All of us are called to be balanced Christians. The brief parable we are looking at today indicates the value of the Old Testament teachings and stories of the people of God, and it points to the good news of Jesus' coming and the new life that he brings.

Did you know that Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament law for our sake? (See Matthew 5:17-18.) The book of Matthew gives us many examples highlighting the old treasures of life with God for the children of Israel and the new abundance of full life as God's children for people of all nations through Jesus, the Savior.

Have you ever read through the entire Old Testament? Have you tried to explore how Christ is involved in every book? I encourage you to do so, aiming to mine its riches and understand its meaning. The whole Bible contains valuable fresh insights as well as teachings that have stood the test of time. This has important implications for worship, church life, and institutional structures. Both structure and spontaneity, both the timeless and the timely, both tradition and change are valuable.

Balanced Christians see Jesus in the traditions of the past and in the powerful new work his Spirit is doing today. With wisdom in Christ, we cherish old treasures and celebrate new discoveries about full life in the kingdom of God.