Parable of the Treasure
and
The Pearl of Great Price
Matthew 13:44-46
"44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."
I) Again..... The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field;
Familiar Symbols
a) The kingdom of heaven
The wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24)
"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way."
The parable of the mustard seed (13:31)
" Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:"
The parable of the leaven (13:33)
" Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."
In all three of these previous parables we discovered that this "kingdom of heaven" was the whole of christianity. All those who profess christianity as their belief whether genuinely saved or not.
Jesus uses the word again here at the beginning of verse 44, making it clear that nothing has changed once again he is speaking of the same kingdom of heaven.
b) That field
We also have heard mention of a field concerning this same kingdom
Matthew 13:24 "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:"
V31 "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: "
and in verse 38 we have the explanation of the field "The field is the world;"
We have no reason to suspect that the field in this parable is representative of anything other than the world again.
c) A man
We also have mention of a man in the previous parables
Wheat and tares
24"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:"
v37 "He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;"
mustard seed
"31Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:"
"44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."
Again concerning this parable the man is Jesus. He was the planter of the Christian church as we know it.
"45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls"
Don’t let the merchant man throw you. In the first parables the man was a sower, a farmer. We discussed last week why Jesus made these comparisons between farming and the kingdom of heaven. Because it was partially an agricultural society. It also is aociety of merchants. buyers and sellers of merchandise. It does not change who the man is is representative of.
A new symbol
a) The treasure/ the Pearl of great price
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."
In the second parable we have the pearl of great price
"45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."
Prior to this first parable tonight a treasure is not mentioned.
Jesus does not give us an explanation for the treasure or this pearl of great price.
We have to do a little thinking.
We know the kingdom is all who are christians genuine or un-genuine.
We know the field is the world.
We know who the man is whether he is a sower or a merchant man, it is Jesus, who is God incarnate.
What could that treasure possibly be? That pearl of great price?
It could be the people of Israel, those of the jewish faith
Exodus 19:5,6 The lord tells Moses to tell the Israelites "5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine; And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation."
We hear words similar to these in the New Testament as well. Concerning the followers of Christ ( The true Christians)
I Peter 2:9 "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: "
I believe it is a picture again of those who are truly saved, Gods elect, his dearly beloved.
b) The Price
In both of these parables the man sold all he had to purchase that which was of great value to him.
" and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field "
"Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."
I have read and heard these two parables taught as representing that which we must be willing to pay for the price of salvation. We have paid nothing for our salvation. It is free. Ephesians 2:8,9 "8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. It’s a gift to us paid for by Jesus. It is by the shed blood of Jesus that we may have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Jesus paid the price for our salvation.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
John 15:13 " Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
The man in these two parables gave all he had to purchase that treasure, the pearl of great price. Jesus gave his all, His very life to pay for our sins , and to purchase for us salvation, eternal life.
Those who accept him by faith are the treasure, the pearl of great price.
Please note in the field he found but one treasure yet paid all he had for for the whole field "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
The merchant man was seeking goodly pearls, but found one of great value. If you were the only one Jesus still would have paid that price.
Next week we have the last remaining parable of Matthew chapter 13 " The parable of the net"
