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"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 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." Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.
- Matthew 13:44-52
Yesterday, we read that after preaching various parables, Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. (Read the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, and the parables of the Mustard Seed, and the Leaven.) And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 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." This parable tells of the incomparable joy of finding this "place," the kingdom of heaven. My study bible says it illustrates those who unintentionally stumble onto Christ and His Church, yet receive Him with great eagerness. We see the astounding worth of this treasure -- it's worth selling everything else.
"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." About this parable, my study bible tells us that it gives us a picture of those who have been searching in their hearts for Christ and finally find Him and His Church. It says, "The other pearls represent all the various teachings and philosophies of the world." Both the treasure hidden in the field, above, and the one pearl of great price are hidden, in the sense that they're not recognized nor valued by "those immersed in worldliness" -- those too busy and occupied with other things to undertake this particular search and the careful, time-consuming focus and stillness it requires. My study bible also notes that both treasures carry a high price and value: receiving them requires that everything else must be sold. That is, a person must surrender all things in order to receive Christ.
"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 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." Here is another parable that involves Judgment, similar to the Wheat and the Tares. My study bible points out that it emphasizes that even those gathered into the Church are subject to judgment. It seems to portray Christ and His Church as a gathering place that draws all kinds of people. We remember that this is a picture of the time in which we live, like the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, we live all together even gathered into the Church -- and Judgment is for the end of the Age, reserved for Christ only and His angels.
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." Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. My study bible refers us to St. John Chrysostom's commentary on these verses. St. Chrysostom notes that Jesus doesn't exclude the Old Testament, but rather praises it as a treasure. Those who truly write or speak of the kingdom of heaven will draw from the unity of the new and old Testaments. Both are holy, and the New is the fulfillment of the Old. This is how Matthew composed his gospel, as we see the repeated formula "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken" -- some examples we've encountered: Matthew 2:15, 23; 4:14-15, 8:17; 12:17-18; 13:35.
What does it mean to have a great treasure? In the context of Jesus' parables, and other sayings of Jesus, a treasure is something beyond all else. In Matthew 6:21, Jesus teaches that "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." A treasure, in His context, is something that's worth everything else, a prize above all. And that's the way He wants us to understand the kingdom of heaven. If we want to understand a "pearl of great price," then we also have to understand the historical value of pearls. It's a relatively recent innovation that we have cultured pearls, "grown" by pearl farmers by deliberately introducing a kind of irritant inside a pearl oyster in order to produce a pearl. But up until recent centuries, pearls were discovered (not cultivated), and they were made of pure nacre, naturally formed. A pearl represented purity and was supreme among gems, highly valued throughout history by royalty around the world. A true natural pearl is still extraordinarily valuable; a natural pearl of gem quality is an extremely rare commodity. But Jesus teaches us about the value of this Kingdom: it's a pearl among pearls. It's a great treasure that is hidden in a field: the one thing that is really valued above all else. A "true" pearl, then, is something we liken to the great truths of the Kingdom, just as Christ is called the Person who is Truth. Jesus also gives us the image of the dragnet, something that pulls everything from the bottom of the sea (where one would find pearl oysters) into itself: the sorting will be done later. And a human being, too, can be likened to a natural pearl: the effect of the Kingdom creating a kind of purity -- the same on the inside as on the outside, without duplicity or hypocrisy. Finally Jesus' pearls of truth are given in a context of Scripture: old and new, the good is brought out of this good treasure of the Kingdom, all of it contained in this "place." Elsewhere in the gospel, Jesus has warned His disciples that they must not "cast their pearls before swine." The treasures of this Kingdom belong to those who can truly value them, and realize them for what they are. A great value can only be perceived by those who seek truth, because it is a great truth to know and to understand that this Kingdom is worth everything else in our lives, that its value outweighs all else. The Kingdom becomes this pearl or this treasure precisely because it is of such immense value that anything else has to come second -- and the value of everything else will in turn be measured and recognized by the power and beauty and intrinsic worth of the Kingdom. All other standards fail to measure up to what this one does, in us and for us. The things we used to value pale. Instead, what is used in good service to this Kingdom becomes valued by its usefulness. As those who may be bearers of this Kingdom within ourselves and among ourselves, we become a kind of treasure box, a treasure house, a place where the good gifts of the Kingdom may become useful, expanded, developed and shared with others. The Church itself is like this treasure of the scribe -- full of old and new pearls and gems that enrich the lives of those who realize the great gift of God, freely given to us, incomparably and immeasurably valuable. When Jesus teaches, in the Sermon on the Mount, that we are to go to our "inner chamber and pray to our Father who sees in secret," the inner chamber referred to was a storeroom inside a home, in which valuables were kept. (The modern usage of this Greek word tameion is extended to mean a cash register.) Jesus teaches us all about pearls of great price, the magnificent value of this Kingdom, the treasure worth saving and keeping and protecting above everything else. Let us remember He has assured us of our great value to God the Father, and consider what it means that we are the recipients upon whom is bestowed such great treasure, and endowed with the potential to live it, build it, magnify it. St. Paul has told us that we are temples of God, and we must consider what it means that Christ has said that this Kingdom -- this extraordinary treasure -- is something we carry within us. How can we measure such a treasure? We can't. Its value goes beyond any kind of way to price it. To do so is to deny its real worth, a heresy. Grace is given with love, with freedom, with the kind of truth that can't be bought. So -- it's up to us to treasure it and realize it and cherish it, whether or not "the world" can understand.
