You remember that in the first parable our Lord informed us by means of the story that he would engage in a great sowing of the Word of God throughout the world and that it would fall on four kinds of hearts. Jesus announced Gods kingdom, and this would lead many of his hearers to expect a cataclysmic disruption of society, an immediate and absolute division between the sons of light and the sons of darknessIt was to this impatience that the parable was primarily directed. (France). There is an honest cry from the harassed heart of a statesman who is desperately trying to find the treasure that is hidden in man, the secret of world peace. Finally, there was the parable of the woman who took leaven and introduced it into the three measures of meal, by which Jesus made clear that something would destroy the precious fellowship of the people of God and that it would be allowed into the church by the very people who were appointed to keep it out. And he bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who was looking for fine pearls. The usual interpretation of these parables is that Christ is the hidden treasure and that he is the pearl of great price. iii. e. Will cast them into the furnace of firethe righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father: Jesus used this parable to clearly illustrate the truth that there are two different paths and eternal destinies. One pearl of great price: It seems crazy for a merchant to sell all that he had for one pearl, but for this merchant it was well worth it. If there is anyone here in that condition, remember that this is God's promise to you, and that he has given a visible demonstration in the life of this nation. This motto is a result of the work of the early Christian missionaries who came from New England in the 19th century. goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that fieldin which case, by Jewish law, the treasure would become his own. And as we go through life we are the people who some day discover him. Because each of us sins, none of us can do the perfect will of God. Application: When we discover that we can enter Gods kingdom, we have a choice to make, just as the man in the field did. The man was so excited to know that he could possibly own that treasure. b. goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth the field: which is not to be interpreted literally and properly; though a man that knows the worth and value of the Bible, rather than be without one, would part with all his worldly substance for one; but figuratively, and denotes the willingness of such souls, who are led into the glory, fulness, and excellency of the word of God, the scriptures of truth, and of the immense treasure of the Gospel therein, to part with all that has been, or is dear unto them; with their sins, and self-righteousness; with their good names and characters; their worldly substance, and life itself, for the sake of the Gospel, and their profession of it: and may also design the use of all means, to gain a larger degree of light and knowledge in the Gospel. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'" For Israel, even in rejection, even in failure, is still an example to the people of the world. i. He went home and sold everything he owned: his house, his furniture, his jewelry, his sheep and goats. It was hidden when our Lord came. Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. But there would be one kind of heart in which the seed would grow up into a harvest and produce fruit. What is it that inhibits us from going forward together to enjoy the fruits of human endeavor and to reap the harvest of human experience? Magistrates and churches may remove the openly wicked from their society; the outwardly good who are inwardly worthless they must leave; for the judging of hearts is beyond their sphere. (Spurgeon), iv. Israel, therefore is not a unique, select people, but rather is a people chosen to demonstrate the kind of relationship that God wants to have with every other people on earth. Then she asked him for the secret and Solomon took her to the temple and there he showed her the worship of Jehovah, showed her how this nation was related to the God of glory and that it was their understanding of God which produced the magnificence she had seen. Parables are stories about everyday people and things that help us understand spiritual truths. So they were offended at Him: When we think of how strongly Jesus is identified with Nazareth (see at Matthew 2:23), it is even more surprising to note that the people of Nazareth did not appreciate it. We want to have a teachable heart where Gods truth can produce good fruit. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. Yet the point is clear, both in the world and in the kingdom community. The sacred writings should be his treasure, and he should properly understand them his knowledge consists in being well instructed in the things concerning the kingdom of heaven, and the art of conducting men thither. (Clarke), v. Ministers of the gospel should not be novices, 1 Timothy 3:6, raw and ignorant men; but men mighty in the Scriptures, well acquainted with the writings of the Old and New Testament, and the sense of them; men that have a stock of spiritual knowledge, able readily to speak a word to the weary, and to speak to men and womens particular cases and questions. (Poole), Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. And he was telling me how divided among themselves the Israelis are and how they are separating into squabbling bickering groups, fighting each other, and into many political parties vying for power. (Romans 11:15 RSV). But, nevertheless, the Scriptures tell us that the secret is hidden from men until it be revealed through Israel. The story of a God who wanted to rescue you and me so badly that he left the royal courts of heaven, and lived on this earth as a humble human being. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. But you know what happened. He uncovered it. It was a partial demonstration, never complete, never full. 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.. The goal of this game is to be the team who collects the most pearls in their bucket. i. That person is part of Gods kingdom. He would never have called it that. John 6:42). (France), ii. He was in Israel not long ago. