God’s Word is a treasure of great worth
In this section of Matthew chapter thirteen, we explore the value of finding God’s truth. God’s Word is a treasure that can bring incredible wealth to the reader and the student. But it’s far from a guarantee. Most people who read the Bible will get little to nothing from it. But many people don’t approach the Bible correctly. If the reader will open the pages with an expectation of finding golden nuggets of wisdom, then there is a treasure to be found on every page.
And it’s important to say this, it’s not the wisdom or the mysteries of the Bible that are the real gold mine. It’s the author that is the real treasure that the careful reader will discover.
God is the prize and we should seek Him when we study the text.
On this site, I primarily focus on the prophetic passages. And this article is no different. Matthew records several memorable parables which Jesus taught. Each parable in this chapter had a similar qualifying phrase attached to it. “The kingdom of heaven is like,” Jesus told all these parables and many others to help us understand something. He wasn’t directing our attention to a place in the clouds where God and the angels live. No, the parables help us understand what things will be like right here on the earth at the end of the age. The parables help to complete the picture of our understanding.
Open it and find hidden treasure
Just opening the Bible, gives the reader access to great troves of wisdom and spiritual treasure. There is no doubt that most people would rather have a treasure chest full of gold and jewels than one full of Bibles. I’m sure many Christians would choose the former rather than the chest full of Bibles. And that’s not being critical, just stating the obvious. I would do the same.
Consider it this way. The Bible is full of mystery. The authors wrote in a form that translates like a coded message. And those coded messages came from an all-powerful being from an unknown place in the universe. This being from a distant dimension has reached out to the inhabitants of the earth in hopes of making contact with the most advanced beings on Planet Earth.
In the Bible, we are able to discover the mysterious messages from this powerful God. In fact, the powerful being has specifically reached out to us. He sees that our planet is in trouble. He understands the mistakes we have made and wants to teach us how to solve our problems. If we put it in those sort of science fiction terms, it can sound fascinating. But unfortunately, most people just remember their old Sunday School teacher and the boring lessons.
But don’t let that be you. Dig for the buried treasure and discover the coded messages that lead to eternal life.
Matthew 13:44 Give up everything for the greatest treasure
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again. And from joy, over it, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
In historic times, and certainly in Jesus’ day, it was a common practice to hide a treasure in the ground. There was rarely anything like a bank, and if there was, no one was inclined to trust their money and treasure with strangers. It was better to keep valuable things buried and hidden in the ground. Because there was so much lawlessness, it was often safer than keeping it in one’s home. That would be the first place a thief would choose to search for treasure.
In the telling of this parable, it’s easy to get hung up on the apparent dishonesty of the person who finds the treasure. But avoid that. Always steer away from too many details in any parable. Find the primary points because those are what the listener should grasp. It’s the value of the unexpected find and the joy of the discovery that we need to focus on in this parable.
A surprising find
When a person unexpectedly finds a great treasure, it would be natural for him to make an effort to ensure he doesn’t lose it. We read that he sells everything he has and purchases the field where the treasure is hidden.
In comparative stories, we read that the Apostle Paul left his Jewish faith. Matthew was a wealthy tax collector, but he gave that up. Barnabas sold all of his lands and gave the proceeds to the church. Then he went into full-time ministry with Paul.
In contrast, we read about the rich young ruler who asked Jesus how to have eternal life. For that man, the answer was too difficult. Jesus asked him to give up everything.
Matthew 13:45 A merchant sought fine pearls
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls.”
In the pearl of great price, we have the same message but with a different prize. A good teacher speaks to the entire audience, so Jesus varied his points of interest. A buried chest of gold would entice most listeners. But for some, they might be more intrigued by one unique pearl.
Matthew 13:46 The merchant found one pearl of great price
“And upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
Just like the man who found the chest of treasures in a field, this man who sought his treasure in pearls. When he found his greatest prize, he gave up everything to purchase it.
Matthew 13:47 The Gospel of the kingdom is for every kind
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea and gathering fish of every kind.”
The first disciples were fishermen. Peter and his brother Andrew were two of the first to join Jesus’ team. James, John, Philip, and Nathaniel followed at about the same time. They were part of a close-knit fishing community. And they were also spiritually hungry, that’s why the Lord called them. And when he did, he told them, he would teach them to become fishers of men. After three years, they hadn’t yet learned what that meant.
Soon after the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples were hurt and confused and thought their ministry days were over. Peter tried to get the fishing business going again. One day, in despair, he said, “I’m going fishing.” Several of the disciples joined him. But Jesus met them on the beach after a long night of fishing with no luck.
Jesus cooks breakfast
“Have you any meat!” Jesus hollered from the shore, knowing they hadn’t caught anything. After miraculously filling their nets, Jesus prepared breakfast for the crew. They sat around the fire and ate the fish Jesus had cooked. It was there that he renewed their call to preach the Gospel.
Preach to every nation, tribe, and people. In this parable, the net gathered in fish of every kind. It’s funny that many people label Christianity a western religion or even a white man’s religion. But it started with olive or brown-skinned men and women from the Middle East. It spread from there to the Far East, Africa, and then to Europe.
The Gospel is for everyone.
Matthew 13:48 The fishermen pulled in their treasure
“And when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach, and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away.”
