Think Jack Sparrow and Pirates of the Caribbean. This story has a point.

I recently heard the story of Barry Clifford a 12-year old boy who was intrigued by his uncle’s stories of pirates treasure off the coast of Cape Cod. As Barry grew older he worked as a lifeguard on Cape Cod and became an avid scuba diver on weekends, searching for this “Graveyard of the Atlantic”.

Barry found his first historic shipwreck in 1976 but in 1984, Barry and a team of experienced divers found the infamous Whydah (WID-uh; a slave ship that was pirated by “Black Sam”, a former British sailor turned pirate) off the coast of Cape Cod.

Over 100,000 objects from Whydah were found including gold bars, silver coins, rare jewelry from Africa, ivory and jewelry that Black Sam and his crew stole from more than 50 other ships. The pirates treasures dropped to the ocean’s bottom when a storm in 1717 broke the ship in half and took it down. I’m sure this wasn’t the way these pirates hoped their treasure would be stored…..for over two centuries. I wonder if a Jack Sparrow type threatened to cut someone’s heart out if they didn’t help him find his wanted treasures.

Doesn’t that sound like the making of a great Hollywood movie?
I’d go see that one for sure!

Over 2000 years ago, someone else was interested in storing up treasure. He said wherever your treasure is your going to find your heart…So eat your heart out Jack Sparrow….or cut it out….but if your treasure is sunk at the bottom of Cape Cod you’re not going to find it….or yourself……. for atleast a few centuries.

It was Jesus who said in Matthew 6:20-22
… store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

If your treasure is in booty (in and out of shallow relationships), your education, your abilities, having a good time, finding reprieve in the bottle or some other form of mental alteration….your life treasure is sinking to the bottom of the ocean even as we speak.

Live for something greater than yourself. Find your treasure in something that can’t sink to the bottom of your life when it’s over. There isn’t much that lasts beyond this world but there’s one thing that is building a treasure chest in heaven and that’s a very real relationship with the living God.

This relationship, when understood correctly, is an absolute treasure. He changes your perspective and outlook on everything. But get ready! He moves into your house and re-arranges the furniture. I’m not talking about Jack Sparrow because unlike Jack, this man doesn’t rip anything off from you, pirate style. No, he rebuilds broken hearts. He gives you a new life. He’s worth living for because he is that great treasure that doesn’t fade away. He is one of a kind, one in a million and truly worth your entire life.