Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl

Inside the house. Jesus had sent the crowds away and gone into the house with His disciples (13:36). There He told them more stories about “the kingdom of heaven.” What the kingdom is. The kingdom of heaven is God ruling as King. Everyone who belongs to Jesus belongs to His kingdom. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Hidden treasure. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field” (13:44). Many people had no safe place for riches, so they sometimes buried coins and jewels in the ground. A man found treasure like that. For joy. The man “hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (13:44). He did not sell with a sad face. He was glad to trade everything for something far better. The point. God's kingdom is worth more than everything else you could ever have. Toys break, money gets spent and games get old. Jesus and His kingdom last forever. What we learn. Following Jesus is not a sad trade. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Put Him first, and you will find that He is the best treasure of all.

The setting (13:36). Jesus spoke these last parables in the house, to His disciples alone, after the crowds had gone. They were for people who had already begun to follow Him. Basileia. The Greek word for kingdom is basileia (say: bah-sih-LAY-ah), a king's rule or reign. Matthew 13 calls it “the kingdom of heaven”; Mark 1:15 calls it “the kingdom of God.” Both name the same kingdom: God ruling as King, now in the hearts of His people and one day over all the earth. Thesauros (13:44). The word for treasure is thesauros (say: thay-sow-ROSS), a store of valuable things. Many people had no safe place for riches, so they sometimes buried coins and jewels in the ground. The man found such a treasure and covered it again. Chara (13:44). He sells everything “for joy over it.” Joy is chara (say: khah-RAH), a gladness that comes from deep inside. The selling is not the sad part of the story. Joy is what moves him to act. Worth everything. The man gave up all he had because the treasure was worth more than all of it together. Jesus is showing the value of His kingdom, and so the value of the King Himself. Seek first. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). The man in the field shows what that looks like: one treasure comes first, and everything else is arranged around it. For you. Ask God to show you how great His kingdom is. A heart that sees the treasure does not give things up grudgingly. It gives them up gladly.

Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure. The kingdom of heaven is God ruling as King. It is a life with God through Jesus. Jesus is the King of this kingdom. The man in the story found something wonderful. It was worth more than everything he owned. So he sold all his things with a happy heart. He was not sad to give them up. He knew he had found the greatest treasure of all. Belonging to Jesus is like that. Toys and money do not last forever. Jesus is better than all of them. When you know Him, He fills your heart with joy.

God's kingdom means Jesus is our King. Belonging to Him is better than any treasure! It fills our hearts with joy.

A searching merchant. “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls” (13:45). A merchant is someone who buys and sells things for his living. Fine pearls were some of the most costly jewels in the world. One pearl. “When he had found one pearl of great price,” he “went and sold all that he had and bought it” (13:46). Of great price means worth a very great deal. Two ways to find it. The man in the field found treasure without looking for it. The merchant was out looking for fine pearls. Some people meet Jesus by surprise, and some find Him while they are looking. Both find that He is worth everything. Can we buy it? Does this mean we can pay for God's kingdom? No. We could never pay enough. God invites us to “buy wine and milk Without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1). “For by grace you have been saved through faith… it is the gift of God, not of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). The stories show how much the kingdom is worth, not how to pay for it. Another picture. Many Christians also see Jesus in these stories, as the One who gave everything He had, even His life, to make His people His own. What we learn. Once you see how wonderful Jesus is, giving Him first place is not a loss. It is the best trade there is.

The merchant (13:45). A merchant was a trader who traveled to buy goods in one place and sell them in another. This man knew pearls well, and he was “seeking beautiful pearls.” A pearl of great price (13:46). Pearls came from the sea and were carried from far away, so a fine one could cost a fortune. “One pearl of great price” was worth more than all his other goods put together, so he “sold all that he had and bought it.” Found two ways. The first man came upon his treasure; the merchant was out looking for fine pearls. Proverbs tells us to search for wisdom “as for hidden treasures” (Proverbs 2:4). Jesus promised, “seek, and you will find” (Matthew 7:7). Whether God surprises us or we are already searching, the discovery is the same: everything else is worth less than Him. Not a purchase. Jesus is not teaching that heaven has a price tag we can pay. God invites the thirsty to “buy wine and milk Without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1). Eternal life is “the gift of God” (Romans 6:23). The parables measure the kingdom's worth, not its cost to us: it is worth more than everything we have. Another reading. Many Christians also see Jesus Himself as the one who “sold all that he had,” giving up heaven's glory and His own life to make His people His own. For you. Giving up things for Jesus is not how we earn the kingdom. It is how a person lives once they see what the kingdom is worth. Ask yourself what you treasure most, and ask Jesus to have first place.

