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

Christ Pantocrator (detail from Deisis mosaic).  1261, Haghia Sophia cathedral, Constantinople (Istanbul)

 "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 has 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,  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 has found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."  My study bible takes these two parables together in a commentary.  It explains that the parable of the treasure hidden in a field is an illustration of those who unintentionally stumble onto Christ and His Church, but nevertheless receive Christ with great eagerness.  The parable of the pearl of great price is an illustration of those who have been searching in their hearts for Christ, and finally find Him and His Church.  The other pearls give a picture of all the varied teachings and philosophies of the world.  These treasures are hidden in the fact that they are not recognized nor valued by the people who are immersed in worldliness.  In both parables, to receive the treasure asks of the purchaser that everything else must be sold.  In other words, a person surrenders everything else 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."    My study bible comments that the image of the fishing net, which gathers the good and wicked together, is similar to the parable of the wheat and the tares.  (See yesterday's reading, above, in which Jesus gives His interpretation of that parable to the disciples; and also His original telling of the parable in this reading from last week.)   However, the parable of the fishing net further emphasizes that even those who are gathered into 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 here, who comments 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, my study bible says, will draw from the unity of the new and old Testaments, as both are holy, with the New being the fulfillment of the Old.   This, in fact, is how Matthew composed his gospel, in which we frequently read of events which happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken (see 1:22; 2:15, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:35).

So, what is treasure to you?  What constitutes treasure?  A treasure is something more prized above all else.  It is something coveted, and zealously guarded, as that which brings and adds value to us and to our lives.  A treasure is something which is loved, held highest in value, given esteem in some sense.  A treasure is also something which we will go out of our way and make the greatest effort to preserve and to protect, even to enhance its value if possible.  All of these qualities Jesus ascribes to the kingdom of heaven, teaching those who would be His followers about how they should prize what He offers, and what they might participate in and be a part of through His ministry.  In the parables of the treasure hidden in a field and the pearl of great price, we're told that this one prized thing is worthy of the sacrifice of everything else in order to have it.  The treasure hidden in the field reminds us of the secret and hidden nature of this treasure as well.  It's in the prayers we say in secret to our Father in the secret place, and who hears in secret (Matthew 6:6).   The very word mystery, so frequently given to us as part of the Church and all of her sacraments, means "hidden" or "secret" -- and so we are given yet another understanding of this Kingdom.  It may not appear to all, nor be apparent to anyone else, but becomes real and present to us through faith.   The parables of the mustard seed and leaven also gave us hints of the hidden mystery of the Kingdom.  The leaven was hidden in the meal until it transformed the whole thing through an inner, mysterious action.  The tiniest of seeds produced a great tree.  The pearl of great price is the parable most often cited when we're speaking about the value and worth of this mystery of the Kingdom.  But even such a pearl and its value would not be obvious to everyone.  It would take a kind of expertise, and one who has searched such treasures with a long experience, to know it when he or she found it.  Again, the parable speaks of a kind of mystery that only some will know and understand.  Perhaps in looking at these parables and the "hiddenness" that we find in them, we come to understand another important facet of our faith and about the Kingdom.  Not everybody is going to love this or understanding it.  Not everybody is going to value it, or be aware of its value.  Each parable asks us to be aware of what it is that we are being offered, and even if no one else knows or understands what treasure we have, we are to value it as priceless, and above all other things.  Finally, in today's reading, Jesus gives us yet another parable invoking the image of judgment.  We will find in this world both good and bad, valuable and worthless, all somehow bound up together.  But that is not to be our concern except for our need for discernment.  This is the way that things must be, and only God's judgment is to separate good from bad, and that will come at the end of the age.  Our work is to hear His commandments, to value what He offers, and to be the best disciples that we can be, even in the midst of a confusing world where not everyone is going to value the same things that we do.  Finally Jesus speaks once again of treasure:  "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."  We have a long, long tradition of treasures, and each year, each century, every saint, and every faithful person, brings more to this treasure.  New or old makes no difference to the value of the treasure -- each one adds to the other.  Let us consider the frame of mind which Jesus asks of us:  we are to learn to discern true value, and live by such an understanding.  We place the treasure of this Kingdom first, and we recognize its value and the worthiness of all parts of it, both old and new.  This isn't a fad and it isn't a fashion.  It's not the "latest thing" -- but it is the greatest thing.  Let us live in accordance with the vast value He places upon this treasure.  In the icon above, which is the center of a mosaic in Haghia Sophia ("Holy Wisdom"), the cathedral of Constantinople, we see Christ as ruler of all.  He is pictured holding the Gospel, the living word.  We notice its bejeweled and golden cover, indicating that it is the true treasure.  It almost looks like a treasure box.  But let us remember that the treasure is "hidden" within, in His living word to us and given for us -- even as He is also the "Living Word" who gave His life for ours.