📊 Matthew 13:44 | Lift Your Eyes

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Happy Tuesday, everyone!

If you missed yesterday’s email, you can read it here.

In today’s email…

• 📖 Working through the layers of this parable

• 🦈 Keeping your data secure

• 🤔 The shame attached to a $5 gift

• 📊 A poll of the parables..

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MEMORIZE 🧠 

The kingdom __ ______ is like ________ ______ __ _ field, which a man found and

covered up.

Then in his ___ he goes and sells all that he has and ____ that field.

Matthew 13:44

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CONTEXT 📕 

The parable may be short, but it’s layered.

So to overuse this pun, let’s keep digging in to the meaning behind the sections.

“The kingdom of heaven is like…”

This is Jesus’ favorite way to describe what He came to bring — not just salvation, but a new reality. One where God reigns, hearts are restored, and everything is made new.

But unlike the kingdoms of this world, this Kingdom is hidden.

“...Treasure hidden in a field…”

Fields aren’t flashy. They’re ordinary.

There’s no neon sign that says: “KINGDOM THIS WAY —>”

Jesus is telling us something counterintuitive.

The most valuable thing in the world might look completely forgettable on the surface.

• A peasant’s field

• A carpenter’s son

• A bloodied cross

This Kingdom is buried beneath humility, service, suffering, and surrender.

You won’t find it by chasing power, pride, or pleasure.

“...He hid it again, and in his joy…”

This part is easy to miss. He doesn’t buy the field begrudgingly.

He’s thrilled to give up everything because he knows what he’s gaining.

Joy is the fuel of surrender.

He doesn’t mourn what he is giving up because he’s too busy celebrating what he is gaining. What a perspective shift!

This is not a story about sacrifice for sacrifice’s sake. It’s about value. What’s worth everything to you?

“...Sold all he had and bought that field.”

wait…wait…wait…Is this about buying salvation?

No —> The Kingdom is a gift.

But when you truly see it — when the Spirit opens your eyes — it reorders everything. You’d gladly give up anything that stands in the way.

• Your agenda

• Your comfort

• Your approval

• Your version of success

Not because you’re trying to earn something. But because you’ve already found something.

This parable isn’t about what you do for God. It’s a window into what God does for you. Jesus left everything. Gave up heaven. Took on flesh. Died on a cross.

Why?

To purchase a field with treasure in it.

And that treasure…was you.

APPLY AND RESPOND 🏃‍♂️ 

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I struggle to feel worthy of the gift of salvation.

It’s like showing up to a gift exchange with a $5 coffee mug and walking away with a $300 Bluetooth speaker. You know you didn’t bring that kind of value to the table.

What happens next?

You hesitate. You feel a little guilty. You might even avoid eye contact, wondering if you should give it back.

But Jesus doesn’t want your guilt. He wants your joy. He’s not embarrassed by what you brought. He delights in what He gave.

So lift your eyes. Let go of what you thought was enough. And take hold of the gift with joy, because everyone is walking away with the $300 treasure.

Share the joy today:

• Go out of your way to smile and talk with a stranger.

• Call your parents and ask them how they’ve been.

• Tell a friend how Jesus has given you joy despite the hard things happening around you.

• Post your favorite Bible verse on social media and share why it matters to you.

There are simple ways to share our joy, but begin all of it in prayer.

Pray 🙏 

Jesus, thank You for giving me what I could never earn. Help me stop trying to deserve it and start delighting in it. Let my life reflect joy, not guilt. Gratitude, not hesitation. I receive Your Kingdom with open hands and open eyes. Amen.

TRIVIA 📊 

ANSWER KEY ✅ 

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and

covered up.

Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Matthew 13:44