The Treasure Within: Discovering the Image of Christ in Us 

In this week's sermon, Fr. Seb explores Jesus’ parables of hidden treasure and the pearl of great price, revealing how our deepest identity is found in the image of Christ within us. This week's reflection is based on Romans, Chapter 8, verses 26-end and The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 13, verses 31-33 and 44-52. He's also provided a version for children, which is included below. 

One of the incredible and hard to fathom claims of Christianity is that we – and indeed all things – are created ‘through Christ’. But what does that mean exactly? Well, it means that at the very core of our being, of who and what we are, we are destined to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ in whom we are made and in whom we find our deepest meaning, purpose, and fulfilment. Being destined to know and love Jesus is the deepest truth about us. It is the treasure within us that makes us ‘us’. It is within us the image of Christ. And the whole point of our existence, you might say, is to discover that treasure and be shaped by it ever more fully.
 
In our Gospel reading we heard Jesus tell a story about treasure buried in a field that a man stumbles upon. And when the man finds that treasure, he sells everything he has so that he can buy the field.
 
I want to suggest that the field in that story represents our own hearts, and the treasure is the image of Christ in us – the imago Christi – that deepest truth that we are called to know and love. And the fact that the man chooses to sell everything in order to buy the field perhaps reminds us of the commitment and surrender we must have in discovering and caring for that treasure of Christ within us.
 
Jesus tells another similar story in the passage from Matthew. He speaks of a merchant who is looking for very fine and precious pearls. And when such a pearl is found, the merchant sells everything in order to have that precious pearl.
 
Again, we are supposed to see that the precious pearl is our sacred and holy identity in Jesus. It is the image of Christ in which we are made and through which we find our deepest purpose and fulfilment. The pearl represents the deepest truth of who we are. And again, the selling of everything to acquire that pearl reminds us of how committed we must be in caring for that treasure – our holy and sacred identity as Christ’s beloved.
 
The man who finds the treasure sells his whole life and buys that field. The man who finds the beautiful and precious pearl sells all he has to buy that pearl. When God discovers us or when we discover God we don’t mess around. We are to abandon all our preoccupations and put God first. The Gospel doesn’t take second or third place in our lives. It should always come first.
 
The Lord gives another story. Jesus says:
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.
 
Jesus’ listeners as fishermen around the sea of Galilee would have felt very at home with this story – and maybe we feel some connection with a sea related story too here in Dover! Two boats would row in with a drag net and take in whatever they found. Some of what they found would be fish good for eating and the rest not so good. And so, they would then sort through the net.
 
The direction shifts from the first two parables. In the first two it is all about us stumbling upon the treasure already deep within our hearts. In this third story it is God who finds us and gathers us up. In other words, it is a warning. Be ready. Start getting yourself ready by attending to the deepest purpose of our entire existence, which is to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ. Start doing that and making that the focus of your life now. Don’t wait because the treasure buried within you is too precious to wait. It deserves our devotion to it now.
 
I wonder if any of you are Bob Dylan fans. A line of one of his songs goes: ‘You find out when you reach the top/you’re on the bottom.’ There are a surprising number of good faith related lessons in Bob Dylan songs. And this one reminds us how we can spend our entire life pursuing goals that are worthless. Or it might be goals that are objectively good but not right for us, or put better, not in keeping with Christ’s purpose for us which is to live in Him as He lives in us.
 
How many of us I wonder have climbed ladders only to find those ladders were leaning against the wrong wall? How often have we chased success, security, or even things which are objectively good – only to realize later that they were not the right things. The Gospel today calls us to a different kind of pursuit. It calls us not to the pursuit of what we want, but the discovery of who we are in Christ.
 
And that pursuit, the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, is worthy of everything we could ever give.
Amen

For the children:

Have you ever found something you thought was lost? Maybe a favourite toy, a special teddy, or some money in an old coat pocket. When you find something really precious, it makes you smile. You look after it because you know it's valuable.
 
In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us about two people who discover something wonderful. One finds treasure hidden in a field. Another finds a beautiful pearl. Both of them are so excited that they sell everything they have so they can have that treasure.
 
Now, Jesus isn't really telling us to go digging in fields or searching for pearls. He's teaching us something much deeper.
The greatest treasure isn't hidden in the ground. It's hidden in our hearts.
 
When God made each one of us, he made us with love. He made us through Jesus, and he made us to know Jesus, to love him, and to become more like him. That means that every single person here today—every child, every parent, every grandparent—is precious to God.
 
Sometimes we forget that. Sometimes we think the most important things are getting the newest toy, winning the game, getting lots of money, or being popular. Those things can be fun or useful, but they don't tell us who we really are.
 
Our greatest treasure is that we belong to Jesus.
 
If you've ever seen a treasure chest in a pirate story, you'll know people protect treasure carefully. They don't leave it lying around. In the same way, we need to take care of the treasure God has placed in us.
 
How do we do that? Any thoughts?
 
We pray, even if it's just a few simple words.
We come to church and gather at the Lord’s table.
We are kind and caring to people – especially those in need of a friend.
We forgive when it's difficult. That takes real courage!
We help at home without being asked.
 
Every time we choose love, we let the treasure God has placed in us shine a little more brightly.
Jesus also tells us another story about fishermen who pull in a huge net full of fish. Here in Dover, with the sea all around us, we can imagine that quite easily. The net gathers all kinds of fish together.
 
That reminds us that God calls everyone. His love reaches out to every person. But Jesus also reminds us that we should be ready to welcome him and follow him. We don't need to wait until we're older to love Jesus. Children can be wonderful disciples too. In fact, sometimes children are better at trusting, forgiving, and loving than grown-ups are.
 
So today Jesus asks us a simple question: "What is your treasure?"
 
If Jesus is our treasure, then we'll want to spend time with him. We'll want to become more like him. And little by little, we'll discover that the greatest treasure we could ever find has been there all along—God's love living in our hearts.
 
As we come to the altar this morning, let us ask Jesus to help us recognise that treasure in ourselves and in one another, and to help us share it with everyone we meet.

Amen.