And then he went and gave all that he had and bought the field in which it is hidden. They said to Him, Yes, Lord. We wonder if the disciples really did understand Jesus here. They will come and study this little nation of Israel in which the secret of world peace has always been hidden, the strange, chosen nation for which our Lord gave his life. New life in Gods kingdom is much more than going to heaven when we die - although that will be wonderful! What would it be? Ask: Does anyone know where pearls come from? The bigger and more perfectly round the pearl, the more valuable it is. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. It was a partial demonstration, never complete, never full. 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. Listen to these words from Romans11. That shows how much he valued this pearl of great price, and how much Jesus values His people. Let me ask you to think that the true treasure for a man lies in the kingdom of God. He knew the aching loneliness, the heartache, the misery, the rejection, the sense of despair, of self-loathing, of emptiness and worthlessness and meaninglessness, and the awful hostility that sin engenders. Then he went and gave all that he had and bought that field of humanity. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he . Such that have ability and leisure, may consult a controversy in Philostratus (l), between two persons, the buyer and seller of a field; in which, after the purchase, a treasure was found, when the seller claimed it as his; urging, that had he known of it, he would never have sold him the field: the buyer, on the other hand, insisted on its being his property; alleging that all was his which was contained in the land bought by him. He set them out as a sample, an example nation, to indicate by visible demonstration what God wants to be and to do with all the other nations of the world. It is: Ua mau ke ea o ka aina ika pono, which I am sure you understand means, "The life of the land is preserved by righteousness." Or maybe the field was for sale and the man was looking it over before deciding whether to buy it. Is not His mother called Mary? - Matthew 13:44 We are not sure what this man was doing in someone else's field. Clearly, the treasure in that field was worth more than everything else that the man owned. He is saying that NOTHING compares in value to the new life that the King wants to give you. When they were cut and polished, they were worth millions of dollars. So he went and sold everything he had. If you want to see how God will act with you as an individual then look at the way he has been acting with Israel as a nation. he said (Matthew 23:13, et al). Assuming that the disciples did understand, they had an advantage over many among the multitudes. He entered into all of that. They have erected great organizations to try to bring it about, to produce this hidden treasure. Something was hidden, lost in the human race, but he uncovered it. i. - Matthew 13:45-46. (Matthew 13:44-46 RSV). I have this beautiful fruit. law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus makes him free from the law of sin and death, , ut pleno jure thesaurum possideret omnemque litium occasionem praecideret, , Three other parables: the Treasure, the Pearl, the Net. Western democracies say that they have found it. Application: The point of these two parables is the great value of being a part of Gods kingdom. He uncovered it but buried it again, and now it is hidden once more. This man was like the people who had listened to Gods promises of long ago, and were waiting for the Messiah, the Savior, to come. Teacher: Call up a volunteer. He ended them, and then he said to the people, "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation that will bring forth the fruits of it," (Matthew 21:43). You see, as our Lord indicates, it is something related to the field, to humanity. He knew that the treasure was better than his home and his belongings. With these clues that our Lord himself has given us, we now have the key to the understanding of this parable. It sure was, and it was right in the mans own backyard! Next week we will go on to see how this parable ties very closely with the next one, the parable of the pearl of great price. ii. When our Lord came into the world and came to Israel he found that this treasure had been lost to the world. We are absolute paupers in God's sight. Divide your class into at least two relay race teams. Jesus told a parable about a man who found something in a field that he did not own. God has not forgotten Israel. When he found it, what did he do? Finding the treasure appears to be by chance. He went home and sold everything he owned: his house, his furniture, his jewelry, his sheep and goats. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house. Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. It is recorded in the motto of that fiftieth state. The church would thereafter demonstrate before men the healing grace of God as we will see in our next study together. In the short course of the three and a half years of our Lord's ministry he uncovered the treasure of Israel, the secret of this nation's life. We pray, Lord Jesus, that we may all apply this to our lives, and that we may understand that you desire to heal us and bring us right now into an experience of joy and glory and gladness and fruitfulness. It is not enough to mouth great words like love and joy and peace and forgiveness; you also have to demonstrate them, or people will never believe the gospel, never accept it, never receive it. The Communists claim that they have found it. So it will be at the end of the age. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. Though they are surrounded and ringed by enemies armed to the teeth who are vowing to wipe every Jew off the face of the earth, Nevertheless, as is obvious, they do not understand the secret of their own life and are trying to produce peace and stability by democratic methods and consensus and compromise. 