The master of a household brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old

‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

‘Have you understood all this?’ They answered, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’

- Matthew 13:44-52

In today's passage we have a collection of parables about the kingdom, denoting different aspects of it. In recent readings, Jesus has preached the parable of the Sower, and the parable of the Wheat and the Tares (or Weeds), and he has also given his disciples private explanation of the meanings of these parables (see subsequent readings following both). Here, Jesus elaborates through new parables about different aspects of the kingdom and its life than he has already revealed via the parables of the Sower and the Weeds.

‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Two new parables, giving us the great value of what we seek when we seek the life of the kingdom. My study bible notes, "The driving desire of men for wealth pictures the desire of the soul for heavenly riches. The jewel is described as hidden because it requires faith and perseverance to discover it." I find the notes in my study bible very helpful, and so I often quote them here. In this case, we understand how our human desires lend themselves to desire for the spiritual reality that is available in the life of the kingdom. Moreover, we come to understand the nature of this kingdom: it is part of mystery. It is part of what is "unseen" and yet necessary for us to seek "for the life of the world." The "pearl of great price" is worth risking losing everything else. We exchange our worldly life for this great treasure - all our assumptions, everything we think is important, becomes secondary to this.

‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Once again, we have reference to the end of the age and to Judgment, as in the parable of the Weeds. The fishing net that is the kingdom will gather the good and the bad, as in the Wheat and the Weeds growing together in the field. My study bible notes, "The point is that the final judgment will finally disclose and separate the wicked from the righteous." We are to understand that we all grow together here in the world, and that God is the Judge who will separate at the end of the age. This is a very important lesson for us to understand about how we are to grow and live in this world. It applies to all of us, both in and out of the Church.

‘Have you understood all this?’ They answered, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’

My study bible notes: "Jesus does not reject the Old Testament; rather, he commends it and calls it a treasure. Fulfillment is found, however in the New Testament, which leads to a complete understanding of the Old. This parable describes how Matthew, a Christian scribe, composed his Gospel." We are to come to understand not only the present teaching, but also how it sheds light on the past, and is reflected there as well. I also recall the saying that Jesus spoke from our reading on Saturday, when he described his preaching in parables.

‘I will open my mouth to speak in parables;

I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.'

Jesus' use of this phrase itself is an example of treasure in both "what is new and what is old." It is a quotation from psalm 78, used to illustrate what Jesus does with his preaching style in parables. Matthew's gospel, characterized as "Immanuel," or "God with us" was composed for an audience with many Jewish members in mind. So, in fulfillment of the parable here, Matthew has brought together treasure that is new and old. One is fulfilled in the other, one reflects on the other: just as Christ himself preached that he was here not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. I also feel that this beautiful metaphor of treasure new and old tells us about time, and timelessness. In the reality of a spiritual kingdom, time as we know it does not always apply. God's time is an eternal time: what was valuable once retains its value in the reflection of the light of glory. It is just that new facets of truth may reflect light in ways in which it had not been revealed to us before. Together, treasures old and new not only retain their value, but illumine that which we had not seen and give us a fuller picture of beauty and truth and meaning.

I hope that you enjoy the beauty of these parables. They are so simple, just a few sentences, some paragraphs. But there is so much meaning and beauty in each. Taken all together, scripture forms for us a picture of a kingdom, "hidden from the foundation of the world" but nevertheless revealed to us in God's time. They form, these illuminations, an eternal shining reality to those who wish to apprehend them, to develop ears to hear and eyes to see and a heart that is open to them. I urge you to think about treasure and the value it retains and even gains through time. The pearl of great price will always be so for us, and one new treasure illumines and expands the value and meaning of the old.