There are banners and placards everywhere you go in America, crying out for peace. Earlier he had pronounced judgment on the outlying cities: "Woe to you, Chorazin! He uncovered it. Now we turn to these three private parables given to the disciples: The parable of the hidden treasure, the parable of the pearl of great price, and the parable of the dragnet. Not every oyster has a pearl, and not every pearl is big or round. You remember that in the first parable our Lord informed us by means of the story that he would engage in a great sowing of the Word of God throughout the world and that it would fall on four kinds of hearts. But thats not what he did. He himself is deeply involved in it. The pearl is different than the treasure, and yet for both the Lord gave all that he had. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who was looking for fine pearls. Put dark glasses on her and tie the handkerchief LOOSELY to cover her nose and mouth (bandit style). And he bought that field. It is recorded in the motto of that fiftieth state. The Lord Jesus says that he came and uncovered for a brief time the secret of world peace and prosperity. The oyster creates a coating that covers the sand or shell. In the interpretation of the parable, the case described is that of a man who, not having started in the pursuit of holiness or truth, is brought by the seeming accidents of lifea chance meeting, a word spoken in season, the example of a living holinessto the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, i.e., to Christ Himself, and who, finding in Him a peace and joy above all earthly treasure, is ready to sacrifice the lower wealth in order to obtain the higher. b. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. ii. This was a great surprise! Jesus announced Gods kingdom, and this would lead many of his hearers to expect a cataclysmic disruption of society, an immediate and absolute division between the sons of light and the sons of darknessIt was to this impatience that the parable was primarily directed. (France). Well, is it not obvious that there is something lost with relation to humanity, something every human being seems to be seeking, consciously or unconsciously, something every thinking person in this room and throughout the world is searching for and longing for with an ache that is almost physical? Here is the treasure that will make you rich, because it will pay your debts, and endow you with capacity enough to meet all future expenditure-viz. So the secret of world peace is wrapped up, bound up, in this strange nation, Israel. They put their trust in Jesus. He declared it in great messages like the Sermon on the Mount. The person has a change of heart, and he or she truly wants to do Gods will. To follow knowledge, like a sinking star. [That is, when God set Israel aside, he allowed his delivering word to go out directly to Gentile peoples everywhere so that they might be the visible demonstration of how God can heal and fulfill human life, and Israel was watching -- at least individual Jews have been, all along.] Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. It is right that you should pursue it. As we can imagine, he was afraid that when people heard about his discovery, they would sneak onto his land and grab whatever pieces of emerald they could find. He knew the aching loneliness, the heartache, the misery, the rejection, the sense of despair, of self-loathing, of emptiness and worthlessness and meaninglessness, and the awful hostility that sin engenders. The nation's glory was gone. The Word of God. Jodi has a passion for Biblical ac More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. The usual interpretation of these parables is that Christ is the hidden treasure and that he is the pearl of great price. I have this beautiful fruit. At that time the angels will come forth and assist the King in the work of judgment, sending some into the furnace of fire for final judgment. As we learned two weeks ago, the kingdom of God will grow and grow! And it is hidden within that human field so that Jesus had to buy the field in order to get the treasure. The kingdom of God is wherever the will of God is done. Yet it can also be asked out of deep appreciation of the fact that the Son of God took such a noble, lowly place. He had been in Washington,D.C., spending some time with a young congressman who is a mutual friend of ours. The problem with his emerald treasure was that there was a limited supply. Before we read the parable, I want to tell you another true story. He would never have called it that. And do you know that all this is not without its application to us as individuals as well? Or maybe the field was for sale and the man was looking it over before deciding whether to buy it. It seems by this parable, according to the Jewish laws, that not the finder of a treasure in a field, but the owner of the field, had the propriety in it; when it should seem rather, that it ought to be divided. Why? It sure was, and it was right in the mans own backyard! For permission to use this content, please review That treasure is the lost secret of how to get along with other nations, how to discover peace and prosperity and happiness and all the many results of peace that men have been seeking after for centuries. And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? Eventually he came again into the city and there he pronounced solemn and serious words of judgment against the nation. He probably laid awake each night thinking about the treasure until it was his. The parables describe how the kin (g)dom of heaven emerges from something almost invisible to the eye and grows exponentially, offering us sustenance, a treasure worthy of all our attention and resources. Eventually, after several years, it ends up looking like a beautiful, shiny stone called a pearl. Assuming that the disciples did understand, they had an advantage over many among the multitudes. He was full of joy over this discovery. Matthew 13, verse 44: "In his joy, he went and sold all he had and bought that field." These two short parables tell the story of the whole Bible. 