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 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 

 

On Saturday, in the midst of Jesus' beginning to preach in parables, He 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."  The parable of the treasure hidden in a field, my study Bible notes, is an illustration of those who unintentionally stumble onto Christ and His Church, yet receive Him with great eagerness.  The parable of the pearl of great price illustrates those who have been searching in their hearts for Him and finally find Him and His Church.  The other pearls, it says, 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 must be sold; that is, my study Bible says, 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."  Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?"  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  According to my study Bible, the image of the fishing net gathering the good and wicked together is similar to the parable of the wheat and the tares (see Saturday's reading, above).  In this parable, Jesus further emphasizes that even those gathered into the Church are subject to judgment.  

 

 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 tells us that St. John Chrysostom notes on this passage that Jesus does not exclude the Old Testament.  Instead He 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, as both are holy, with the New being the fulfillment of the Old.  This is truly how St. Matthew composed his gospel, in which he repeatedly uses the formula, "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken," referring to passages from the Old Testament (see Matthew 1:22; 2:15, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17, 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:35).

 

 Jesus submits yet more parables to us illustrating the working and characteristics of this kingdom, what it "is like."  (For the earlier parables of the kingdom of heaven, see Matthew 13:1-43.)   The first two parables in today's reading speak of the precious quality of the kingdom of heaven, and how it exceeds the worth of all else we might have in our lives.   Jesus says that "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."  Note how this hidden treasure and pearl of great price are not simply worth every effort, but they so supersede the preciousness of everything else that all else is subordinate to it.  That is, whatever must be done to keep this treasure and this pearl, or whatever must be sacrificed, is worth the cost and the effort.  Jesus teaches, "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 parable points to the continuity of spiritual revelation and wisdom; as St. Chrysostom teaches, the New is the fulfillment of the Old.  It teaches us of the great value of all of this treasure.  But also, like the parable of the tares of the field, He is teaching about judgment, and also about discernment.  Notably it is also a warning to us about the importance of where we place our treasure, what we value and seek in life, that which we cling to.  Additionally, we're given an important teaching about angels; that is, the angels of the kingdom, and the important and active role they play in our world, carrying out the wishes of Christ the judge.  Let us pay careful and even joyful attention to all of the things that Jesus teaches us the kingdom of heaven is "like," for in them we find the greatest treasure, the pearl worth any price, the great sea of the just.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old

 

 "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 our recent readings, Jesus has begun preaching to the crowds in parables, a new innovation in His ministry.   (See the reading from Tuesday of last week, in which we began reading chapter 13 of St. Matthew's Gospel, and the subsequent readings.)  Yesterday 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 notes that the parable of the treasure hidden in a field illustrates those who unintentionally stumble onto Christ and His Church, yet receive Him with great eagerness.  It calls the parable of the pearl of great price an illustration of people who've been searching in their hearts for Christ, and finally find Him and His Church.  The other pearls, in this metaphor, represent all the various teachings and philosophies of the world.  Such treasures are hidden, in that they are not recognized nor valued by people immersed in worldliness.  In both parables, in order to receive the treasure it's required that all 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 the good and wicked altogether is similar to the parable of the wheat and the tares (see this reading for the parable, and also yesterday's reading, above, for Christ's explanation of it).  My study Bible comments that this parable of the dragnet 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, who importantly 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 both new and old Testaments, for both of them are holy, with the New as the fulfillment of the Old.  This is truly the way that St. Matthew composed his gospel, my study Bible adds.  As evidence of this, it notes that St. Matthew repeatedly uses the formula "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken" (see Matthew 2:15, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:35).  My study Bible says that this underscores the intervention of God throughout history, demonstrates the continuity between the Old and New Covenants, and indicates the beginning of the new creation. 

 

