Treasure And Pearl

Jesus said to his disciples: "The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it." (Matthew 13:44-46)

The person who finds and then hides again the treasure buried in a field is a sneak and selfish.  He buys the field so no one else can find it.  What’s Jesus saying?  He makes no sense, so it first appears.

Here is one possible explanation. The treasure in the field is humanity, and the one purchasing the field is Christ. Therefore, as the man in the parable sold all that he had to buy the field, so Christ gave up his life in order to redeem humanity.  This might have been Matthew’s point.

Moreover, the kingdom of heaven is of inestimable value. Both parables involve a man who sold all he had to possess the kingdom. The treasure, as well as the pearl, represent Jesus Christ and the salvation he offers.  While we cannot pay for salvation by selling all our worldly goods, once we have found the prize, we are willing to give up everything to possess it. 

The author of Philippians 3:7-9 gives us more insight into Matthew’s thinking and that of Jesus’ followers: “[But] whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and [the] sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”  Now that’s supreme faith and dedication!

Do we believe we have found a pearl of great price?  Will we go and sell all that we have buy it.  We don’t have to because Jesus Christ is free of charge and finding him is as easy as opening the door when he knocks.  And he is always knocking.  Just listen, and we will hear.  When we open our doors, we find two UPS packages - one with a pearl and other with treasure.

Deacon David Pierce