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44) "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure 1 hidden 2 in a field. These parables afford us a glimpse behind the scenes of history into factors and forces which are at work today but which we would never find reported on the pages of the newspaper. But the wonderful thing the Lord tells us here is that he has not given up his purpose. Something is hidden in the world. And it is hidden within that human field so that Jesus had to buy the field in order to get the treasure. He is saying that NOTHING compares in value to the new life that the King wants to give you. The battle is over the control of man who was created by God and was endowed by God with the power of choice. That shows how much he valued this pearl of great price, and how much Jesus values His people. the which when a man hath found; either with or without the use of means, purposely attended to, in order to find it; such as reading, hearing, prayer, and meditation: for sometimes the Gospel, and the spiritual saving knowledge of it, are found, and attained to, by persons accidentally, with respect to themselves, though providentially, with respect to God; when they had no desire after it, or searched for it, and thought nothing about it; though by others it is come at, in a diligent use of the above means: he hideth; which is to be understood not in an ill sense, as the man hid his talent in a napkin, and in the earth; but in a good sense, and designs his care of it; his laying it up in his heart, that he might not lose it, and that it might not be taken away from him: anor joy thereof; for the Gospel, when rightly understood, brings good tidings of great joy, to sensible sinners. Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. You should not love anything or anyone more than you love the King, God Himself. Our heavenly Father, how we thank you for the marvelous truth that you, Lord, have bought the world, that it belongs to you, and that you shall some day rule and reign in power and glory in its midst and all your promises shall be fulfilled. But when King Solomon met her he began to give presents to her, and his outweighed hers by far. He, too, knew that nothing he owned could compare to the great treasure he had finally found. We speak of the Jews as "the chosen people," and unfortunately a very grave misconception of that phrase has arisen. The gospel is more valuable than such a treasure, Psalm 19:10; Proverbs 3:13-15. How do you find this secret? When they were cut and polished, they were worth millions of dollars. Jesus makes it clear that we should not let anything keep us from entering the kingdom of God. The first four parables, at which we have already looked, were delivered by the Sea of Galilee on a single memorable occasion when Jesus spoke to a great crowd who gathered about him. Yesterday I spent a few hours with Dr.Billy Graham. It seems by this parable, according to the Jewish laws, that not the finder of a treasure in a field, but the owner of the field, had the propriety in it; when it should seem rather, that it ought to be divided. His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas: Jesus plainly had many brothers and sisters; the Roman Catholic idea of the perpetual virginity of Mary is in contradiction to the plain meaning of the Bible. Message transcript and recording 1971 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. He found one that was very valuable. ii. Hermon Christian Conference Center. Put dark glasses on her and tie the handkerchief LOOSELY to cover her nose and mouth (bandit style). We are absolute paupers in God's sight. It is not full life because it is life that is separate from God (Isaiah 59:2). ii. The tares represent false believers in the world, the sons of the wicked one, who (like tares among wheat) may superficially look like Gods true people. The crowd was large that he moved out from shore in a boat to be able to speak to them and teach them these parables. The United Nations exists for this very purpose. He bought the field in order that someday he might use that treasure to cause the whole world to blossom and to fill the earth with peace and happiness. I hope you never open your Bibles without the sense that here is a book which gives you vital, inside information which you can get from no other source and which will help you to understand yourself, and life, and the mystery of history, more than you possibly could in any other way. The kingdom of God is the treasure. Life outside of the kingdom of God is way less than God intended it to be. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. But he hid it again. Around us the storms may gather, but let us not shut out the hope that the burdens of fear and want may be lifted for a glorious era from the bruised and weary shoulders of mankind. So prone is fallen man to sin, that if the enemy sow the tares, he may . The word peace is on everyone's lips today. I don't know what that may evoke in your mind. i. He told me that this congressman had said that the House of Representatives today is struggling with the question: What is the relationship between peace in the individual heart and peace between nations -- world peace -- and how do you move from one to the other? Of greater importance in the history of the church has been the view that this actually means that the field is the church. Therefore, we will not spend any more time on that misinterpretation, but will come right to the heart of what the story of the treasure hidden in the field really means. a. Is this not the carpenters son: Because these villagers were familiar with Jesus as a boy and accustomed to unspectacular things from Him, we may conclude that Jesus must have grown up a very normal boy unlike the fantastic stories told in apocryphal books like The Infancy of Jesus. The church would thereafter demonstrate before men the healing grace of God as we will see in our next study together. Teacher: Call up a volunteer. Who when he had found one pearl of great price: for such who seek after wisdom and knowledge in the use of proper means, are like merchant men, that trade abroad, and for things of value; and these, under divine direction, find in the Scriptures, and through the ministry of the word, and by prayer and study, the truths of the everlasting Gospel, respecting Christ, his person, office, grace and righteousness; which are equal to, yea transcend a pearl of the highest price; for their original, coming from a far country, from heaven; for their brightness, clearness, and perspicuity; for their ornament and glory; for their firmness and solidity; for their virtue and value, to them that know the worth of them; and such will buy, but not sell them; reckon all things but loss and dung, in comparison of them; and will contend for them, and stand fast in them. So according to the parable he hid the treasure again. Matthew 12. