Digging In The Wrong Place

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aiders of the Lost Ark had it all, intrigue, suspense, action, humor, romance, etc.  The film kept you riveted to the edge of your seat as Indiana Jones, an imminent archaeologist played by Harrison Ford, raced against time and Hitler’s best archaeological team to locate and recover the lost Ark of the Covenant.

Jones’ search led him around the world, finally landing him in Egypt where he discovered the secret resting place of the Ark.  Only Jones and his friends could find the exact location of the Ark because they have uncovered a secret amulet that exactly pinpoints the area where the Ark was buried centuries before.

As Indy, as he is called by his close friends of which he has very few, discusses the information found on the amulet with his friend, Sullah, he makes a very telling statement, one that is obvious but poignant nonetheless.  Jones looks at his friend and says, “They are digging in the wrong place!”  The Nazi archaeological team doesn’t have the full benefit of Jones’ information and is, therefore, digging in a location far removed from the actual resting place of the Ark.

Now, you may be wondering what this has to do with anything biblical. Well, I’m glad you asked.  Jesus, himself, tells a parable that closely resembles the plot of our movie.  In it, he speaks about finding buried treasure and once having located it, doing everything possible to retrieve it.

In Matthew 13:44 Jesus says, “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.”  Do you see the parallel?  In order to find the treasure, this man had to dig in the right place.  He was in a field, a field that no one else cared for, a field that perhaps everyone had seen but had decided to overlook.  As he digs, he finds a great treasure and in his excitement, having realized the value of the find, sells everything he has to but that field.

In a very brief sentence, Jesus tells us plainly the value of God’s kingdom. Its value is inestimable and in order to lay hold of it, we must part with all we have and hold most dear.  The question we must ask ourselves is twofold: 1) Do we understand the value of heaven and God’s gift of salvation, and 2) are we digging in the right place?

Today, there are several fields that promise peace, prosperity, enlightenment, etc.  You can find these in any bookstore, on most television stations, and in articles written in a slew of magazines.  Everyone, it seems, has a treasure map and X always marks the spot.

But true peace of mind and rest for man’s soul are to be found in only one field and that is in God’s word, the Bible.  Only it contains the story of Jesus Christ and how God became man in order to redeem mankind and reconcile him to God.  What a treasure this is!  How valuable and precious beyond compare.

As we go through our day-to-day living, let us keep plumbing the depths of God’s word.  Let us never stop the search for the eternal truths found in God’s word.  If you are searching for buried treasure, treasure above all other, and if you have found nothing to satisfy the longing desire of your heart, ask yourself this question, “Am I digging in the right place?”