This is the 3rd part of The True Treasure
Jesus, Priceless Treasure, Source of purest pleasure,
Truest Friend to me:
Ah, how long I’ve panted
And my heart has fainted, Thirsting, Lord, for Thee.
The words of this hymn are the confession of believers in every age, who have found that there is no happiness and satisfaction apart from Jesus. Particularly, those who were witnesses of Jesus’ earthly ministry could say this. In his ministry, he embraced the outcasts of humanity: the poor, the diseased, the blind, the lame, the beggars, and even notorious sinners. Such people had no hope of being loved and accepted by society and did not expect to ever be rich in this life. They knew themselves to be spiritually desolate and in need of a savior. By ministering to them, Jesus showed that His gospel and kingdom are not about earthly riches, fame, and power. Rather, His gospel and kingdom are about treasure that is heavenly and everlasting, and a life far richer than anything one could experience on this earth. This was central to his preaching as well. At the very beginning of his sermon on the mount, he declared: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
After Jesus’ ascension into heaven, his apostles carried on this gospel message, and in doing so, they lived as those who are poor in spirit. In all their teaching, preaching, and miracle-working, they showed that they were not interested in wealth or fame. Instead, their one great desire was that everyone they encountered should know the unfathomable riches of salvation in Christ. As the apostle Peter declared to the lame beggar in the temple: “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). Instead of receiving the money he had hoped for, that man received something far greater: not only the ability to walk, but also the joy of being made spiritually alive, which is far more precious than gold or silver. The apostle Paul would later write about the great riches of salvation in Christ, putting it so marvelously: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (II Corinthians 8:9). This is the gospel that Jesus imparted to his Church through his apostles.
After all the apostles had died, the early church clung tightly to the treasure of spiritual riches that Christ had entrusted her with. She faithfully worshiped on the Lord’s Day, not only preaching the gospel, but also administering the sacraments and fellowshipping from house to house. It was a time of unity, joy, and great enthusiasm for the cause of the riches of the gospel. The lives of these early saints revolved entirely around their faith. They had no greater joy than to go to church every Sunday to hear God’s Word proclaimed and fellowship with other believers. Can the same thing be said of us in the 21st century? Or is going to church just something we do out of habit? Do we go to church because we want to hear the gospel, or are we just there to see our friends or because our parents make us go? Let us learn to love the Church just as those early saints loved her and long to hear the gospel every week just as they did.
Although the early Church experienced great joy, unity, and growth, troublous times soon came upon her. The Church’s early success made the devil very angry, for he hates the Church and her gospel treasure, and he will do whatever he can to make her let go of it. One of the ways he did this was by stirring up the Roman government to persecute the Church, hoping that she would abandon her faith when she faced hardship. Many Christians suffered during this time, not only enduring torture and imprisonment, but even dying as martyrs for believing the Gospel. Some were brought to the Coliseum to be eaten by wild beasts, while the pagan Romans cheered from the stands. Others, such as Polycarp, were burned at the stake, confessing Jesus as his Savior to his last breath. But even in the face of such horrible suffering, these Christians rejoiced. Like Moses, they “esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt” (Hebrews 11:26). In other words, suffering for Jesus’ sake was a high honor to them, because they knew that all the riches of this world were nothing compared to the reward that Jesus would give them in heaven. As St. Ignatius said before he was martyred: “I would prefer to die in Jesus Christ than to rule over all the earth.” Thus, the Church clung to the treasure she had been given despite being persecuted for it, and the devil was unsuccessful in trying to pry it out of her hands. What a lesson for us! We have not experienced persecution like that in our lifetimes. Do we love the gospel so much that we are willing to face suffering and hardship as those early saints did?
By Andrew Koerner
Young Calvinists 