“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." -Matthew 13:44 (NKJV)
Often, the simplest things are often the most complicated things. Jesus Christ proves this again and again as He gives certain parables. The point He is driving home with this parable is crystal clear; the kingdom of Heaven is so great that when we see it, we should give all we have in order to be a part of it. However, to fully grasp the nuances of doing so tends to complicate matters, not to mention that the constant nagging of the Devil and our sinful nature make it difficult to live out.
Recently, I went through a phase in life when my priority list got skewed (I am still fighting off the effects). I started to place my social/dating life above following my Rabbi. It got pretty bad; to the point where I really began to sway and lose sight of Jesus. I was constantly thinking about my social life (specifically, a significant girlfriend/boyfriend relationship) and how to make "my next move." My own priorities began to blur my sight, and I could no longer see clearly.
Because I lost sight of God, I had no one to follow but my selfish desires. How intentionally I followed these desires scares me now. I literally was always going after what I wanted with all that I had, using my brain to make new plans and bend my body to my own will. I really thought that having a girlfriend would make life so much better.
However, thanks to the support of my good friends, I managed to come to terms with myself and start on the path of recovery. Have I gotten there, no; it's a process that is going to take time and consistent effort. That's not the point however.
After I came to terms with myself, I realized that what I was doing was what I should be doing with Jesus. To really be a disciple of Christ, to be a talmid (a talmid strives to become what his Rabbi is), an aspect of that is fixating your mind on your Rabbi, to "beat your body into submission" (1 Corinthians 9:27).
Now, I love the passage in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. As a former cross country runner in my high school days (sheesh, was it really that long ago?), and currently training to run a marathon, I understand what it means to run not just for the sake of running, but running to win. Running so that I prove that I am the best on the field, that the work I put in training and the talent that I have brought me to being not just my best, but the best. Thanks to intense running workouts, I know what it means to truly beat yourself into submission, to bring out the potential that you did not know existed. Many of you who play sports and are athletic understand what I'm saying.
Just like how an Olympian runner runs to win the gold medal, just like how much I really wanted a girlfriend, that's what it means to really sell out for Jesus. Fixating Him in our minds, imprinting Him in our hearts, and going after Him with all, that's what it means. Let us train with Him, and when our number is called in the race, let us run with passion with the end goal in mind.
