The Treasure Hunters

The suitcases are on a conveyor belt which is moving continually but surely towards its end where the suitcases drop off into a furnace. Every suitcase has unique characteristics and contains a variety of treasure; of fine gold and silver cups, plates, pans, bowls and other articles.

As the suitcases move along on the conveyor belt, they become subject to the elements of weather. Sun, rain, dust, stones, hail, snow, frost, ice, cold, heat and wind all take their toll on them. The clasps and locks become rusty, and blocked with dirt. Creatures crawl over them and make their way inside. The treasure of gold and silver become tarnished and would eventually crack and crumble. The creatures live amongst them and cover the treasure in webs and dirt. Outside the suitcases, leaves and dirt pack around the case. Vines entwine around some of the suitcases closing them in even tighter.

Further on along the conveyor belt stands a man. He looks powerful yet acts gently. He holds a set of keys and attempts to open each suitcase in turn. He struggles with many of the cases but does not use force. If they cannot be opened then he would let them go by. He smiles when he finds a suitcase he can open. The man takes delight at the amount of treasure he finds inside. Although tarnished he can see how beautiful it all would be when polished. He grabs his cloth and one by one begins to polish the cups, plates, pans, bowls and other pieces. It takes time but that does not matter. The man walks along beside the suitcase as the conveyor belt glides by, polishing each article, taking delight in the gleaming beauty they each become. Finally, he removes all the creatures and cobwebs out of the case, and shuts the lid but does not lock it so that he is able to look inside the case at any time he wants to.

At the end of the conveyor belt stands another man. This man commands authority. He holds a hammer and chisel and checks each suitcase in turn by opening the locks and lifting the lids. The man uses the hammer and chisel on those suitcases which are rusted shut and entwined. Every suitcase has to be opened. He would often find blackened and tarnished cups or bowls. Plates and other articles may be cracked and broken or even crumbled. Some would be full of creatures and dirt. The man is saddened as he watches these suitcases tumble over the edge. As their contents spill out into the furnace, he reflects on what could have been and looks at the empty spaces on his shelves.

Some of the suitcases which reach the end of the conveyor belt look cleaner. The man opens them easily as the locks and clasps have been well oiled by the man who polished the treasure. He gasps as the gleaming gold and silver dazzle and laughs in delight at the treasure he finds. He picks them out of the case and carefully places them on the shelf where they catch the strong sunlight, which makes them shine and glimmer even more brightly. The empty cases tumble over the edge of the conveyor belt but God is not worried. God beholds the far more important, gleaming cups, plates, pans bowls and arranges them to shine from every angle.
What does your treasure look like? Is it tarnished or gleaming? Will you allow Jesus to make you clean again?