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. He hideth - That is, he conceals the fact that he has found it; he does not tell of it. 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. Jesus takes away the sin of everyone who trusts in Him (John 1:29). He has but hidden them away again. The discoveries disrupt normal daily life and priorities; they require risk and sacrifice. he hideth, and for joy thereofon perceiving what a treasure he had lighted on, surpassing the worth of all he possessed. (Matthew 21:9, Mark 11:9, John 12:13). That means obedience. But it is very evident that neither has found this secret. 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. This is what Paul tells us in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh chapters of Romans. Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. 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. Something is hidden in the world. 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? a. If you belong to the kingdom, you have the greatest treasure! Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Hard path, rocky places, thorny, and good soil. Main Point: The Kingdom of God is worth far more than anything else. 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. i. In Verses44 and45 Jesus says. There Paul too tells us that God is not through with Israel. The oyster opens its shell to let water and food in. The point of the parables is completely different; the parable of the soils shows how men receive and respond to the Word of God, and the parable of the tares of the field shows how God will divide His true people from false believers at the end of this age. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. The reason he joyfully goes and sells all that he has and buys that field, is that the man understands its true value. Matthew 13, verse 44: "In his joy, he went and sold all he had and bought that field." These two short parables tell the story of the whole Bible. Every scribe: Jesus used the term here simply to describe a teacher. We come to the fifth parable this morning, the parable of the buried treasure. a. He states a case where a man would actually "sacrifice his property," and practice diligence and watchfulness to obtain the wealth which he had discovered. The truth often lies buried: it is like rich veins of ore in the sacred Scriptures; it must be searched out with diligence, and its discovery will repay a man for all his sacrifices, Luke 14:33; Philippians 3:8. the which when a man hath foundthat is, unexpectedly found. And the field, he has told us, is the world, the world of humanity, the human race, all of society. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! And the crowds who had followed him, the multitudes who had hung upon his words faded away. The success and glory of Jesus seemed only to make them more resentful towards Him. You cannot read the Gospel stories without seeing that there came a time in our Lord's ministry when he began to change his message and turn away from the proclamation that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, that he was there in their midst. It is knowing the Father, the King. And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? They fit together but they are not talking about exactly the same thing. 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. 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. Earlier he had pronounced judgment on the outlying cities: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Never, anywhere in Scripture is salvation ever offered to us as something we have to buy, or can buy. But we need to recognize that the parable of the treasure hidden in the field is the first of a series of three which our Lord gave in connection with the other four and on the same day, but, as Matthew is careful to tell us, he gave these to the disciples alone after they had gone back into the house. And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? God is in control. It is not full life because it is life that is separate from God (Isaiah 59:2). You should not love anything or anyone more than you love the King, God Himself. 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. This parable may be understood of Christ's seeking, finding, and purchasing his elect: for, certain it is, that he has sought after them; which implies, that they were lost and going astray; expresses his great love to them, value for them, and desire after them; in doing which, he took much pains, and used much diligence: and certain it also is, These were the best she had to offer. The conduct of the man would be dishonest. 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? Thank God for those documents, but they have no power to hold us together as a people, to preserve our national liberties or our national life. The fate of these ungodly ones will be fire, the most terrible of punishments; but this will not annihilate them; for they shall exhibit the surest tokens of a living woe wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Spurgeon). Bengel's Gnomen Matthew 13:45. The life of this land, like that of any other land, is preserved by righteousness. Years ago I was struck by the closing words of a great address that Winston Churchill gave at Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1950: What prizes lie before all the people if they are worthy of them: peace, food, happiness, leisure, wealth for the masses never known nor dreamed of, the glorious advance into a period of rest and safety for all the hundreds of millions of homes where little children play by the fire, and girls grow up in all their beauty, and young men strive and win in the free enterprise of life. But such is not the case; God did not choose Israel for that purpose. The kingdom of heaven is God's work among men, God's rule and authority