Treasure Hunting

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Mel Fisher was known as the world’s greatest maritime treasure hunter. His mantra, “Today is the day!”, fit his visionary persona and in the 1970’s his determination and hard work finally paid off.   

After years of searching and salvaging many shipwrecks, Fisher’s team hit the mother-load when they discovered the Nuestra Senora de Atocha - the richest Spanish ship ever lost in the Western Hemisphere. They recovered many artifacts, but the $450 million dollar booty was estimated to be only half of the treasure that went down with the Atocha. 

We may not be exploring shipwrecks, but every one of us are treasure hunters. We spend our lives searching for the things we think hold the most value. And we’re willing to invest whatever resources are necessary to acquire the things that will make us happy and satisfy our longings. 

Jesus Christ is, by far, the greatest treasure hunter of all time.  He earned the moniker when He paid, with His own life, to excavate us from the depths of darkness and transfer us to His kingdom of light. It’s been over 2,000 years since He came to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10), and His mission continues.

Let’s contrast these two treasure hunters:

Fisher looked for lost ships - Jesus looks for lost people.

Fisher hired the finest, qualified crew - Jesus recruits the unqualified and refines them.

Fisher replaced the sick & weak among his team - Jesus nurses His afflicted flock back to health.

Fisher’s enemies were after his treasure - Jesus offers His treasure to His enemies.

Fisher built a museum with his salvaged artifacts - Jesus is building a kingdom of salvaged lives.

Fisher is to be commended for his discovery, but there really is no comparison between the two when you consider the fact that the value of Fisher’s cache is both limited and temporary compared to the unlimited value of eternal riches found in Christ.   

Jesus told us that the kingdom of God is like a “treasure hidden in a field” (Mtt. 13:44).

We don’t need to embark on a treasure hunt that will lead us to things that hold little to no value. Compared to the treasures of Christ and His kingdom, that field is empty. Why not leave that barren field and set your sites on the riches to be found in our King’s front yard?

“Today is the day!”