The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a 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 treasure hidden in a field, which a 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

Yesterday we read that, after preaching several parables to the crowd, 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 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 says that this parable of the treasure hidden in a field illustrates those who unintentionally stumble onto Christ and His Church, but yet receive Him with great eagerness.  The parable of the pearl of great price, it says, illustrates those who have been searching in their hearts for Him and finally find Him and His Church.  The other pearls represent all the various teachings and philosophies of the world.  These treasures are hidden in that they are neither recognized nor valued by those immersed in worldliness.  In both parables, receiving the treasure requires that everything else is 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."  This image of the fishing net which gathers good and wicked together is like the parable of the wheat and the tares (see Jesus' explanation of that parable from yesterday's reading, above, and also His telling of the parable in this reading).  My study bible adds that this parable further emphasizes that even those gathered in the Church are subject to judgment.

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 cites St. John Chrysostom, who notes that Jesus does not 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 inspired, the New being a fulfillment of the Old.   My study bible notes that this is indeed how Matthew composed his gospel, as the text repeatedly uses the phrase "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken" (2:15, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:35).

Jesus uses the image of a field in today's first parable given in the reading.  In modern language, we use the word "field" to describe many things.  Particularly in the language of physics and the study of our world and how it's put together, "field" has come to be used to indicate levels of reality.  That is, we speak, for example, of magnetic fields at work in the universe.  The theory regarding the unification of all such "fields" or layers of reality is called "Unified Field Theory."  In some sense, we can think of the kingdom of heaven as a field, one which intersects our lives in all manner of fashion.  The experience of this Kingdom is like a field in which this great treasure, beyond all former understanding and comparison, is hidden.  We need to experience this to know it, to perceive it.  Once we have even a glimpse of this treasure for ourselves, the whole field becomes something we wish for ourselves.    We can compare it to the event of Christ's Incarnation into our world, and His saving ministry -- with its saving act of death on the Cross and Resurrection -- as a field of eternity that enters into the center of our history and impacts and intersects what we know in every possible way.   He brings with Him this pearl of great price, that changes all the values we have by the impact of its presence and our understanding of it.  Simply its existence transforms everything else by comparison to its beauty and incalculable worth.  (Let us remember that at Jesus' time, there was no such thing as a cultured pearl.  All pearls were natural, formed purely of nacre -- giving us an image of rare and extraordinary wealth, and at the same time a concept of purity, being of the same substance from the inside to the outside.)   In His example of the dragnet, Jesus once again invites us to understand that our participation in this Kingdom, and our association with it, also gives us reflection of that treasure and value in ourselves.  This shows in qualities like goodness and righteousness, a love of the truth and beauty that are part of the treasure, a heartfelt desire for the absolute good that is present within it.  Every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is therefore one who understands that this "field" of the Kingdom is one that intersects our lives on any number of levels, and throughout time.  It is in the writings and experience of the prophets and those who were capable of participation in this Kingdom, no matter how partial their understanding of Christ to come.  It is in all the saints, known and unknown to us, who have lived or will live in our world.  Recently, the Church celebrated All Saints Day.  Actually, in many traditions, "all saints" are celebrated on many occasions throughout the year.  These saints are people who love God with a devotion that is inspiring and beautiful.  They form points of treasure in our world, if you will.  Through them the Kingdom also intersects our world, bringing us beauty and light not found elsewhere.  These are not simply celebrated individuals, but also countless others whom we don't know and can't name.  To participate in this Kingdom, this great pearl of unsurpassed beauty, is to share in the light and worth that saints bring to life and share with our world -- the glory of spiritual beauty being something like the sheen of a pure pearl.  In this Kingdom, time and space create no barrier nor limit -- all that reflects it is of great value, as treasure in our lives.  It is, indeed, the field can unify through all things.  Let us draw upon it, even with every breath of life, and allow it to change who we are and how we see that we, too, can bring beauty to the world (5:14-16).