Parables Of The Treasure And Pearl Series

Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl - 6

The Holy Grail of the world of Physics is to discover “the theory of everything”

• Physicists recognize there are powerful forces of nature at work governing the dynamics of our universe

• There is light, gravity, electromagnetic waves, matter etc

• However they know there is one force holding all these powerful forces together but as yet they have been unable to discover what it is

• So the race is on to discover what it is. This is what they call the “Theory of Everything”

• One interesting side comment on physicists. There are very few atheists in this branch of science

The next two parables in this series on the Parable of Jesus are the ones on the Treasure hidden in the field and the Pearl of Great Price

• At this early stage of Jesus’ ministry He is still talking about the mystery of the kingdom and so they too are called the Parables of the Kingdom

• Matthew 13:44-46 (NLT)“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field—and to get the treasure, too!

• The word, “hidden” here is the same word that is used in the parable of the leaven last time about the mysteriousness of the Kingdom hidden in the lump of leaven

• There are a number of important gospel verses that also use this word and when we put them together they give the full force of the hiding of the mystery

Let’s look at a couple

• Jesus had just criticized certain cities for not responding to his message

• Matthew 11:25 (NLT)Then Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise and clever, and for revealing it to the childlike.

• Not even brilliant scholars and academics can discern the work of the kingdom operating right in their midst

• The intelligencia of the world chooses to ignore or disregard what God is doing behind the scenes on the world stage

• Even the disciples had a difficult time with the concept of the kingdom

• Luke 18:31-34 (NLT)Gathering the twelve disciples around him, Jesus told them, “As you know, we are going to Jerusalem. And when we get there, all the predictions of the ancient prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. 32 He will be handed over to the Romans to be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. 33 They will whip him and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.” 34 But they didn’t understand a thing he said. Its significance was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.

• This by the way was the third time Jesus had explained to them the fact that he was going to His death and Resurrection

• So even when the details of the kingdom are literally spelled out for them, they don’t understand

• And finally in one of the most mysterious verses in scripture Paul says in Col 3:3-4

• Colossians 3:3-4 (NLT) For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

• So when you put these verses together and you begin to get some idea of the mysterious power of the Kingdom that is operating behind the scenes

• However its not some sort of invisible proposition that won’t bother you if you don’t bother it

• Rather it is the primary spiritual principle operating behind the whole creative redemptive order

• It is the theory of everything as far as salvation is concerned

• It is in other words it is the power that Jesus said of Himself, “If I am lifted up I will draw all men to me!”

• It is the power drawing this whole sordid mess of this humanity inextricably towards Him

• And it is worth selling everything you have in order to obtain it

• So don’t allow anything to distract you from possessing it

In fact this treasure seeker in his excitement to gain possession of the treasure buys the whole field

• The field as in the other parables represents the world into which the kingdom, seed, leaven, is sown or mixed

• Now you wouldn’t be a very good farmer if you just planted part of the field you had prepared for sowing, or a good baker if you just mixed leaven in part of the flour