Do you need help finding yours?
22 Feb '13 18:13> There is an ancient Hindu legend about an incident in which the gods decided to hide fallen humankind’s divinity. They wanted to hide it somewhere that it could never be found, so they met together and discussed the various places that it might be hidden. One suggestion was to hide it deep within the bowels of the earth, another was to hide it in the depths of the deepest ocean, a third suggestion was to hide it on top of the highest mountain.
>
> After due consideration, the gods decided that none of the proposed hiding places would be safe enough because eventually humans would be able to explore all of these places and then they would find their divinity. A much more secure place was needed; somewhere they could be sure that humans would never think of even looking and eventually, they decided exactly where to hide that divinity.
>
> It is something that humans have continued to search for over the millennia and we have indeed looked, and continue to look, in all of those places, but divinity remains locked away in its secret place undiscovered for many. That divinity is a buried treasure and my hope is that you are still searching for it because I would like to help you to find it.
>
> There is a little parable in Matthew’s Gospel about buried treasure:
>
> “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.” — Matthew 13:44
>
> This intention of this parable is not to direct us where to look, but to inform us about the value of the buried treasure. In fact, it is a very clear reference to the enormous value of the treasure i.e. it is worth much more than everything that you already possess. So, when you find it, you will quite naturally be prepared to give up everything else, if necessary, just to have it. Notice that the man in the parable does not sell his possessions with a heavy heart, he does it joyfully.
>
> Much of the preaching of Jesus was about the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ or the ‘Kingdom of God’ so it is very important to understand that these two phrases do have equivalent meaning. Although there are certainly those who wish to propose otherwise, good objective evidence can be found in the synoptic gospels for this equivalence: see The Kingdom of Heaven/God. This is an important point because, when Jesus tells us something about the Kingdom of God, he is also telling us something about the Kingdom of Heaven and vice versa.
>
> Elsewhere in the gospels, we find the location of the treasure:
>
> “The kingdom of God is within you.” – Luke 17:21
>
> So now we should know where to look for our buried treasure.
>
> By the way, in the Hindu story I mentioned above, when the gods hid humankind’s divinity, the place they chose to hide it, where nobody would think of looking was – you guessed it – within.
>
> A possible objection to what I am here proposing comes from an interpretation of the Bible that equates the process of entering the Kingdom of God/Heaven with salvation. Another possible objection concerns the proposal that the Kingdom of God/Heaven is a physical place. Both of these raise valid points but to argue that any one of these views precludes another is a mistake. It would be a bit like arguing whether light is a particle or wave. You can produce evidence for both and yet, we know that light is simultaneously both and neither.
>
> We also know that spiritual matters can be more complex than physics. The teaching about the Kingdom of God/Kingdom of Heaven in the gospels is indeed complex. It makes an excellent subject for study so it may be something we can return to in the future. In this article, however, we are addressing one specific aspect of this wider teaching. It does not invalidate either of the above points of view. It simply raises an interesting aspect of what that treasure is, what its value is and where you should look for it.
>
> To summarise the above:
>
> 1. The Kingdom of Heaven is like buried treasure (Matthew)
> 2. The Kingdom of God is within you (Luke)
> 3. The Kingdom of Heaven/God are equivalent (Synoptic Comparison)
>
> So what does this mean?
>
> Within you, there is the seed of greatness. You have a talent – at least one, possibly more than one – that can enable you to do something better than anyone else alive. That is quite a statement isn’t it? But, I believe it is true. You can do something or you have the ability to do something better than anyone else. Your job is to find that talent and make use of it because you can develop your talent and the more you give, the more you will get. You can become the best in that particular area, whatever it is for you.
>
> Your talent is God-given. You might say that it is a part of your nature that connects you with the divine. It is part of the buried treasure for which you must search. It has great value and when you find it, you will be able to dedicate yourself to pursuing it for it represents your life’s purpose. To find that treasure and claim it as yours is the reason you were born. For further reading on this subject, see The Bible Secret.
>
> After due consideration, the gods decided that none of the proposed hiding places would be safe enough because eventually humans would be able to explore all of these places and then they would find their divinity. A much more secure place was needed; somewhere they could be sure that humans would never think of even looking and eventually, they decided exactly where to hide that divinity.
>
> It is something that humans have continued to search for over the millennia and we have indeed looked, and continue to look, in all of those places, but divinity remains locked away in its secret place undiscovered for many. That divinity is a buried treasure and my hope is that you are still searching for it because I would like to help you to find it.
>
> There is a little parable in Matthew’s Gospel about buried treasure:
>
> “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.” — Matthew 13:44
>
> This intention of this parable is not to direct us where to look, but to inform us about the value of the buried treasure. In fact, it is a very clear reference to the enormous value of the treasure i.e. it is worth much more than everything that you already possess. So, when you find it, you will quite naturally be prepared to give up everything else, if necessary, just to have it. Notice that the man in the parable does not sell his possessions with a heavy heart, he does it joyfully.
>
> Much of the preaching of Jesus was about the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ or the ‘Kingdom of God’ so it is very important to understand that these two phrases do have equivalent meaning. Although there are certainly those who wish to propose otherwise, good objective evidence can be found in the synoptic gospels for this equivalence: see The Kingdom of Heaven/God. This is an important point because, when Jesus tells us something about the Kingdom of God, he is also telling us something about the Kingdom of Heaven and vice versa.
>
> Elsewhere in the gospels, we find the location of the treasure:
>
> “The kingdom of God is within you.” – Luke 17:21
>
> So now we should know where to look for our buried treasure.
>
> By the way, in the Hindu story I mentioned above, when the gods hid humankind’s divinity, the place they chose to hide it, where nobody would think of looking was – you guessed it – within.
>
> A possible objection to what I am here proposing comes from an interpretation of the Bible that equates the process of entering the Kingdom of God/Heaven with salvation. Another possible objection concerns the proposal that the Kingdom of God/Heaven is a physical place. Both of these raise valid points but to argue that any one of these views precludes another is a mistake. It would be a bit like arguing whether light is a particle or wave. You can produce evidence for both and yet, we know that light is simultaneously both and neither.
>
> We also know that spiritual matters can be more complex than physics. The teaching about the Kingdom of God/Kingdom of Heaven in the gospels is indeed complex. It makes an excellent subject for study so it may be something we can return to in the future. In this article, however, we are addressing one specific aspect of this wider teaching. It does not invalidate either of the above points of view. It simply raises an interesting aspect of what that treasure is, what its value is and where you should look for it.
>
> To summarise the above:
>
> 1. The Kingdom of Heaven is like buried treasure (Matthew)
> 2. The Kingdom of God is within you (Luke)
> 3. The Kingdom of Heaven/God are equivalent (Synoptic Comparison)
>
> So what does this mean?
>
> Within you, there is the seed of greatness. You have a talent – at least one, possibly more than one – that can enable you to do something better than anyone else alive. That is quite a statement isn’t it? But, I believe it is true. You can do something or you have the ability to do something better than anyone else. Your job is to find that talent and make use of it because you can develop your talent and the more you give, the more you will get. You can become the best in that particular area, whatever it is for you.
>
> Your talent is God-given. You might say that it is a part of your nature that connects you with the divine. It is part of the buried treasure for which you must search. It has great value and when you find it, you will be able to dedicate yourself to pursuing it for it represents your life’s purpose. To find that treasure and claim it as yours is the reason you were born. For further reading on this subject, see The Bible Secret.
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