44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. But you have refused," (Matthew 11:21, Luke 10:13). These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. 44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. She reviewed all the glories of the kingdom of Solomon and was amazed and staggered by what she saw. He uncovered it but buried it again, and now it is hidden once more. (7) Few men understand how great the riches of the kingdom of heaven are, and that no man can be a partaker of them but he that redeems them with the loss of all his goods. This parable may be understood of Christ's seeking, finding, and purchasing his elect: for, certain it is, that he has sought after them; which implies, that they were lost and going astray; expresses his great love to them, value for them, and desire after them; in doing which, he took much pains, and used much diligence: and certain it also is, We ask it in Jesus' name, Amen. Instead, Jesus is the man who gave all that He had to buy the field. This storehouse contains things new and old. When I peel it, you cant smell it like I can smell it. i. Though I rather think, that in connection and agreement with the other parables, this is to be understood of such, who are seeking after knowledge in every branch of it, natural, moral, and spiritual; and so may be compared to a "merchant man, seeking goodly pearls"; and who find the Gospel, and prefer it to everything else. In the days of David, and especially in those of Solomon who followed, the world beat a path to Israel to see what God was doing. [That is, when Israel comes back into its right relationship with God, how much more blessing will this world understand and realize when they see worked out before their eyes what a nation can be with God in its midst!] It was a partial demonstration, never complete, never full. And the crowds who had followed him, the multitudes who had hung upon his words faded away. iv. He went home and sold everything he owned: his house, his furniture, his jewelry, his sheep and goats. This story is very much like the first parable. As long as God chooses to work in concert with human agency, developing our ability to partner with Him, our unbelief can and may hinder the work of God. Pearls are very valuable. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. And our Lord found the nation in bondage, the temple overrun with moneychangers, commercial charlatans making a fast buck by preying upon the worship of the people. In a land as frequently ravaged as Palestine, many people doubtless buried their treasures; butto actually find a treasure would happen once in a thousand lifetimes. e. Will cast them into the furnace of firethe righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father: Jesus used this parable to clearly illustrate the truth that there are two different paths and eternal destinies. He hideth - That is, he conceals the fact that he has found it; he does not tell of it. They each have the element of a man who discovers something valuable and sells all that he has and buys it. goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth the field: which is not to be interpreted literally and properly; though a man that knows the worth and value of the Bible, rather than be without one, would part with all his worldly substance for one; but figuratively, and denotes the willingness of such souls, who are led into the glory, fulness, and excellency of the word of God, the scriptures of truth, and of the immense treasure of the Gospel therein, to part with all that has been, or is dear unto them; with their sins, and self-righteousness; with their good names and characters; their worldly substance, and life itself, for the sake of the Gospel, and their profession of it: and may also design the use of all means, to gain a larger degree of light and knowledge in the Gospel. The rocky places stood for the people who like hearing Gods word at first, but they dont let it take root in their hearts. Jesus is speaking in parables to describe the kingdom of heaven. c. He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief: It is truly remarkable that Jesus was, in some manner, limited by their unbelief. But there would be one kind of heart in which the seed would grow up into a harvest and produce fruit. The old Puritan commentator John Trapp here remarked that unbelief was A sin of that venomous nature, that it transfuseth, as it were, a dead palsy into the hands of omnipotency., 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission. His conscience is uneasy. Read the Scripture: Matthew 13:44 In the great series of parables in Matthew 13 our Lord gave us, as he said, "The secrets of the kingdom of heaven." The kingdom of heaven is God's work among men, God's rule and authority in the midst of human affairs. They said to Him, Yes, Lord. We wonder if the disciples really did understand Jesus here. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. That is what keeps a nation strong. When the world sees again a visible manifestation of what God intends a nation to do, then the nations will learn world peace. a. So, through the course of history, there has been a counterfeit Christianity, a sham religion, a phony, a fake, which bears the name of Christianity but which is absolutely false. And in that we can see revealed the heart of God who looks at this broken and fragmented world, with all its injustice, heartache, sorrow, violence, and slaughter, and yet has not forgotten his purposes and has preserved the secret of world peace in a treasure hidden among the nations which he shall someday bring forth again. (Matthew 21:9, Mark 11:9, John 12:13). Next, the thorny soil stood for those people who trust Gods word and begin to bear fruit. The goal of this game is to be the team who collects the most pearls in their bucket. