A Living Treasure

So I seem to be on what my roommate from college used to affectionately call the "sleep freak cycle". Back in college, we typically entered 'the cycle' from staying up too late playing speed monopoly and talking theology in the hallways of Wheaton's Fischer dorm, all-the-while knowing that we still had to get up for early morning class--at least the freshman did, since by being freshman they did not have the luxury to schedule all of their classes at a later hour, thus suffering the greatest curse of being freshman. All of us Wheaties, however, whether freshman or not, had to make it to our Monday, Wednesday, Friday chapel, though. We did so to avoid being put on probation which could potentially jeopardize our parking permits and our ability to preschedule our classes a semester in advance. These were both musts because a.) we didn't want to be stuck in the "Wheaton bubble" against our will with no way out, and b.) we frequently entered the "sleep freak cycle", which meant that early classes would be unproductive and undeniably detrimental to the G.P.A. (We've already talked about the origins of 'the cycle', so I'll move on.) Anyway...all that is to say that it seems I'm on a similar 'sleep freak cycle', but I'm not playing monopoly. I am, in a way, talking a sort-of practical theology, if you, like me, view the events of daily life as a journey with our LORD that should be talked (blogged) about and pondered because He is moving and working and teaching us on a very daily basis, no matter the time of day or night. So now that I've set the stage and occupied a few more minutes of my morning, I'll get to my real post.

I just finished watching what my brother calls "one of the top five best movies ever". Considering that it's only rated PG, I knew before I saw it that this had to be a pretty dang good movie, especially since my bro normally prefers a concoction of off-color humor involving heavy quantities of language and action-violence. National Treasure, though, is one of those movies that in the genre of Indiana Jones, thrills the spirit and has you trying to solve the clues along with the likes of Nicholas Cage and his entourage. It is a good movie but even better than the movie itself is what God brought to my mind in thinking about the film.

I won't blow the movie for you because I hate when people do that, but as the title hints, it is about a treasure that is yet to be discovered. In thinking about the concept of a treasure, I'd like you to consider some of the more frequent references to a treasure: it's normally buried and therefore implies that it must be found; 'X' definitely marks the spot; pirates are involved somehow (and most of my high school girls would say "hot pirates" talking about Johnny Depp in his fairly recent rendering of Pirates of the Carribean); it represents a vast fortune of gold that has been hidden through the ages; and it symbolizes the epitome of the limitless buying power (yes, even more than Puff Daddy and his American Express Black Card). So, where is the theological banter? Here is comes....

I know of THE treasure of centuries. Yes, you heard it here ladies and gentlemen...I have first hand knowledge of a treasure unlike any that Nicholas Cage and Harrison Ford have unearthed through their hollywood masks. This is the only treasure that is not buried, where 'X' never marks the spot, where there are no pirates and therefore no Johnny Depp (sorry girls), and the only treasure whose immeasurable value makes rooms full of gold and precious jewels seem like the plastic cup on my desk that houses a few hundred pennies. This treasure defies scholars and archaeologists alike because it cannot be 'found' and therefore cannot be touched or tested or measured on earthly scales. This treasure is THE treasure of the centuries!

The person of Jesus is not buried, but risen indeed--a living treasure! He cannot be unearthed and therefore there is no treasure map (unless you want to make the stretch that the Bible is our map that leads us to Jesus, which I kind of like but doesn't work in the post that I'm currently writing, so just forget I ever brought it up, okay?! hehe). Continuing on...there are no pirates to my knowledge :) and the value of Jesus is worth so much more than all of the gold and precious jewels of the world combined. And here is the best part: this treasure was not intended for you to find as if it were hidden, but rather to know and to experience on a daily basis. The treasure of the person of Jesus can be yours today through His Spirit. He is a treasure of unquantifiable value; even the finders of this treasure never begin to fully mine the depths of His mystery. This living treasure is one that we can know more of each and every day. His value and His presence is THE relationship that gives lives true value. It doesn't matter whether the finder dies of earthly poverty or, like Puff Daddy, has his very own American Express Black Card. Each of them has personally known and experienced THE treasure! Jesus is THE treasure! Like any good teacher, I'll say that one more time:

Jesus is THE treasure!

Have you found this treasure in your life? Do you think I'm full of it? If you do, I just offer you this challenge: seek Him. I dare you. Seek to discover who this Jesus, this living treasure is, and then tell me about your findings. Oh, and this is not an academic pursuit, but an active searching of your soul--the invitation for Christ to enter your life. The Scripture is clear:

Deuteronomy 4:29 "But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Proverbs 8:17 "I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me."

Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Matthew 7:7 [ Ask, Seek, Knock ] "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Luke 11:9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Acts 17:27 "God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."

As for you, readers, may you not just find Him, but know Him and experience Him and live Him in your daily lives--this day and every day! Bless you!