Amanda Lundgren- 2019

“The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44)

When I think of Easter from my childhood, I think of all the Easter egg hunts, butterflies, flowers, bunnies, the glorious Easter hymns sung at church and at home, and balloons rising into the sky reminding us of Jesus’ resurrection. I remember feelings of pure joy and excitement. One Easter egg hunt that I remember the most is when my grandma was visiting us for Easter one year. After the church service we came home and my parents had hidden eggs all around inside the house.

My grandma participated in the hunt with childlike joy. Here she was a much older adult and she pushed me out of the way to get the most eggs in her basket! As a mom now I get to experience the joy of Easter egg hunts through the eyes of my two daughters. Maybe one day I might get to “push” my grandkids out of the way and experience that joy. How do Easter egg hunts relate to the kingdom of God?

I was at Coffee Break Bible study a week ago and we began our study of the parables of Jesus. Matthew 13:44 opened like an Easter egg in my mind. I thought of how Easter egg hunts are like seeking out the treasure of the kingdom of God. Easter is like the ultimate gift that we don’t deserve but we are freely given this gift because God our Father loves us so much. It is God’s free gift that brings us eternal life. It does not depend on us or our works.

It depends on Christ alone. Our joy is in Christ alone. We are all on a personal journey to seek out this treasure. Each of us are different yet we all need each other to grow and to spread the good news. God wants us to have a relationship with Him. Not just a momentary relationship but an ongoing one for our lifetime. Jesus died on the cross for us that we may have new life through Him. The kingdom of God is a treasure in plain sight for all who choose to see and hear.

Treasure Christ. Share your joy. Prize the kingdom more than you prize anything else. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21) May we have our hearts open to Christ and may we seek Him out with childlike joy every day. “Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!”