The Story of Heavenly Treasure

Once there was a king who had three sons who he sent away to a foreign land to earn their fortunes. He told them all that one day he would summon each of them home without warning. When he called them they where to come immediately and they would not be allowed to bring anything with them. Even the clothes they would be wearing would be forfeited for the same garments they first wore to this foreign realm. Upon arriving in their temporary homes each son found a sparsely furnished room containing a bed, a dresser, a table and a chair. On the bed was a note from their father which said: “anything you bring into this room will never leave it again, however, anything you send home will be kept for you with interest, the choice is yours invest in your temporary residence or in your true home.” The king also promised the sons that their daily needs would always be met no matter how much of their earnings they sent home.

The first son stood in the middle of his room and thought about his Father’s words and the home he had left behind. He imagined what it would be like to one day return home to hoards of treasures that he had sent ahead. He looked forward to pleasing his Father with what he had done, and enjoying a life in his true home with the things he would save for himself. The second son sat down awkwardly on the chair and decided that he would certainly send things home but first he would replace this uncomfortable chair with something a little more bearable. The last son cast the letter aside and said “I’ll send stuff home someday, but first I’ll buy some things to enjoy my time here” and he promptly left to shop for new furnishings for his quarters.
As time went on each of the sons made a place for themselves in the foreign land. The first became a master carpenter whose services were called upon from all over the land. His work was immaculate and could be found in the finest palaces. He was sought after by all the aristocracy, and for his work he received riches beyond imagining. Yet his living quarters did not change from the first day he set foot in his room. Every cent was immediately sent home to his kingdom, and he lived sparsely, but never in want, in his tiny room.

As for the second brother he apprenticed as a tailor and soon was able to open his own shop. Eventually his designs were turning heads all over the city and his coffers began to grow. As time passed it became widely known that lords and ladies simply could not be seen in public unless they were wearing the designs of the Kings second son. At first this son was good about sending a percentage home, but the homes of his customers were so beautiful that soon he began to crave for something more than his simple abode. He then found a more spacious house of his own and set out to decorate it in accord with the same taste and artistry that graced all of his garment designs. Soon he realized that an artisan such as himself should have a studio in which to display his wares, after all should he not be a good steward and have an adequate work place in which to manufacture and distribute his clothing. It wasn’t long before the bills surpassed the money he was sending home, and occasionally he could not even send anything toward his future kingdom. He told himself that this was fine. After all his Father loved him and would understand he just had to make ends meet.

As for the third son thoughts of his true home soon faded into distant memory. He used his skill as a musician to gain recognition and favor throughout all the land. The concerts he would put on were legendary and people would gather from the four corners of the land just to hear him play. His music brought happiness and comfort to all who heard it, and soon he found that men were willing to pay anything to be serenaded by his melodies. It wasn’t long before he was rich beyond all reckoning. He did not even remember the sparsely furnished room that had been his dwelling for his first night in what was then a strange new land. His new home was beyond extravagant. He not only had more rooms then he could sleep in a year but his grounds seemed to stretch off in every direction forever. Room after room was filled with instruments that had never been used. And case after case contained ancient instruments that would never be played again. This brother did not even know the history behind many of the pieces he collected for he was much to busy composing new music and giving concerts. However, not to worry, he an extensive staff of servants who kept everything immaculate and presentable at all times.

Then one day the third brother returned from a concert to find his entire home and all of his possessions engulfed in flames. As he ran to his house he saw his two brothers standing in front of it and staring blankly into the flames. He cried out to them “help me save my home” as he rushed headlong onto the flaming inferno. However, he soon found himself caught up in a powerful grip. At first he struggled against it then he looked up and recognition turned to shame as he stared into the disappointed eyes of his father. He quickly began to make excuses for himself saying “I had so much saved that I was going to send home, I just have not had time yet. If you will give me a chance I can run in and get some of those things that I was meaning to send forward and you can take them home for me. It is just that I have been working so hard that I have not had enough time.” To this his Father replied: “son, you have had plenty of time and now it is too late. You have sent nothing home and though you have lived extravagantly here you are not a prince in my home. You will be brought back now with those you once called brothers to see what could have been yours, but you will never be able to cross over from your torment into the glory of my kingdom” As he said this men came forward and dragged the young musician to the waiting ship. The Father then turned and beckoned to his other two sons to follow him on board. The walked forward in quiet anticipation clothed in the same garments they had worn when they first set foot on this foreign land. It seemed only a moment before they were in sight of their true home, and their Father began to show them the preparations he had been making for them in their absence. To the second son he pointed to a small house on the seashore as they drew near. At first his sons could not see it, but as they drew closer it began to take shape in the shadow of the castle that towered over it. His Father told him that he would dwell here and rule over the fishermen. It would be his responsibility to see that everything on the seashore ran smoothly. As they pulled into port the second son leapt off of the ship and ran forward to see all of the treasures he had sent forward with which to furnish his eternal home. However, upon opening the door he found his fisherman’s cottage, though neat and tidy, did not have much more in it then his original dwelling in the foreign kingdom. As he turned to his Father with a perplexed look on his face, His Father explained to him that he would have liked to have created a grand home for his son, but all of his energies and greatest treasures had been invested in his last home and not sent forward for his Fathers use. Then, after embracing his second son, he took his oldest forward to his glorious mansion the likes of which could not be described in the space afforded here. However, it is sufficient to say that the entrance alone could have contained both of the former homes of his brothers many times over. And the joy of dwelling in such a place in the presence of his Father for all of eternity can not be described even to the most vivid imagination of man apart from the quickening of the Holy Spirit.


Epilogue:

Where does desire for the things of this world and a true longing for the next begin? If we are to live as if this world is not our home how comfortable should we seek to be in this passing phase? If these passing years are our only opportunity to get treasure in eternity should we invest our time in anything else? Money invested in this world may not result in blessing but money invested in the next will always pays dividends beyond your wildest imaginations.