Matthew 13:44-52

Matthew 13:44-52 NIV

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. 
“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

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These are more parables in Matthew 13 comparing the kingdom of heaven to things on earth we can understand. In this case Jesus teaches the incomparable value of the kingdom to anything we may own. It's worth everything.

I assume we may feel that way about our family. Perhaps we'd give any ransom to save our children. Perhaps you'd sell all your possessions if it meant you could save your spouse from a terminal disease. What value is your faith to you? What would you give in order to see God's kingdom of love, righteousness, peace and plenty to rule the land?

I daresay I wouldn't sell all my possessions in order to fund ministries that move us there. I'm reluctant to do such an impractical thing. I have bills to pay and people who depend on me.

I'm sure you feel a similar way when presented with the concept of selling everything you own in order to possess the kingdom of God. Yet here it is. Jesus presents the idea to His disciples that the kingdom of heaven is like a man who finds a great treasure, greater than all he owns. We can assume the owners of the field have no idea that this great treasure is located in the field, otherwise they wouldn't have sold it. The man sold everything he owned to buy the field so that he might possess the treasure.

I wonder if the hidden treasure is a way of speaking about Israel. In their scriptures, the Christian's Old Testament, the Jewish Tanakh, there is prophecy of the coming of Christ. In every book of the Old Testament, there is a thread of redemption running through it leading to the appearance of Jesus. Yet the wonderful news that Christ is born was only given to simple shepherds and discerned by pagan astrologers. Israel's own wise men, their prophets and teachers and priests, were not visited by angels, nor did they see the signs and join in proclaiming the good news. It was to simple and poor people, ignored by the religious establishment, that the good news was announced by angels. It was wise men from far away in Persia who came to give homage to the Messiah.

In the parable of the treasure in the field, I think the field is Israel, specifically the land and its people, it's history and scriptures. The owners of the field are only implied in the parable. The owners are those who are leading Israel, corrupt politicians and the clergy in their pockets. The man who stumbled across the hidden treasure is the disciple whose eyes have been opened to see Christ ushering in a new era, the promised reign of God.

Of course the man who found the treasure should be you and me and anyone who understands what the kingdom of heaven means. When we truly understand we may be inclined to invest more of ourselves in seeing the kingdom come in all its fullness.

Here's a prophecy of life under the rule of God's anointed. It's a picture of peace that comes from righteous leadership and the saving knowledge of God.

Isaiah 11:1-2, 5-9 NIV

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord... Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

And of course we cannot forget the beauty of John's revelation.

Revelation 21:3-4 NIV

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

What value do these promises hold for you? What are their worth? How are you moved to see the day these words come true? How is your life contributing to this future? Blessed are the peacemakers.

The third parable in today's reading, Mat 13:47-50, is a reinforcement of His teaching through the parable of the wheat and weeds. It's the same message. At the end of this current age, in which the wicked and the righteous dwell together, God will separate the wicked from the righteous and destroy them. The righteous will be free to live in happy obedience to the God who saves them, without the opposition and persecution of the wicked.

The fishnet drawn up from the sea filled with all kinds of fish is the day of judgement. It is a day we will all see. For all must stand before the judgement seat of Christ. Who can stand, but for the mercy of God? I love the apostle Paul's conviction that the love shown us in the cross of Christ means a salvation that can never be taken away. And it means a heavenly inheritance that outshines all early treasure.

Romans 8:31-35, 37-39 NIV

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Those words are a great treasure for a soul that longs for God, our creator.

"Have you understood these things?", Jesus asks His disciples. They affirmed that they do understand. Notice that Jesus then affirms teachers of the law who become disciples. You see not every Pharisee rejected Christ. Paul is the prime example, for he persecuted the church, but later repented and became its greatest apostle. He was able to teach the Old Testament with new eyes, for his blindness had been healed by Christ. As Jesus says every teacher of the Old Testament, who is a disciple of Christ, brings out new treasures with the old, meaning new insights into the message of redemption that is found in the Old Testament scriptures. The New Testament could easily be called the New Treasure, for the writings there are the commentary of disciples who found the treasure of great worth, the pearl of great value, for their eyes have been opened to see Jesus the Christ and the coming of His kingdom on earth.

May your eyes and heart be opened to find the treasure. And may you be given grace to take hold of the kingdom of heaven and your divine inheritance in Christ.