YouTube: Spiritual Enlightenment Revisited
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. Matthew 13:44
A key to understanding Jesus’ use of the word heaven lies in its reference to the vast expanse of the open sky. We get the best feeling for this vastness under a clear night sky filled with stars. If Jesus was referring to the sky, however, he would not also have compared it to a hidden treasure. There is nothing hidden about the sky.
The kingdom of heaven refers to our inner connection with the Infinite. It truly is like a treasure hidden in the field of our inner being. It is within the reach of any who recognize where to look and then become open-minded enough to engage in the process of finding this inner kingdom. When this connection becomes clear to us, we undergo the process of selling our possessions, our pre-conceived notions about God, ourselves, and our place and purpose in life. We eventually begin to experience this kingdom we seek.
As we consider the meaning of the term, spiritual enlightenment, the parable offers two possibilities. The first is when the man finds the treasure, the second when he finally buys the field. Most would probably associate ownership of the field with the enlightened state. This would indicate the permanent condition that we strive for.
The problem is, we’ve been striving for ownership of this field ever since we began our spiritual quest. Many see spiritual enlightenment as a condition that, with enough study and work, they will one day achieve. But let’s switch our focus to the man who discovers the treasure and knows where it is hidden. Is this man not enlightened? He certainly is. He’s enlightened enough to recognize the value of the treasure, to know where it’s located, and to know what to sell in order to acquire the field.
Does this not describe you? You know you’re on a quest for Self-discovery, you know to look within, and you are aware of the things you need to let go when they interfere with your quest.Open document settingsOpen publish panel
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