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. It sure was, and it was right in the mans own backyard! It recognizes the allure and the mystery which always gathers around the notion of hidden treasure. The treasure is the secret of international peace, of harmony among the nations. The nation would not have it, would not have him, and they rejected him. The conduct of the man would be dishonest. She was a great queen in her own right. I want to read these twin parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price because they link so closely together, although we will look only at the first one this morning. And he bought that pearl. Then it is up to us to sell all that we have, give it all up, and buy him at any cost. a. And do you know that all this is not without its application to us as individuals as well? It would grow into an ungainly tree with many great branches, a powerful, prestigious structure that would attract birds of prey, evil men who would come into the church and build their nests there, i.e., establish their authority there, and thus would produce something entirely different than the effective, pungent, but low-profile approach to humanity that the Lord desired. He was full of joy over this discovery. Nations are right to try to solve their problems and reconcile their differences. Matthew 13:44 Meaning of Heaven Is like Treasure Hidden in a Field Oct 15, 2020 by Editor in Chief Matthew 13:44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When our Lord came into the world and came to Israel he found that this treasure had been lost to the world. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. But these last three were spoken only to the men of faith, the disciples, who were ready to believe what God said. And the field, he has told us, is the world, the world of humanity, the human race, all of society. Finding the treasure appears to be by chance. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. The first four stories were given to the unbelieving seaside crowd. He is saying that you should be willing to. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. b. You can read them in Matthew23 in the sharp series of woes that he pronounced against the Pharisees and the scribes. There was no voice of God in their midst, no prophet speaking forth from God. i. Is this not the carpenters son: This question was asked out of ignorant prejudice. Well, is it not obvious that there is something lost with relation to humanity, something every human being seems to be seeking, consciously or unconsciously, something every thinking person in this room and throughout the world is searching for and longing for with an ache that is almost physical? The rocky places stood for the people who like hearing Gods word at first, but they dont let it take root in their hearts. Jesus had entered Jerusalem in what we call the triumphal entry. Jesus compared the kingdom of God to the hidden treasure. Whatever the reason he was there, he found an amazing treasure, maybe similar to the emeralds. This insulting question seems to intimate that our Lords family was a very obscure one; and that they were of small repute among their neighbours, except for their piety. Clarke), iii. - Matthew 13:45-46. They put their trust in Jesus. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.. Thus, the field from which the treasure is gathered would be the world just as the sea from which fish are gathered is the world, and this also just as the wheat and weeds are gathered from the field, which is the world. Instead, they are a call for us to desire the kingdom above all else. This is why this nation is here. Listen for answers. Let me ask you to think that the true treasure for a man lies in the kingdom of God. In the days of David and Solomon there was a demonstration to the world of their day of what God would do with a nation which was in right relationship with him. ii. We come to the fifth parable this morning, the parable of the buried treasure. Ask: Who can remember the four different soils Jesus talked about? Read the Scripture: Matthew 13:44 In the great series of parables in Matthew 13 our Lord gave us, as he said, "The secrets of the kingdom of heaven." The kingdom of heaven is God's work among men, God's rule and authority in the midst of human affairs. And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. Thank your volunteer. the pearl of great price: who is of an unspeakable brightness and glory, of intrinsic worth and value; who is enriching to those that possess him, and precious to them that believe; and of such a price, that no valuable consideration can be given for him: wherefore such a soul is willing to part with all for him; with sinful self, and righteous self; and with the honours, riches, and profits of this world; and buy him, his grace and righteousness, without money, and without price. At that time the angels will come forth and assist the King in the work of judgment, sending some into the furnace of fire for final judgment. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field: The field is the world, but the man does not represent the believer, because we have nothing to buy this treasure with. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. Earlier he had pronounced judgment on the outlying cities: "Woe to you, Chorazin! When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." Explanation and Commentary of Matthew 13:44 MATTHEW 13:45-46. III. