Tresure, Pearls And Nets Series

This week we begin a summer series entitled, Tell Me A Story. “Tell me a Story” is a simple way to reference Jesus' use of parables to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.

I think my favorite stories come from ordinary people who stumble across something valuable.

Like the woman who bought a small dish for $3 at a garage sale in NY and it turns out to be from the Ming dynasty. It would sell at Sotheby's a few years later for 2.2 million.

Or the English businessman, Andy Fields on holiday in Las Vegas who purchases a badly framed original Gertrude Stein drawing for $5, from an estate of the former babysitter for Andy Warhol. The frame would contain a signed sketch of Andy’s in the back of the frame worth over 2 million.

Or finally, Rick Norsigian of Fresno california who bought two boxes of photo negatives at a garage sale for $45. As it turns out, the negatives are from Ansel Adams and experts believe the collection is worth $200 Million. Don’t you love a good story!

Jesus told 36 different short stories in the gospels. Telling stories is one of the most powerful means that leaders have to influence, teach, and inspire.

What makes storytelling so effective for learning? For starters, storytelling forges connections among people, and between people and ideas. Stories convey the culture, history, and values that unite people.

Today I will relay three stories that come from Matthew’s gospel in the 13th chapter. On one incredible day, Jesus would share seven interrelated parables as well as an eighth unrelated one to a primarily Jewish audience. Jesus was trying to emphasize what we should value in this life. Many would hear the story and not understand. Others would hear and be amazed. Still others would hear them and change their lives to reflect this new understanding

These were not ordinary parables. Jesus would call them the “The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.” A mystery is a spiritual truth understood only by divine revelation. It is a sacred secret known only to those on the inside who listen, learn and obey. So let me begin by sharing two short stories...

44 “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.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

The first time you hear these two stories, some with a more acute sense of justice may get stuck on the fact the man who found the treasure on someone else's land or in a market and then bought it. How is that fair or right? You are not alone. In fact, in the mid rash, an ancient Jewish commentary on part of the Hebrew scriptures, attached to the biblical text, from the 3rd century, also questions this. However, the Jewish scholars believed a person can’t be wronged if they are willing participants in the sale. That is, if they agreed on the fair price for the field or the pearl, they were not manipulated or deceived so no wrong took place.

The term field in this scripture is often used to signify a nation. In this case the nation of Israel. The parable points to treasure found within the nation - salvation. God paid a heavy price for us. He became a man. Imagine for one moment being God. Everything you ever wanted you could have and create. But you decided to give it all up for a group of people who may or may not recognize you. That's who Jesus is. It’s God in the form of man. He came as a baby, lived, died and rose for you and all who align themselves with Him. He did it joyfully.

The second parable offers a second symbol we need to unpack before getting to the meaning. The pearl is used as a symbol for the Torah, or as many now believe, God’s written revelation to His people. In seeking God’s revelation, it’s natural to surrender all of what we thought we knew or valued for the greater purpose of life.

Jesus would validate this in a number of other conversations with the disciples. Of the 96 verses about giving up everything and following Jesus, the one that always sticks out to me is from Luke 18: 28-30:

And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”