Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew it to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."

- Matthew 13:44-52

In yesterday's reading, Jesus was once again away from the crowds, and with His disciples. They said to Him, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." (Jesus taught the parable of the Wheat and the Tares in Friday's reading). Jesus explained that the sower who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.. The field is the world, and the enemy is the devil. The weeds then are the children of the wicked one. The harvest is the end of the age -- and the reapers are the angels who help with the judgment, gathering all that is not for the kingdom. He said, "Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." Jesus has given us several parables over the past week that teach us about the nature of the kingdom of heaven. We've heard about His word as the good seed, and all the ways this may fall within us, and either be lost or bear good spiritual fruit (here and here). We've heard about the sower and the crops that grow good and bad, side by side until the end of the age -- here and in yesterday's reading. Jesus has also compared the kingdom to a tiny mustard seed that grows into a great bush in which even the birds of the air can nest, and the leaven that changes the whole of the meal in which it's mixed (see Saturday's reading). Today, He gives us yet more parables that illustrate yet new aspects of the kingdom. Today, it is its great value that we come to understand. My study bible says, "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." We recall Jesus' repeated emphasis of the reason why He teaches in parables: it is to open up mystery to those "who have ears to hear." It is for those who will be receptive; in some sense, those who will search in their hearts and produce meaning and understanding, who search for God and spiritual treasure.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it." Perhaps only after we consider the parables teaching of the Judgment and the end of the age can we understand just how valuable this tremendous spiritual wealth really is. More than our lives, it is the thing of life itself -- worth more than anything that we can compare it to, worth every sacrifice. Indeed, Jesus will make the ultimate sacrifice of His earthly life for this kingdom, for those whom He loves who may dwell within it, "for the life of the world." It is the pearl of great price for which our lives are transformed in relationship to Christ and to His word, for which we may give up all that stands in the way of the light of His words, even that which is precious to us. Nothing is more precious than this pearl.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew it to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Jesus moves back to themes of the Judgment, and the mixture of "every kind," side by side, as with the wheat and the tares. The dragnet is like that of a fisherman, and we understand the people for whom He's fishing. Once again, as with the parable of the wheat and the tares, it is at the judgment that the separation will happen, the illumination of the just, the separation and disclosure of both wicked and just. This is again a way of emphasizing the tremendous value of the word itself, of the kingdom that we may bear within us, that is worth every other "giving up" of the things we may wish to cling to in life.

Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old." My study bible has an important note: "Jesus does not reject the Old Testament; rather, He commends it and calls it treasure. Fulfillment is found, however, in the New Testament, which leads to a complete understanding of the Old Testament. This parable describes how Matthew, a Christian scribe, composed his Gospel." As with so much of Jesus' teaching, we have a poetic encounter here: Jesus offers us His treasure in the parables -- and also the treasure of the old which He fulfills, expands and illuminates. It is a message to His followers: share what you have been given, through the word comes scripture, full of treasure old and new.

So, what do we make of this treasure that Jesus offers us, and that Matthew in turn brings to us? What do we make of the tremendous blessings of these words, both old and new, that we are given in Scripture? First, there is the emphasis on the kingdom of heaven. All things must point -- as do the parables -- to the treasure of the kingdom, the pearl of great price, the hidden treasure in the field. That hidden treasure is also the seed that grows into the good crops, the spiritual fruits Jesus desires in each of us. And we each produce according to our ability. He has given us many parables with which to "salt" our understanding of the kingdom, and to illuminate the many facets of that kingdom as it may grow within us, and as we may find in the good treasure of a heart set on God. How is the treasure of the good seed sown in your heart? How does it produce fruit today? How does the hidden seed bring forth more -- and where do you discover new treasure that may have been hidden to you before? This is the journey of the life in the kingdom, which produces more and more and more -- both old and new, both old and new brought forth continue to bear fruit, to give the very value of life itself. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" Matthew 6:21.