Today's reading focuses on treasure.  It invites us to think about what we treasure, what's truly worth treasuring.  Jesus says, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."  He's speaking, of course, of spiritual treasure, and we began this chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel with the parable of the Sower, which Jesus gave us regarding His word as the seed which is sown.  If we look at the whole of the Bible, we know already that Jesus is Lord, and so we can "hear" the same Sower and His valuable seed throughout the Bible.  Thus, the entirety of this spiritual treasure is both old and new, and we must cherish all of it together, for it exists for us as we need it, and will profit by it.   In today's reading, Jesus first gives us two illustrations of the kingdom of heaven.  First, He says, "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."   So this immensely valuable treasure is characterized by Christ as worthy of all else that we have, that we know, or that we base our lives upon.  It is that precious that it's worth the sacrifice of anything else in order to have it.   Next Jesus gives another illustration to ponder:  "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."  As my study Bible says, this illustration augments the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, the understanding of all things being gathered up for sorting at the end of the age. We go back to Christ's illustration of good trees and bad trees, good seed and bad seed, to understand that this dragnet is, in a sense, the Holy Spirit at work in the world.  The angels will come to separate and to gather up, and to cast out the evil and save the righteous.  This dragnet relates also to Christ's word, and to those whom He called to be "fishers of men."  That is, the apostles who would spread Christ's word, His gospel, the seed of the Sower, to all the world.  One thing we can be sure of, that such a net is wide and sweeping, and catching all things that may come into it, extending from the sea floor to its surface.  If this is the picture that Christ has given us of the working of the Kingdom, it is also an affirmation of His teaching that nothing is left out, even every idle word we utter, even the awareness of every hair on our heads (Matthew 10:30).  It's interesting that Jesus' beautiful parables of the Kingdom are punctuated with references to judgment, reminding us that it is what we do with this treasure, and how we will make use of it in our lives, that really counts, that matters in the long scheme of things and the arc of our lives.  Let us then trust to Christ for His good seed, the word He gives us, treasuring it as we should in our hearts, and belonging to His kingdom and the good and precious things He says are worth every price.  For we are each a householder in His kingdom, and we each must value the treasure He gives.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old

 

 "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 selling 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 

 

Presently, we are reading in chapter 13 of Matthew's Gospel, the chapter in which Jesus introduces His style of preaching in parables.  After teaching the parable of the Sower (explaining in private to His disciples), then the parables of the Wheat and the Tares, the Mustard Seed, and the Leaven, 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 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 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 selling beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."   These two parables illustrate the priceless nature of God's Kingdom.  My study Bible 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 receive Him nonetheless with great eagerness.  The parable of the pearl of great price is an illustration of people who, on the other hand, have been searching in their hearts for Him, and finally find Him and His Church.  The other pearls, it says, represent all the various teachings and philosophies of the world.  These treasures are hidden in the sense that they are neither recognized nor valued by those immersed in worldliness.  In both parables, my study Bible further notes, to receive the treasure requires that everything else must be sold; that is, a person must surrender all things in order to receive Christ (see also Romans 14:11).

"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 describes the image of the fishing net gathering the good and wicked as similar to the parable of the wheat and the tares (in this reading).  But this parable extends the understanding 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 the commentary of St. John Chrysostom on this passage, who notes that Jesus does not exclude the Old Testament, but is praising it as a treasure.  Those who truly write or speak of the kingdom of heaven will draw from the unity of both new and old Testaments, for both are holy, with the New the fulfillment of the Old.  My study Bible further comments that this is indeed how St. Matthew composed his gospel.  In this Gospel, we will frequently read the words "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken" accompanied by Scripture from the Old Testament. 

