I wonder about heaven. What’s it like? Surely, we won’t just sing Kumbaya for a few jillion millennia. No! Heaven will not be boring.
Paul, quoting from Isaiah 64, concluded that “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him”
(1 Corinthians 2:9, NKJV). The song writer was right. “We can only imagine!”
In Matthew’s thirteenth chapter, seven times, we find the phrase “the kingdom of heaven is like...” So, what’s it like?
Sorry to spoil your excitement. Jesus doesn’t teach us what the kingdom of heaven looks like, nor does he tell us what songs we will sing. Rather, the seven “kingdom parables” in Matthew 13 teach us the immeasurable value of the kingdom of heaven.
One of the seven kingdom parables has been called, The Parable of the Hidden Treasure.
“The kingdom of heaven is like 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, ESV).
Here it is... There’s this guy... while he’s lollygagging along, he kicks up a dirt-clod and discovered a buried treasure. It’s not Black Beard’s treasure chest. It’s bigger. Lots bigger.
So the dude goes home and sells everything. House, car, dog, everything. Then he buys the field with the buried treasure. That’s the incalculable value of heaven. It’s worth everything. If you give up everything to gain heaven, you’ve made a smart trade!
But hold on. Is that really what Jesus was saying? Could it be that Jesus had a second purpose, a hidden meaning in the parable?
Suppose the guy on the journey wasn’t us, but Jesus. We’re not the guy. We’re the treasure. Jesus gave up everything... His throne... His comfort... His life... to acquire the prize. “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8, ESV). He treasured us. We’re the prize! He proved it! “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, ESV).
My conclusion... the best thing about heaven won’t be the golden streets or the luxurious accommodations. The best thing about heaven will be ... Jesus, the one who gave up everything, because He loves us and longs to be with us.