Valued Treasure

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. 

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. 

Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. 

“Do you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes.” And he replied, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” (Matthew13:44-52)

Things don’t look too good at the end of the age, whenever that may be according to Matthew reporting Jesus’ message about the kingdom of heaven.  The wicked will be cooked in a fiery furnace.  The angels will make the call: you are bad, and you over there are good so no need to wail and grind your teeth.  Just smile and show your pearly whites at the pearly gates.  

Having studied and researched fish over many years with the Division of Marine Fisheries, I object to some fish being called “bad” to be thrown away.  They all have some kind of value, and that is the way it is with people.  Everyone has value, and no one should be “thrown away.”  For this reason Matthew’s depiction of the wicked and righteous and their different fates – furnace or not – raises a question: how much value does one need to cross the heavenly threshold?  

We are all treasure buried in fields.  What is needed is a shovel – or love – to dig us up so we understand we have value.  I suspect the wicked are those who have never been loved or have loved.  They are still buried, sometimes quite deep.  That’s what makes them (or us) feel like they (or we) are in a furnace.  God doesn’t provide that flame.  God reaches out, and often, as love trying to have us realize we are all pearls of great price. 

Deacon David Pierce