It is amazing and illuminating to consider all these treasures that Christ describes, stretching from the period of the Old and through the New Testaments.  If we roughly generalize that time period, the revelation to Abraham is thought to have been approximately 2,000 years before the birth of Christ, and now we are 2,000 years after it.  Of course, the Old Testament does not begin with Abraham, but with the creation of all the universe, and the existence of the God without beginning.  (Let us once again ponder the beginning of John's Gospel, which echoes Genesis 1, but teaches us about the One who makes all things new; see John 1:1-5.)  The Bible as a whole teaches us about the continual intervention of God throughout our worldly history, and God's revelation to us -- which is all of a whole.  It is all a part of the treasure that Christ describes, "old and new" to us.  When we go through periods of life where we feel a great instability, either on a personal scale or a larger one, we should consider this consistent spiritual revelation throughout the history of the world as a reminder that God is always with us, no matter what our experience or what we think we see in a worldly sense.  Moreover, in the context of today's reading, it might give us pause to observe the evolution of our spirituality through the Bible Scriptures, and the history of worship indicated therein and through the Church.  Because while we may hear within our own understanding of time, so often the words and teachings we're given indicate something timeless, and outside of time.  Christ's miracles may be immediate, but this is part of the manifestation of the divine Son as Incarnate Jesus, a "sign" that the kingdom is present to us in that immediate and extraordinary form.  But we should not confuse, for example, the pearl of great price as indicating that its discovery is a kind of once-in-a-lifetime action only.  For the pearls that Christ gives us, the great pearl that is our faith, is something we need to understand as part of that timelessness of God also that runs through time and history in our world:  it continues to give as we continue to evolve in our faith.  The parable expresses the idea that we give all that we have for this pearl of great price, and we must not necessarily confuse that with a one-time choice, but with an action that continues throughout our lives.  As we are human beings in time, our capacity for repentance comes not as an all-at-once learning curve.  On the contrary, the learning curve of the disciples throughout the Gospels is there so that we learn how we grow in our faith, coming to discard what needs to be put aside, and to more deeply embrace what this pearl of great price does in us, and how Christ leads us.  So let us not be discouraged by what seems a tall order, or setbacks, or confusion, or things that seem to contradict what we find in our lives.  For this pearl of great price is the one thing that unites all contradictions, and it is and must be to that pearl, to our treasure, that we turn to find resolution and to continue "asking, seeking, and knocking" (Matthew 7:7).  Indeed, if we know where our treasure is, every obstacle, setback, or seeming contradiction must work to spur us to look "upward" to that place where all contradictions are resolved, to go to prayer, to seek guidance, to go forward in this journey of faith -- just as we see that spiritual journey of God's revelation in the Bible.  We await, as Christ has taught, the end of the age, when all things will be revealed (1 Corinthians 13:12).  But through everything we experience, we are taught to cling to this treasure, old and new, to learn it more deeply, to pray with it, to experience its truths which deliver us more of the same, and hope, and faith.  For this is the journey we are on, the priceless pearl we have been given, if we can receive it.

 

 

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 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 telling them more 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 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 people who unintentionally happen upon Christ and His Church, but receive Him with great eagerness.  The parable of the pearl of great price shows those who wee searching in their hearts for Christ, and finally find Him and His Church.  The other pearls are meant to represent all the various teachings and philosophies of the world, it says.  These treasures are hidden in that they are neither recognized nor valued by people immersed in worldliness.  In both parables, to receive the true treasure asks of us that everything else be sold.  That is, a person surrenders 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."  Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?"  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."   My study Bible comments on this image of the fishing net gathering the good and wicked together -- noting its similarity to the parable of the wheat and the tares (see yesterday's reading, above).  It explains that this parable further emphasizes that even those gathered into the Church are subject to judgment.  

 

 Then He said to 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 here.  St. Chrysostom notes that Jesus does not exclude the Old Testament.  Instead, it is praised here by Christ as a treasure.  Those who truly write or speak of the kingdom of heaven will draw from the unity of both new and old Testaments.  Both are holy, and the New is the fulfillment of the Old.  This is truly how Matthew composed his gospel, my study Bible adds.  We can see this in Matthew's repeated use of the phrase, "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken" (Matthew 1:22; 2:15, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:35).  

Today's reading asks us to question ourselves, in some sense.  We're asked to question what our own treasure is, or what we think our treasure is.  Christ clearly sets out His own definition of treasure, and that is the kingdom of heaven.  He compares it to a pearl of great price, which is worth selling everything else a person has in order to attain it.  (We have to keep in mind that at Christ's time, pearls had much more value than they do today, as there was no such thing as cultured or farmed pearls -- only natural ones found in the "wild.")   Christ also describes the kingdom of heaven as like treasure hidden in a field, for which a man for joy went and sold all that he had in order to purchase the field.  So clearly He is teaching us that the kingdom of heaven is worth everything else in life, in terms of what we value or how highly we esteem something we may have.  But also contained with these parables about great beauty and great joy and real treasure is also another parable about judgment:  the dragnet that will catch everything at the end of the age, and -- once again, as in yesterday's reading, above -- about the angels who will come and separate out the good and the bad, the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth is a phrase denoting judgment.  So while we have this great and tremendous treasure, of joy and beauty and incomparable, nearly immeasurable price, we also have judgment, and "wailing and gnashing of teeth."  In Jesus' teaching and in His parables we've read in this chapter, those two things come together as part of the teachings He presents.  Somehow, the text insists, you don't get one without the other.  Many of us take great joy in this treasure that surpasses all others, in the pearl of great price.  There is so much beauty that can be seen in the Church, and rightfully so -- and there is beauty in the personal prayer in which we discover God's all-encompassing love, and the compassion of Christ and the saints.  But judgment is not something any of us is happy pondering, and moreover it's in a category of mystery that we can't know the answers to.  We don't know the secrets of judgment, but we're given today's parable (and the earlier parable of the wheat and the tares in yesterday's reading) in order to affirm that there will be a judgment, and to make certain that we are aware of this.  It is a reminder that gifts come from God with a great deal of spiritual power attached to them.  It is our refusal of that gift that is the cause for judgment.  We often think of judgment as punishment, but this isn't really the picture presented here.  Although "wailing and gnashing of teeth" presents us with a certain picture of suffering, that suffering is the result of a failure to grasp this kingdom and embrace it and treasure it.  That failure becomes one of not cherishing what we're given, and not holding it as precious as it truly is.  It's a lack of something due to our own neglect of a priceless treasure in our midst that is offered to us, and so we become part of what is discarded from that dragnet and not kept.  If anything, Christ's parables of judgment are meant to get us to regard what He offers with all seriousness, and not to take lightly what are gifts of God, a revelation of covenant.  In the Old Testament, the Law given by Moses also includes statements of judgment, of what will happen if Israel abandons her covenant with God.  But again, these may seem like punishments, while in reality they are the spiritual consequences of the rejection of such gifts.  Will we accept Christ's treasure, and value it in accordance with its true value?  How does this treasure play a role in your life?  Do you make sacrifices to keep hold of it, to cherish it?  This is the true value of the kingdom of heaven, a treasure which consists of things both old and new.  Let us not neglect our pearl of great price. 