The man in this story was looking hard. He wanted to find the very best pearl. At last he found one worth more than all. He gave up everything to have it. God's kingdom is like that pearl. Jesus is the King, and nothing is worth as much. Can we buy God's kingdom with money? No, we cannot! We cannot earn it by being good either. God gives it to us as a free gift. We receive His gift by trusting Jesus. Then we gladly love Jesus more than anything.

One pearl was worth more than all. God's kingdom is worth even more! We cannot buy it. God gives it as a gift.

A dragnet. “The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind” (13:47). A dragnet was a long net pulled through the water. It caught every kind of fish. Sorting. When it was full, the fishermen “sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away” (13:48). Vessels here means baskets or containers. The end of the age. “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just” (13:49). God will judge the world, and He will make every wrong thing right. A real warning. Jesus said the wicked will be cast “into the furnace of fire” (13:50). He spoke about judgment because He loves people and wants them to be ready. Who are the just? The just are not people who never sinned. No one is like that: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The just are people God has forgiven and made right with Himself through faith in Jesus. What we learn. Today the door is open to everyone. The Lord is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Come to Jesus, and tell your friends about Him too.

A familiar sight (13:47). Several of the disciples were fishermen (Matthew 4:18-22). They had pulled nets onto the shore of the Sea of Galilee and sorted the catch many times. A dragnet swept up “some of every kind.” Sorting on the shore (13:48). The fishermen “sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.” The sorting did not happen while the net was in the water. It happened at the end, on the shore. The end of the age (13:49). Jesus explained it Himself: “The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just.” This matches the wheat and the tares: the separating belongs to God, at the end, and not to us now (13:30, 39-41). Spoken in love (13:50). “There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Gnashing means grinding the teeth in pain and sorrow. Jesus spoke about judgment more plainly than anyone, and He spoke as the One who came to rescue people from it. The just. The just, or righteous, are those who belong to the King. No one is just by his own goodness: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). A person is made right with God “by faith in Jesus Christ” and “not by the works of the law” (Galatians 2:16). For you. The treasure and the pearl show what the kingdom is worth; the net shows what is at stake. The Lord is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9). The net is still in the water. Trust Jesus today, and pray for friends who do not know Him yet.

Jesus told about a net full of fish. Some fish were good, and some were bad. The fishermen kept the good ones. Jesus said the end of the age will be like that. One day God will make everything right. His angels will separate the wicked from God's people. Who are God's people? They are not people who never did wrong. They are sinners whom Jesus has forgiven. The wicked will be punished for their sin. But God does not want anyone to be lost. That is why Jesus came to save us. Today anyone can come to Jesus.

Jesus told about a fishing net. One day God will make everything right. Jesus wants you to come to Him now.

A question. Jesus asked, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord” (13:51). Jesus wants His followers to understand His Word, not only to hear it. The good soil in the parable of the sower is the one “who hears the word and understands it” (13:23). A scribe. “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old” (13:52). A scribe was a teacher who knew the Scriptures well. A householder is the owner of a house. Old things. The old things are the truths God had already given in the Scriptures, through Moses and the prophets. New things. The new things are what Jesus was teaching about His kingdom. The old and the new fit together, because both come from the same God. Treasure to share. The householder brings his treasure out. He does not keep it locked away. A follower of Jesus who learns God's Word shares it with others. What we learn. The Bible is a treasure chest. Read it, ask Jesus to help you understand it, and share what you find with your family and friends.

Understanding (13:51). “Have you understood all these things?” In the parable of the sower, the good ground is the one “who hears the word and understands it” (13:23). Understanding is part of real discipleship. “Yes, Lord.” The disciples answered with confidence. They still had much to learn, and Jesus kept teaching them. Later He promised the Holy Spirit, who “will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26). A new kind of scribe (13:52). Scribes were experts in the Scriptures. Jesus speaks of a scribe “instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven.” The word instructed comes from the word for disciple: this scribe has become a learner of Jesus. His treasure (13:52). The householder brings things “out of his treasure.” It is the same word thesauros used for the treasure in the field (13:44). God's truth, rightly understood, is treasure too. New and old. The old things are most likely what God had already said in the Law and the Prophets. The new things are what Jesus taught about the kingdom that had come near in Him. The new does not throw out the old; both come from the same God. For you. A disciple does not bury what Jesus teaches. He brings it out and shares it. Read your Bible, ask the Lord to help you understand, and pass on what you learn.

Jesus asked His followers if they understood. They told Him that they did. Jesus wants us to understand His Word too. We can ask Him to help us. Then Jesus told about the owner of a house. The owner had treasures, both old and new. He brought them out to share. A follower of Jesus is like that. The old treasures are God's words from long ago. The new treasures are what Jesus taught. All of it is God's true Word. We can share it with our friends and family.

Jesus asked, “Do you understand all these things?” He helps us learn His Word. We can share it with others!

Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl

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