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 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."

- Matthew 13:44-52

In chapter 13 of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus introduces the use of parables into His preaching.  He began with the parable of the Sower, and its explanation to His disciples in private (13:1-23).  He then taught the parable of the Wheat the Tares.   In Friday's reading, He taught the parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven.   On Saturday, we read that Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.  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.   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."  My study bible explains that the parable of the treasure hidden in a field teaches about those who unintentionally stumble onto Christ and His Church, and yet receive Him with great eagerness.  The parable of the pearl of great price gives us a picture of those who have been searching in their hearts for Him and finally find Him and His church.  The other pearls in that parable represent all the various teachings and philosophies of the world.  It says that these treasures are hidden in that they are neither recognized nor valued by those who are immersed in worldliness.  In both of these parables, the teaching indicates that to receive the treasure requires that everything else must be sold; in other words, a person must surrender all things in order to receive Christ.  This treasure is worth everything else, and changes our perspective on everything else.

 "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."  This image of the fishing net that gathers the good and the wicked together reminds us of the parable of the wheat and the tares (see readings of Thursday for the parable, and Saturday for Jesus' explanation).   This parable emphasizes more clearly that even those gathered into the Church are subject to judgment.  It reminds us of something He will teach later in Matthew's Gospel, that many are called, but few are chosen.

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 notes that St. John Chrysostom teaches that Jesus does not exclude the Old Testament, but here praises it as a treasure.   Anyone who truly writes or speaks of the kingdom of heaven will draw unity from the new and old Testaments, it says, with the New as the fulfillment of the Old.  Matthew frequently uses the formula that it might be fulfilled which was spoken (see for example 2:15, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35)

It's interesting that Jesus teaches both about pearls and treasure in today's reading.  The scribe who is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old reminds us not only of the Jewish spiritual history that gives us preparation for Christ, but also how those peoples of the ancient world who were non-Jews would receive Christ as well.  For the Greeks, for example, with a classical civilization of philosophy and literature (in the form of drama and verse) and science and other studies, Christ became the illumination that brought out more fully the values inherent in whatever was good and true and beautiful in their already existing culture.  Philosophy, for instance, was not discarded as it came before Christ.  In effect, just the opposite happened.  The whole culture of the early Church transformed what existed already and everything was used in service to Christ.  Philosophy was used to create theology.  Those who are called the great Fathers of the Church, such as St. Chrysostom, St. Basil, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Gregory Nazianzinus, were all well educated in the classical culture of their time -- most were groomed for public service.  But their service in the Church rendered their education in service to Christ.  Rather than devaluing what had come before, Christ's light as treasure or pearl of great price illuminated the potential in what was already there.  These men illuminated for us the teachings of Christ via the use of what had come before, and honored truth and beauty and goodness wherever it was found -- as they served the Person who was truth, Logos.  This is important for us to understand, as Christ's light must do the same for all of us.  What we know or have learned in our lives comes under the great light of Christ, and sets things in new relationship -- it will illuminate the valuable and the true, and teach us to discard what is not.  In this sense, all experience and human culture can be preparation for the universal lordship of Christ:  the good, the true, and the beautiful are those things that are reaching toward what is fulfilled in Him.  He, in turn, transfigures what we think we know, what we have learned, even who we think we are!  But the Kingdom is the pearl of great price by which every other standard becomes measured and transformed in our sight.  It sets things in proper order, giving us the true rule and standard by which to measure:  such is a great treasure or pearl worth everything else.  As we go through our lives of faith, we may come to understand how many things we need to cast out which are not so valuable, after all, in order not to be weighed down by them.  In effect, Judgment becomes a time in which that which we've embraced stands out in the light of Christ -- or it doesn't, and is burned by that fire instead (13:43).  So much depends on where our heart is, what our treasure is.  "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (6:21).