 

 

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.

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.

One pearl of great price

 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a 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 threw 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

On Saturday we read that, after having taught with several parables (see this reading with the parable of the tares of the field, and this one), Jesus sent the crowd 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 a 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."   These parables illustrate the incomparably precious and singularly rare quality of the Kingdom for human beings.  My study bible comments on the desire shown us in these two parables.   The 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 illustrates, on the other hand, those who have been searching in their hearts for Him and finally find Him and His Church.  The other pearls, it says, represent all the various teachings and philosophies of the world.  These treasures, moreover, 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 must be sold.  That is, a person must surrender all things 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 threw 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."   In this image of the fishing net which gathers the good and wicked together, we find again Jesus' reference to good and bad together, as in the parable of the wheat and the tares (see Saturday's reading, above).  My study bible says that the 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."  St. John Chrysostom comments that Jesus does not exclude the Old Testament, but rather praises it as a treasure, my study bible says.  To truly write or speak about the kingdom of heaven means one draws upon the unity of both new and old Testaments.  Both are holy, and the New is fulfillment of the Old.  This is how Matthew composed his gospel, and we frequently read the formula 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 has spoken of Himself as one who has come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (5:17).  In John's Gospel, we learn that He is the Word (John 1:1-18).  The Bible itself is called the living Word, as it is inseparable from our understanding of Christ, and in His teachings today He gives us a sense of the incomparable treasure we have in Him, in the Scriptures, and in the living Kingdom that truly comprises the Church.  Also in John's Gospel, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that "the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24).  Therefore this living treasure, the Kingdom which is with us and within us (Luke 17:20-21), lives and works and is present to us in all of these things, in ways that permeate our lives and are at work in the world, particularly through the Holy Spirit, who speaks not of Himself but gives us the truth of the living Word (John 16:13-15).  Therefore the reality of this treasure is ever-present to us; what was working through the events of the Old Testament comes to us today in spirit and in truth, what Christ taught to the disciples is ever with us in our own lives and as it may nurture and feed us in spirit and in truth.  When we forget that this treasure is living and present, and assume that it is something merely of the past, we lose sight of what we need and the reality of true worship.  What we can see and observe of the world around us,  moreover, teaches us about the significance of love for every human being.  Psychology shows us that even animals need a sense of belonging or they are damaged as creatures, terribly wounded in their own capacity for survival and self-care.  John the Evangelist also gives us the essential understanding that God is love (1 John 4), that the reality of the Church is love, that whatever spirit is against love is that which is against God.  Ultimately, this living treasure that lives through love in spirit and in truth, calls us to love.  It gives us what is good for us in the love of God.  We are called back to Creator, because whatever is going to truly heal and make us whole is that from which we are created in the first place -- and that Source is love.   It is our treasure, because without it we are incomplete, unhealed, not whole.  So Christ calls us to the kingdom of heaven as the great and incomparable treasure, worth every other sacrifice it may ask of us.  This treasure offers us a living love with which we are connected, even when the love we receive in the world is imperfect or damaged or even absent.

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).

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).

One pearl of great price

 "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.