Rare as Treasure
The Chevrolet Nomad was special from the very beginning. It was originally unveiled as part of the Corvette Quartette, a squad of Chevy concepts that promised Corvette styling with everyday practicality. It was sold from 1955-1957, after which the Nomad name was given to the top-tier Bel-Air-based wagon for one year only: 1958.
The one-year-only 1958 Chevy Bel-Air Nomad was one of five wagons Chevy offered for 1958 (their advertising slogan read: “the five most exciting new station wagons of the year!”). After that, the Nomad name was given to the Impala wagon. The 1958 isn’t the most valuable Nomad, but it is definitely the rarest. If you want a four-door, Bel-Air Nomad wagon, start looking for a 1958.
That’s how car searching is for car folks. After discovering something you didn’t know about yesterday, it’s suddenly the most important thing and you would do just about anything to learn more, or maybe see one in person or even buy one.
Imagine the longing you have for that one, rare car. That’s exactly how Jesus described the pursuit of heaven: “[Jesus said] The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field” (Matthew 13:44).
In this brief parable, Jesus crams a powerful and vivid image of the rarity of what he offers when he promises eternal life. First, it’s rare. It’s exceptionally, unbelievably rare. It’s as rare as buried treasure. You can’t find it in a convenience store or a Chevy showroom in 2022. Second, when it’s offered to you, you’re never the same. Eternal life? Yesterday you may have wondered which breakfast cereal to eat, but today you’re imagining an eternity restored to the God your heart belongs to. Imagine having a normal day after that. Imagine desiring anything else. Third, an exchange takes place. The man didn’t merely acquire a field to be counted among his other properties. He gave everything else up. He purchased the whole field, and took everything that came with it to get the treasure. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, he gave everything else up with joy. Because he knew nothing else would satisfy.
Nothing else satisfies a heart enraptured by a desire for one specific thing, whether that’s eternal life, treasure in a field, or a 1958 Chevy Nomad Wagon. Car folks get a glimpse of this when someone sells two project cars, a motorcycle (or two or three), and their collection of prized gas station memorabilia to free up cash to buy their heart’s desire. Listings like these pop up from time to time, and they beg the question: what did they find that they desire so eagerly?
Everyone pursues something. It could be a physical object, a sense of security, the feeling of power, or really anything else. Jesus wanted to connect the feeling of pursuing life with God with the emotions involved in pursuing things we’re more familiar with. Then he wanted to make a point: the pursuit of God should come first.
There’s an old adage that says, “For a small reward, a man will hurry away on a long journey; while for eternal life, many will hardly take a single step.” Maybe this was true in your life, before Jesus touched you and you learned just how good eternal life in the presence of God could be. It isn’t true anymore. This is a pursuit worth following, following first, and following by giving up everything else.
In 1958, Chevy offered five station wagons. Today, they offer zero. They might offer five crossovers and SUVs – or is it 25? It’s hard to keep track – and they’re all fine in their own way. But if you have one and that 1958 Nomad comes up for sale, you’ll sell it immediately in pursuit of the treasure you desire.
