I'm sure there are times when you would really like to have something that you cannot afford! Here is what one merchant did when he was looking for fine pearls. "When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." (Matthew 13:45-46.)
When Jesus told that story, He said that the finding of the Kingdom of Heaven would affect people that way!
Are you as interested in God as that? and are you as eagerly searching for the Kingdom of Heaven as Jesus said you should be? The disciples were; but they did not recognise what it was they should have been looking for!
One day Philip said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." (verse 8.) These disciples thought if they could find and see God that would be worth more to them than anything else in the world.
"Jesus answered, 'Don't you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such along time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father." (verse 9.)
Without realising it the disciples had already found the greatest treasure!
Of course they had realised Jesus was very special. (Matthew 16:16.) They had given up everything to follow Him, (Mark 10:28.) but they thought they were missing something because they had not seen the Father.
Jesus said to them, "How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me." (verses 10-11.) The disciples were still longing to find God - BUT JESUS IS GOD, and they had found Him!
They could have no excuse for doubting what Jesus was claiming. He told them, "The words I say to you are not just My own. Rather, it is the Father, living in Me , who is doing His work. Believe Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." (verses 10-11.)
Are you still looking to find God? There are many others still looking for Him too, and there are many who are willing to offer to help you to try to find God! Many religions, many sacraments, many priests, many ways!!
But if you really are in earnest wanting to find God, and to find peace with God, then take Jesus' message seriously. To find God there is ONLY ONE WAY - Jesus said "I am the Way... No-one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5-6. Acts 4:12.)
If you will trust in Jesus as your only Saviour from your sin, then YOU WILL HAVE FOUND THE WAY TO GOD! - YOU WILL HAVE FOUND GOD!
Many people on hearing these words of Jesus will not be willing to give up on what they have - all those various other ways they have been using in their attempts to find God! How very foolish to hold unto something of no value, and to miss getting hold of the greatest treasure of life - finding God, in and through Jesus Christ.
Read Jesus' own words for yourself from the Holy Bible in John's Gospel chapter 14, verses 6-11.
John Nixon, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
For the next
reading from John's Gospel go to NEXT
In order to browse
further "Good News Compage" prompts and commentaries for John's
Gospel go to
---------------oOo---------------