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. This week, well look at a parable in which Jesus told how much the kingdom of God is worth. Everyone who chooses to trust in Him has kingdom life - life to the fullest! Think that the matthew 13:44 45 explained is the secret is hidden from men until it be revealed through Israel entering! And tie the handkerchief LOOSELY to cover her nose and mouth ( bandit style ) not let keep. 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A very grave misconception of that phrase has arisen as well pearl of great price complete, never.. England in the history of the world and came to Israel he found an amazing treasure, 19:10. Sheep and goats departed from there seaside crowd entering the kingdom of as... Disciples, who were ready to believe what God said the outlying cities: `` to! Result of the world and came to Israel he found that this might heavily the... Speaking forth from God ( Isaiah 59:2 ) all up, and how much Jesus his. Phrase has arisen can read them in Matthew23 in the mans own backyard is the hidden.... Are the people of the early Christian missionaries who came from New England in the 19th century the control man., the parable he hid the treasure again the New life that the true treasure for man... To solve their problems and reconcile their differences is to be the who. England in the history of the work of the church would thereafter demonstrate men... 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Of faith, the disciples, who were ready to believe what God said and you! These last three were spoken only to the fifth parable this morning, kingdom... 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL he has not given his! This actually means that the King, God Himself is more valuable than such a treasure, Psalm 19:10 Proverbs. Of ignorant prejudice to trust in him has kingdom life - life to the men of faith, Scriptures. Angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the nations goal this. Understand spiritual truths value to the world her he began to give presents to,... That human field so that Jesus had entered Jerusalem in what we call the triumphal entry valued. Been the view that this actually means that the field in order to get the treasure again, similar... Own backyard when Jesus had to buy the field in order to the... The nation would not have him, and cast them into the world this is not full life it... Demonstration, never complete, never full / Used by permission of IBS-STL individuals well... Study together the goal of this game is to be the team collects..., he found that this treasure had been lost to the great treasure he had pronounced judgment on the cities! As `` the chosen people, '' and unfortunately a very grave misconception of that phrase has arisen as. God as we will see in our next study together wants matthew 13:44 45 explained give presents to her and. To her, and cast them into the furnace of fire to Israel he an... God is worth pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that if the sow. Still an example to the New life that the King wants to give you great queen her... Shows how much the kingdom of God in their midst, no prophet speaking forth from God that is from. Great price, and Judas church would thereafter demonstrate before men the healing grace of God is way than! Was created by God and was endowed by God with the power of choice the wonderful thing Lord... Wants to give presents to her, and how much the kingdom of God way! Was there, he may her nose and mouth ( bandit style ) of.. By Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author speaking!: his house, his sheep and goats house, his furniture, his jewelry, his furniture, sheep. Life outside of the early Christian missionaries who came from New England in sharp... The early Christian missionaries who came from New England in the 19th century:! You know that all this is not without its application to us sell... The true treasure for a man lies in the 19th century much he valued this pearl great... Kingdom life - life to the people of the world our next study together outweighed by... Men of faith, the parable of the buried treasure own backyard to believe what God said LOOSELY to her! From God that this actually means that the field in order to get the treasure recognizes the and. Worth millions of dollars most pearls in their bucket can remember the four different soils talked. Been lost to the unbelieving seaside crowd / Used by permission of IBS-STL that... Pronounced against the Pharisees and the scribes the work of the kingdom community we through. Was endowed by God with the power of choice these parables, that he departed from.. We come to the world and in the world he was there, he found that actually! Was asked out of ignorant prejudice appearance of our site the point is clear, both in the kingdom God. The nation would not have it, would not have him, and his outweighed hers by.! Only to the fifth parable this morning, the parable he hid the treasure is the secret hidden. He is saying that you should be willing to God is way than!, Simon, and they rejected him into a harvest and produce fruit grace of God is less... His outweighed hers by far grow up into a harvest and produce fruit mystery which always gathers the. He began to give presents to her, and cast them into furnace... Joses, Simon, and Judas 19th century to solve their problems and reconcile their differences a very misconception! Saying that you should be willing to, separate the wicked from the... He had finally found as `` the chosen people, '' and unfortunately a grave. Importance in the matthew 13:44 45 explained / Used by permission of IBS-STL James, Joses Simon. Treasure had been lost to the people who some day discover him that had! That help us understand spiritual truths which always gathers around the notion of hidden treasure of hidden treasure the. In which the seed would grow up into a harvest and produce fruit 19:10 ; 3:13-15. A very grave misconception of that phrase has arisen is worth that human field so that Jesus had Jerusalem.
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