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 has begun teaching in parables.  He began with the parable of the Sower; then we read His explanation for why He speaks in parables, and He also explained the parable to His disciples.  Next He taught the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, and after that the parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven.  In yesterday's reading, 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, 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 illustrates those who unintentionally stumble onto Christ and His Church, yet receive Christ 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 are they values by individuals immersed in worldliness.  In both of these parables, to receive the treasure 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."   This image of the fishing net which gathers together all the good and the bad is, in this sense, similar to that of the wheat and the tares (see this reading for the parable, and its explanation above, in yesterday's reading).   My study Bible tells us that this parable further emphasizes that even those 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's commentary on this subject, in which he states 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, it says, will draw from the unity of the new and old Testaments, for both are holy, with the New being the fulfillment of the Old.  This is truly how Matthew composed his gospel, as repeatedly we read "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken" citing the fulfillment of the Old in the New (see Matthew 1:22; 2:15, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:35).  These examples teach the intervention of God throughout history, and demonstrate the continuity between the Old and New Covenants, indicating the beginning of this new creation in Christ's gospel of the kingdom. 

 

So what do we think of as treasure, and why does Jesus speak of treasure?  Clearly, treasure gives us an understanding of something of great worth, invaluable in comparison to the rest of the things of the world.  A treasure is something we prize and protect, we value it exceedingly and cherish it.  We look at it over and over again, and marvel at its beauty and worth, and what it means to us.  Over and over again, a true treasure will reveal to us something new at which to marvel or to appreciate.  This is how Jesus illustrates the kingdom of heaven, as a treasure hidden in a field, which gives such great joy it's worth selling everything else to have it.  It's like a pearl of great price among all other pearls one can find, so worthy of its value that  one may sell everything one has in order to have it.  This is the doctrine of the kingdom, something presented to us as worth everything else, and worth giving everything else up for.  I wonder how many of us can value this precious kingdom we're given by Christ.  How many are capable of even discerning its presence?  It is truly like a prize of tremendous beauty, that will add that beauty to everything else in our lives, because its value begins to shine in us and through us and reflect back to us in the beautiful things in the world.  We might marvel, as did Christ, at the beauty of the lilies of the field (Matthew 6:28-30), which Jesus says are clothed by God in glory -- and so, Christ points out, that if God even arrays flowers in a field in such beauty, how much beauty does God find in human beings?  If we think about pearls in ancient times, we understand that we are speaking of pure nacre and a symbol of purity.  That is, a pearl (before modern cultivation methods) was something which was the same substance from the inside to the outside.  The brilliant glow of the nacre, and the purity of a true "pearl of great price" would make it worth every other prize and possession, and more.  It is a true illustration of the beauty and glory of the kingdom.  In each case, Jesus makes it clear that this kingdom can be a part of our lives, something we treasure and which adds luster and beauty to everything else we have or see or do, lending meaning and power.  If we look at the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, and its counterpart in today's reading, the dragnet which collects good and bad, we understand that both the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price illustrate the way that God sees us when we hold Christ's treasure and pearls dear, and treasure them within ourselves.  When we hold the things of God precious, so God finds us precious, and seeks us as God's treasure in that great dragnet.  It's important to note that in Jesus' explanation for both this parable of the dragnet, and in the one of the wheat and tares, it is the angels who do the sorting and reaping:  this judgment is not up to us, nor it is our work to do.  Ours is to know and seek the pearl of great price, the treasure hidden in a field, and to cherish it ourselves, growing to become more like it -- so that God may find in us God's treasure.  Like a truly loving parent, as Gods' children, or "sons of the kingdom" as Jesus put it in the explanation of the parable of the Wheat and the Tares (above), we are God's treasure in this world, those who "shine forth like the sun."   By choosing the right treasure, and dwelling in its teachings and meanings, living its life, we become more like that pearl, and more like that treasure hidden in a field.  We become the ones sought by the angels, and treasured by God as heirs and children who bear God's name in the world, even the glory of the kingdom of heaven.