Called 4 Jesus

by TA York

The Geometry of the Heart: Navigating What We Treasure:

We spend our lives in a constant state of pursuit. From the moment we enter the workforce—or even earlier, in the classrooms of our youth—we are taught that the “good life” is a collection of milestones. We collect degrees, accolades, possessions, and experiences. We treat life like a gallery, carefully curating a collection of “treasures” we hope will define us.

But there is a fundamental flaw in the earthly gallery: the roof leaks, the security system is faulty, and the exhibits are biodegradable.

The Two Treasures: A Scriptural Foundation:

In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus provides a diagnostic tool for the human soul:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

The math of eternity is simple but piercing. If you treasure what is temporary, your heart will eventually be broken, because your treasure is destined to break. In five, ten, or fifty years, the things we sweat and toil for will be cast aside. The car becomes scrap; the fashion becomes a “vintage” curiosity; the house requires a new roof.

Then, in Matthew 13:44, Jesus flips the perspective:

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”

This is the great exchange. It isn’t a chore to give up the “earthly” for the “heavenly.” It is a joyful transaction. When you find something of infinite value, selling your “all” doesn’t feel like a sacrifice—it feels like a bargain.

Defining the Deposit: What is “Treasure”?

To understand what Jesus is asking of us, we have to look at the language. The Greek word used here is thesauros (θησαυρός). It is where we get our English word thesaurus.

1. The Repository of Knowledge;

Originally, a thesauros was a storehouse or a repository. Just as a thesaurus is a wealth of knowledge contained within a book, a treasure is something we “store up” for future use.

Interestingly, in some cultures, even a casket or an urn is viewed as a treasure chest—a final repository for what was once a living, breathing wealth of soul. Consider the strange case of Charlie Chaplin. After his death in 1977, his body was famously stolen from a Swiss cemetery and held for ransom. For eleven months, his family lived in the tension of a stolen “treasure.” When the body was finally recovered, his widow, Oona, had the casket reburied in a reinforced concrete vault. To the world, it was a macabre news story; to the family, that casket was a treasure to be protected at all costs.

2. The Trap of Hoarding;

The second facet of thesauros involves the act of collecting—which can easily slip into hoarding.

I remember volunteering with a church youth group to help a woman clean her home. It was a sobering sight. Boxes were stacked to the ceiling; newspapers and magazines from decades past created narrow canyons through the rooms. It wasn’t just “clutter”; it was a crisis. The Health Department had given her 90 days to clear the home before it was condemned.

As we hauled box after box to the curb, she wept. To us, it was a health hazard—a firetrap of dusty paper and decay. To her, every scrap was a “treasure.” This is the danger of the earthly heart: we begin to find security in things that are actually suffocating us. We cling to the “trash” of the world because we have forgotten what real gold looks like.

The Foot Washer and the $20 Tip:

If earthly treasure is “stuff,” what is heavenly treasure? It begins with an encounter with the Living God.

In John 13, we see the Creator of the Universe kneeling. He takes the basin and the towel and washes the dirt from the feet of his disciples. When He comes to Peter, Peter resists. It feels wrong. It’s a breach of protocol. But Jesus insists: “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

Imagine standing there, staring into those loving eyes, hearing Him say, “You are clean.” What is your reaction? In our world of “tit-for-tat,” our instinct is to pay for the service. We want to reach into our pockets and offer a $20 tip. We want to prove our worth through our works, our “goodness,” or our religious performance.

But Jesus doesn’t want your earthly currency. To Him, the gold of this world is the pavement of heaven. It is “garbage” in the light of His glory. He doesn’t want your money; He wants your complete heart.

The Incomprehensible Love: A Different Kind of Treasure:

Human love is often a transaction. We love to the extent of our understanding. We give love with the unspoken expectation that we will receive something in return—validation, security, or affection.

We ask ourselves:

If I fail, will their love lessen?

If I stop meeting their expectations, will their heart change?

In the world, the answer is often “yes.” This is why families split and friendships dissolve; the “treasure” of the relationship was based on the “performance” of the person. People think, “There must be a better love somewhere else,” and they move on.

But Jesus’ love does not lessen. He died in the most dehumanizing way possible. The prophet Isaiah tells us that He was so marred He was barely recognizable as human. This is the “treasure” He spent to buy us. He looked at the “field” of humanity, saw the treasure hidden within us, and “sold all He had” (His very life) to buy the field.

He hides us in His “bosom of love.” To Him, we are the treasure. He doesn’t need our works to love us; He already proved His love on the cross. And here is the incomprehensible part: He loves us so much that He would do it all again just for you.

The Thirst of the Soul:

On the cross, Jesus made one of His final statements: “I thirst” (John 19:28).

The soldiers offered Him sour wine on a sponge, but I believe this thirst went far deeper than physical dehydration. Jesus had emptied Himself—spirit, soul, and body. He had poured Himself out in the Garden of Gethsemane, in Pilate’s court, and along the dusty road to Golgotha.

If you have ever given a major presentation, taught a class, or performed publicly, you know that feeling of being utterly drained. You feel “hollowed out.” Now, multiply that by the weight of the sins of the world. Jesus was empty because He had given everything away to buy His treasure.

There is a song from 1972 that says, “I would give everything I own, just to have you back again.” That is the heart of the Gospel. Jesus gave everything He owned—His glory, His comfort, His blood—just to have you back.

A Call to Respect: The Danger of the Edge:

While God’s love is infinite, it is not a license for apathy.

I once stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon and watched two men—tourists from Germany—taking photos. One man climbed over the safety railing, pretending to dangle from the edge for a “cool” picture. They had no fear. They didn’t realize that the winds in the canyon can shift in a heartbeat, sweeping the unsuspecting over the cliff to their death. They were in a place of majestic, terrifying beauty, yet they treated it without respect.

I see this same attitude in the modern church. People say, “I believe in God; I treasure Him,” yet their lives show no evidence of His lordship. They continue to live in patterns of self-destruction—drugs, immorality, and bitterness.

To “treasure” God is to treat Him with the reverence He deserves. You cannot claim to treasure the King while spitting on His decrees. We must “wake up, oh sleeper.” The “great wind” of eternity is coming.

Final Reflection:

What are you storing in your storehouse today?

Is it the “newspapers and boxes” of earthly anxiety?

Is it the “ransom money” of worldly status?

Or have you recognized that you are the treasure Jesus died for, and in response, made Him your ultimate treasure?

The field is bought. The price is paid. Where will your heart be?

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

How does your current “collection” of priorities reflect the value you place on Christ?

God bless!