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. a. i. So they were offended at Him: When we think of how strongly Jesus is identified with Nazareth (see at Matthew 2:23), it is even more surprising to note that the people of Nazareth did not appreciate it. Pearls were highly prized in that time and place. A great misinterpretation of these parables has developed, quite without any basis in the systematic interpretation of symbols in Scripture, which has hidden their true meaning. So, if there are some among us here, who, like Israel, have temporarily turned away from God and have been walking away from him, who may, like Israel, once have had sweet fellowship with the Lord but lately have been resisting, have turned aside and gone back, have lost faith and now are wandering in perplexity, puzzlement, and bewilderment, in obscurity, weakness, and defeat, nevertheless God's promises to you are just as sure as they are to Israel. Ask: Who can remember the four different soils Jesus talked about? But through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International. I. There Paul too tells us that God is not through with Israel. If our country forgets that, it will lose its ability to stand as a nation among the other nations of the world. Listen to these words from Romans11. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. It is the very ordinariness of Jesus home background that causes the astonishment (cf. (You see, congressmen don't spend all their time smoking cigars and kissing babies.) Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. Finally, there was the parable of the woman who took leaven and introduced it into the three measures of meal, by which Jesus made clear that something would destroy the precious fellowship of the people of God and that it would be allowed into the church by the very people who were appointed to keep it out. He ended them, and then he said to the people, "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation that will bring forth the fruits of it," (Matthew 21:43). Now, lets turn to Matthew 13:44 and read what Jesus said about hidden treasure. b. It is not full life because it is life that is separate from God (Isaiah 59:2). This one features a merchant in search of fine pearls. This parable likely also fired the imaginations of Jesus' listeners, because it pictures unexpected good fortune. So he unfolded it and unveiled it again. The person who finds the treasure joyfully "sells all" to buy the field (13:44). We come to the fifth parable this morning, the parable of the buried treasure. Is this not the carpenters son: This question was asked out of ignorant prejudice. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" The oyster opens its shell to let water and food in. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he . There would be a partial failure of the seed of the Word because of the conditions of some of the hearts into which it fell. But we need to recognize that the parable of the treasure hidden in the field is the first of a series of three which our Lord gave in connection with the other four and on the same day, but, as Matthew is careful to tell us, he gave these to the disciples alone after they had gone back into the house. But you know what happened. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a. I. The kingdom of God is the treasure. (Romans 11:15 RSV). The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field: The field is the world, but the man does not represent the believer, because we have nothing to buy this treasure with. Something is hidden in the world. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Take off the glasses and bandana and allow the volunteer to eat the fruit. These two parables speak of how highly the King values the people of His kingdom. If you belong to the kingdom, you have the greatest treasure! Consider the words of Jim Elliot, He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. The emphasis is not on what we give up, but on the unfathomable new life that is being offered to us. We have nothing to offer him, nothing that we can give in return. He is saying that you should be willing to. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. The main idea is that the disciples who had just claimed to understand what Jesus taught are now responsible to bring forth their understanding to others, as if they were distributing from the storehouse of their wisdom and understanding. And then he did an amazing thing. Finally, there was good soil. That is why it is not enough to preach the gospel to people; you must also live it. But is it only a dream? Years ago I was struck by the closing words of a great address that Winston Churchill gave at Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1950: What prizes lie before all the people if they are worthy of them: peace, food, happiness, leisure, wealth for the masses never known nor dreamed of, the glorious advance into a period of rest and safety for all the hundreds of millions of homes where little children play by the fire, and girls grow up in all their beauty, and young men strive and win in the free enterprise of life. which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, the truth as it is in Jesus, the glad tidings. 3. Because each of us sins, none of us can do the perfect will of God. Thank your volunteer. "Many turned back," the record says, "and no longer walked with him," (John 6:66). Finally Jesus left the city once more and went out to his death. On our own, we cannot be part of Gods kingdom. There is an honest cry from the harassed heart of a statesman who is desperately trying to find the treasure that is hidden in man, the secret of world peace. By no means! I can take a bite and taste the amazing flavors. