What Is the Kingdom of God Worth?

There are two parables in Matthew 13 that discuss the worth of the kingdom of heaven. In verse 44, a man sold all that he had to buy a treasure hidden in a field, and in verses 45-46, a merchant sold all that he had to buy a pearl of great value. Obviously, the kingdom of heaven is worth far much more than anything we can find here on earth, but are we ready to believe it and live like it? Most of us are ready to confess with our mouths that we believe in Jesus and with our mouths acknowledge His Lordship, but with our mouths only. Our lives send different messages, often times speaking louder than our words. We skip Bible class and show up late to service (if we do decide to go). We fill our lives with all kinds of filth and starve ourselves of the bread of life. We act in such a way that says that the kingdom of heaven is just not that important to us. Jesus said that this will not work. The parables teach that we must be willing to give up everything for the kingdom. If we are not willing to give up everything else, we will not receive the kingdom of God.