of God is consistently present. [“And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.” – Matt 23:22]

 

That’s why Jesus stressed that heaven isn’t just this nirvana or paradise at the end of a redeemed and righteous life. It’s present within you if you believe that the Messiah is who He says He is, [Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” – Luke 17:20-21] and here’s the revelation that gave me goosebumps. Heaven is like a mustard seed planted within the earth that is you…(Remember Genesis 1 and what material God decides to make man of) for the peace of OTHERS. For the illumination of OTHERS. As a witness that God is REAL for OTHERS. That’s why Psalms 23 David declares that goodness and mercy ARE FOLLOWING HIM. The heaven within him is CARVING A PATH OF SAFETY AND REST FOR OTHERS that are also making their way through the valley of the shadow of death.

 

What are you doing to feed people bread (scripture and godly wisdom) from heaven? What are you doing to BE heavenly? That’s why church behavior is so crucial. That’s why we have to be disciplined in our kindness & consistent in our giving of grace. We, when obedient to the commands of God, literally become the partially fulfilled promise of a better reality for those in our sphere of influence. We become the body of Christ [Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. -1 Cor 12:27] and if Christ is seated at the right hand of God [the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places – Eph1:18-20]…then the core of our being is the body of Christ, which is seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. 

 

Remember: [“And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.” – Matt 23:22] So if Christ is on a throne in heaven AND we are His body then the declaration of Christ in Luke: [Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” – Luke 17:20-21] becomes a mystery that is revealed to us! Heaven is the place the Holy Spirit resides in us. That’s why how we love each other will be the proof of God’s authority over us: [“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:34-35] 

 

Heaven where God’s throne is. Do we make room within ourselves for God to rule? If we do, we don’t have to go looking for heaven…it was right there within us. Praise God for His promises to never leave us or forsake us. May heaven be birthed, sustained and flourish within you in the majestic name of Christ our Lord. Amen.