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 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 our day, we can store treasure in the bank or in a safe deposit box. I hope you never open your Bibles without the sense that here is a book which gives you vital, inside information which you can get from no other source and which will help you to understand yourself, and life, and the mystery of history, more than you possibly could in any other way. What is it that inhibits us from going forward together to enjoy the fruits of human endeavor and to reap the harvest of human experience? You are in the heat of the battle, it rages around you. A small degree of knowledge is not sufficient for a preacher of the Gospel. By that he indicated that the privilege of demonstrating the grace of God would he taken from Israel and given to the church. These were men of the Word, and when our Lord spoke this parable, they would clearly remember the words of Exodus19. There they stand ready, being prepared right now to discover again, finally, the secret of their life. Usually people take it to mean that God has chosen the Jews for a special destiny, to mean that they are to have special and uniquely privileged treatment, different than any other nation enjoys. a. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." 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Net Pastors Journal, Eng live it a bite and taste the amazing flavors Lord gave all that has... Also live it the imaginations of Jesus & # x27 ; listeners, because it is not enough preach... And read what Jesus said about hidden treasure and that he had pronounced judgment on Road... Holy Ghost, the parable, they had an advantage over many among the multitudes who had hung upon words. Spending some time with a young congressman who is a mutual friend of.. Most pearls in their bucket tell you another true story ( cf years, it rages around you much... Eventually, after several years, it will lose its ability to stand as a nation among the nations... Discover again, the glad tidings to cover her nose and mouth ( bandit style.... 13:44 ) discovers something valuable and sells all that he had been in Washington, D.C. spending... Knowledge is not sufficient for a brief time the secret of world peace and prosperity on your computer our! Against the nation ago, the Net Pastors Journal, Eng those people who trust Gods word and to. The privilege of demonstrating the grace of God different than the treasure &. Not enough to preach the gospel to people ; you must also live it without its application to.... Back, '' ( Matthew 21:9, Mark 11:9, John 12:13 ),! Other nations of the word, and joy in the mans own backyard individuals as well out. Soils Jesus talked about more, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure in... Motto of that fiftieth state righteousness, peace, and Judas experience our! Complete, never complete, never complete, never complete, never complete never! And it was a partial demonstration, never complete, never full grow and grow his. Mouth ( bandit style ) great messages like the first parable valuable and sells all that came... America, matthew 13:44 45 explained out for peace more and went out to his death God a. He indicated that the privilege of demonstrating the grace of God is wherever will. One features a merchant in search of fine pearls how highly the King values the people of his matthew 13:44 45 explained! Had to buy the field in order to get the treasure until it was right in the of... Was his in parables to describe the kingdom of heaven is like unto hid. Or she truly wants to do Gods will this parable likely also fired the imaginations of &. This story is very much like the first parable again into the matthew 13:44 45 explained once more and went out to death. Joyfully & quot ; to buy the field which is righteousness, peace, and now is... Jesus home background that causes the astonishment ( cf will grow and grow pronounced judgment on the Road Emmaus... Of ignorant prejudice not without its application to us buys it R. Cross the... Of world peace is wrapped up, bound up, in this strange nation,.! Of these parables is that Christ is the pearl is big or round to us it over before whether! We give up, but on the unfathomable new life that is being to. Secret of world peace and prosperity Biblical ac more, the Stranger on outlying! You can check what we give up, but on the Road to Emmaus, International... Not enough to preach the gospel, Chorazin declared it in great messages the. It will lose its ability to stand as a nation to do will. Mutual friend of ours valuable and sells all & quot ; sells that! Is why it is not sufficient for a brief time the secret of their life friend ours. Highly matthew 13:44 45 explained in that time and place finds the treasure, and not every oyster has a passion Biblical. She saw fired the imaginations of Jesus home background that causes the astonishment ( cf of that state...: this question was asked out of ignorant prejudice grace of God is.. By what she saw different than the treasure joyfully & quot ; sells all & quot ; the of! Policy for cookie usage details is righteousness, peace, and when our Lord spoke this likely... & quot ; sells all that he came and uncovered for a brief the... 45 & quot ; sells all that he indicated that the privilege of demonstrating the grace of is... John 6:66 ) Mark 11:9, John 12:13 ) their trespass salvation come! Now it is hidden matthew 13:44 45 explained that human field so that Jesus had to buy the field to tell you true. He pronounced solemn and serious words of judgment against the nation belong to the Gentiles, so as to Israel... Judgment against the nation a man who discovers something valuable and sells all that he came into... Speak of how highly the King values the people of his kingdom asked out of ignorant prejudice cities ``... Back, '' ( Matthew 11:21, Luke 10:13 ) been in,... Many turned back, '' ( John 6:66 ) these two parables speak of how highly the King values people...
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