In the Lord’s Olivet Discourse, he said the Gospel of the kingdom would be preached unto all the world. And then the end will come. This parable of the fishing net paints a similar picture. The net became full, so they hauled in their nets. As Jesus said, the preaching of the cross (The Gospel) will continue until the end.
Next, we read of a scene that was a familiar sight along the numerous fishing villages around the Lake of Galilee. Wealthy fishermen would bring in their boats. And those who couldn’t afford boats would draw in their nets that had lined the shores since the early morning. They would strain to pull in the heavy netting and bring it onto dry ground. The stinky fish would flop in desperation as they gasped for air.
Stumps and stools were set up along the edging of the nets, with clay vessels nearby. One by one the fishermen would evaluate their treasure. The good fish were tossed into chosen containers, while the bad or dead ones were set aside or left to dry in the sun.
It was a bad time for all of the fish, but the imagery was chosen because the listeners would understand. Jesus compared the choosing of the good and bad fish to the end of the age. At that time, it will not be fish that the angels will choose from.
Matthew 13:49 The angels of God separate the wicked and righteous
“So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous.”
There will be an end. Ignoring it or dismissing it as myth won’t change the truth. Just like in the parable of the tares, the separation of the two kinds will come at the end of humanity’s rule on this earth. When the net is drawn into the boat or on the shore, the fishermen gather to evaluate their catch. Whenever the fishermen pulled in their net, not everything was worth keeping. The same is true in Churches around the world. When the Gospel is preached, many hungry people come looking for truth. But not everyone takes the bait, so to speak. Not all who enter the Church are genuine Christians. Though the net appears full, not all the fish will be worth keeping. And everyone who names the name of Christ will still have to answer to God who knows the hearts of everyone. No one will be able to pretend their way into heaven.
The angels will begin to gather up the wicked and the righteous. It will be too late at that point. When the angel comes to you or me, there won’t be time to change our ways. There won’t be a debate about motives. And if we think we can summon up some good excuses, we will be wrong about that.
Get that work done before that time. See here.
Matthew 13:50 There will be weeping.
“And will throw them into the furnace of fire. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Jesus didn’t fail to keep this dreadful truth at the forefront of the minds of his disciples. There is a coming day of judgment. Any Christian teacher who ignores this isn’t faithfully following the Lord. He came and died in order to provide a way for millions to escape this end. Jesus came to preach salvation from the fire of judgment. The disciples were to do the same. At that end, the good and bad will be collected and then separated. Jesus, the gentle shepherd, spoke often of the sufferings of those who reject God’s truth. So it must have been a truth he felt deeply about. It is a part of his message that he didn’t want people to miss.
Because of his love for humanity he came and died for the lost. And it was that same love that stirred him to tell everyone of the consequences of rejecting God’s truth.
Matthew 13:51 Do you understand?
“Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes.”
Here we have an obvious question from the master teacher. And it’s followed by an equally obvious reply. They said they did, but did the disciples really understand? Well, I think we can safely conclude that they were on the path to learning. And that is the best we can say for all of us. The verb translated understood, is the same one used in the parable of the sower. It refers to ‘head knowledge,’ but the broader implication is the spiritual application. Getting the ‘head knowledge’ was one step but if the disciples were to become effective teachers then the application of the spiritual truth was more important.
Jesus asked this question right after he gave a brief but graphic description of the severe consequences of lacking understanding. But he wasn’t concerned about the disciples. It was those who they would teach that Jesus was most concerned about.
Jesus could have phrased it another way by asking, “Do you realize how important this is and what the consequences are for those who don’t understand what you will be teaching?” And he could have added, “Please teach this clearly and fervently.”
Matthew 13:52 The diligent student will have a treasure of wisdom
“And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”
In this verse, Jesus uses a title that he had often scorned. He called his potential disciples scribes. Though the scribes of his day were often stubborn and blind to the truth, the role of the scribe was important. You see, the scribes were the diligent students of God’s Word. The scribes of the Jewish schools had a mission. That was to read and know every portion of the scriptures. Jesus was often questioned by the scribes and Pharisees but regarded by many of the common folk as a Rabbi or a great teacher.
So, just as religious Jews sat at the feet of the great Jewish Rabbi Gamaliel, the disciples sat and learned from the greatest Rabbi. But Jesus taught a new covenant and a better understanding of the old law. He was better equipped to interpret its original meaning. The scribes of the New Covenant weren’t teachers of an old law but scribes of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The faithful, hardworking scribe of the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a steward who oversees a large household. In such a household, the steward had many treasures which he found useful in service to his master. In closing this section of parables, Jesus told his friends they now had valuable truths they were able to use in their future ministry. They would need all of the wisdom of God available to them in the challenges they would face in building the Church.
Matthew 13:53 Jesus finished his message and left.
“When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there.”
Matthew writes a fitting conclusion to this collection of parables. Jesus finished the series of allegorical stories and essentially picked up his things and left. We find a similar conclusion of another teaching session in Matthew 11:1. Also, we see in Luke 7:1, where the writer says he completed or concluded his message.
The messages of the parables in Matthew thirteen have two primary focuses. And those are the conditions in the Church as time passes, and the challenges humanity will face at the end of the age.
If you are a prepper, this is the most important thing you should prep for.
Tell me what your favorite parable is and why.
Let me know what you think.