Buried Treasure

I was out walking near the village of Salterforth recently. In one of the fields were two folk armed with a metal detector. Our island has been inhabited by so many for so long, that our fields are littered with their lost coins and buried treasures. One can perform metal-detecting with the landowner’s permission; the value of any finds must be split 50:50.

One of Jesus’ shortest parables in Matthew 13 is that of the treasure hunter:

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

If you don’t wish to split the proceeds of your finds with the landowners, you could buy the entire field off him before the treasure is found. You would then own all the rights thereto. The treasure would have to be valuable indeed to justify so large a purchase. The treasure of heaven is so great that no earthly purchase or sacrifice is too dear to obtain it.