08/02/2026

​There are certain phrases we use almost without thinking, like: "I'd give anything..." I'd give anything to have my health back. I'd give anything to find the right husband or wife. I'd give anything for one more conversation with someone I love. I'd give anything to undo one terrible decision from my past.

We've all said something like that. It is a natural way of expressing how deeply we desire something or how profoundly we regret a loss. But there is an important difference between saying, "I'd give anything," and saying, "I'd give everything." That is the question Jesus places before us in this Sunday's Gospel.

His two parables are remarkably simple. A man discovers a treasure hidden in a field. Filled with joy, he sells everything he owns to buy that field. A merchant searching for fine pearls finds one of extraordinary value. He, too, sells everything in order to possess it.

Notice what Jesus does not say. He doesn't tell us that either man carefully calculated the financial risk. He doesn't say they bargained for a lower price or kept a little something in reserve "just in case." They recognized something of incomparable value, and everything else suddenly became secondary. They gave everything because they had found something worth more than everything they already possessed. The treasure is the Kingdom of God. The pearl is life with Christ.

Jesus isn't asking whether the Kingdom is valuable. He assumes we already know that it is. Instead, He asks a much more personal question: What would you give to obtain it? Would you give anything? Would you give everything?

Before asking us to answer that question, however, Jesus answered it Himself. Whenever we look at the crucifix, we are not simply looking at a symbol of suffering. We are looking at God's own answer. Jesus says to us, in effect, "Look at Me. I gave everything."

He left the glory that was His from all eternity and entered our world. He embraced our humanity with all of its weakness and vulnerability. He accepted poverty, misunderstanding, rejection, betrayal, humiliation, suffering, and finally death upon the Cross. He held nothing back.

He did all of this—not for an idea, not merely for a cause, but for you and for me. He gave everything so that we might possess the treasure of eternal life and become citizens of His Kingdom.

That changes the way we hear today's Gospel. Jesus never asks us to do something He Himself was unwilling to do first. Every invitation He gives us has already been lived perfectly in His own life.

Imagine loving Christ so deeply that the Gospel became the organizing principle of your entire life. Imagine measuring every decision, every relationship, every possession, every ambition by one simple question: "Will this help me belong more completely to Christ?" That is the vision Jesus places before us.

If we are honest, though, we know that most of us are still learning how to love like that. We believe in Him. We love Him. We sincerely want to follow Him. But we often hold something back. Perhaps it is in the confessional. We are willing to confess most of our sins, but there remains one wound or one habit we would rather keep hidden. Perhaps it is in stewardship. We gladly give some of our time and talent, but our treasure remains something we tightly control. Perhaps it is forgiveness. We forgive—but only to a point. There is still someone whose name stirs resentment in our hearts. Or perhaps it is trust. We trust God with many parts of our lives, but not with our future, our finances, our children, our health, or our deepest fears. There always seems to be one room in the house of our heart where we prefer to keep the key ourselves.

That is why today's Gospel can seem almost intimidating. If the Kingdom costs everything, what happens when I know I am not ready to give everything? The answer is both comforting and encouraging. Discipleship is a journey.

The Lord knows that our capacity to surrender grows over time. He is patient. He does not stop loving us because we are still learning to trust Him. Day by day, He invites us to take another step, to loosen our grip just a little more, and to discover that whatever we place in His hands is never truly lost.

Perhaps the honest prayer for many of us today is not: "Lord, I already give You everything." Perhaps it is simply: "Lord, I'd like to. I want to become that kind of disciple. I know there are things I am still holding onto. Help me trust You enough to let them go." That is a beautiful prayer because it is sincere, and God delights in honest hearts.

The goal of the Christian life is not simply to obey more rules or become a little more religious. The goal is to fall so deeply in love with Jesus Christ that giving Him everything no longer feels like a sacrifice. It feels like discovering the greatest treasure imaginable.

This week, spend a few quiet moments in prayer and ask yourself a simple question: What am I still holding back from the Lord? Don't be discouraged by the answer. Simply place it before Him. Then pray:

"Lord, I'd like to think that one day I would give You everything. Help me love You enough that, little by little, I actually can."

Because in the end, the treasure is worth it. The pearl is worth it. And the One who gave everything for us is worthy of everything we can give in return.

– Rev. James F. Hurlbert