in the midst of human affairs. Why? Now notice, secondly, the concealment of the treasure. For more than four hundred years Israel had been an obscure, tiny little nation. God has said that if you will turn back to him, as Israel will some day, he stands ready to heal, ready to forgive, ready to wipe out all the failures, all the transgressions, and to begin in your experience to cause your life to blossom and to come into abundance. So he went away and sold everything he had. Jesus had entered Jerusalem in what we call the triumphal entry. Jodi has over 20 years experience teaching children in large and small group settings. Instead, Jesus is the man who gave all that He had to buy the field. Place your hands together like an oyster shell. Life outside of the kingdom of God is way less than God intended it to be. How often would have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! He sows the tares, and tries to destroy the harvest; and, therefore, the good angels are brought in to celebrate his defeat, and to rejoice together with their Lord in the success of the divine husbandry. (Spurgeon). Treasure seekers searched the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean to find oysters with pearls inside. These two would grow up together and sometimes would be difficult to distinguish, especially at the beginning, but eventually would make their real nature known. We may request cookies to be set on your device. (Romans 11:15 RSV). One of the fascinating things about studying Scripture, especially in a series of parables, is to try to answer questions like that -- to seek to fit the puzzle of the parable to the pattern of life, and see where they correspond. And like the first parable, the man gladly gave up everything he owned to get the pearl. Was this a big hidden treasure? ii. The treasure was so important to him, that he joyfully gave up everything else in the world to gain that treasure. Thus the extravagance of the parable dramatizes the supreme importance of the kingdom. (Carson), ii. But when they do, Paul tells us, they will cause the earth to blossom and the world will move into its promised inheritance. c. He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief: It is truly remarkable that Jesus was, in some manner, limited by their unbelief. Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Jesus compared the kingdom of God to the hidden treasure. 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? The goal of this game is to be the team who collects the most pearls in their bucket. The man who finds the treasure does not simply take it. Instead of being received by the rulers and leaders of the people he was rejected. The field is the world: Significantly, this parable illustrates not necessarily that there will be false believers among true believers in the church (though that is also true to some extent); otherwise Jesus would have explained that the field is thechurch. - Matthew 13:44, Props: Small plate of fruit, dark glasses, bandana; Strand of pearls (artificial is fine). I hope that this is clear to the many of you, especially those of you who are younger, who are earnestly and zealously and quite dedicatedly trying to pursue world peace. For permission to use this content, please review 13:49). The person who finds the treasure joyfully "sells all" to buy the field (13:44). He would be really endeavoring to gain property belonging to another at far less than its real value, and the principle of real integrity would require him to inform the owner of the discovery. And sometimes a piece of sand or shell gets in. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the spirit forces that are in high places." 5. The "sea" here is clearly the world, since that is where people are gathered from by the angels (Matt. 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. Notice that the man sold EVERYTHING. New American Standard Version The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. They bring to mind the words of Philippians2: "Though he was equal with God he did not count it a thing to be held on to But he emptied himself, disenfranchised himself, pauperized himself -- he gave all that he had -- and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross," (Philippians 2:8). Message transcript and recording 1971 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. As long as God chooses to work in concert with human agency, developing our ability to partner with Him, our unbelief can and may hinder the work of God. Therefore, those closest to truly spiritual people see just how normal they are and sometimes think that they arent spiritual because they are normal. 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 treasure is the secret of international peace, of harmony among the nations. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. d. The reapers are angels The Son of Man will send out His angels: We often dont consider that the angels of God have a special role in the judgment of the world. Listen for answers. There is a man, and there is a field. She was no inconsiderable monarch herself. Finally, there was good soil. John 6:42). (France), ii. He, too, knew that nothing he owned could compare to the great treasure he had finally found. How do you find this secret? Matthew 12. Ask: Who can remember the four different soils Jesus talked about? Matthew 13:44-46 The Word of God . Take off the glasses and bandana and allow the volunteer to eat the fruit. To follow knowledge, like a sinking star. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure that was hidden in a field. Augustine made the interpretation official struggling against the DonatistsMost Reformers followed the same line. (Carson). Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. Consider the words of Jim Elliot, He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. The emphasis is not on what we give up, but on the unfathomable new life that is being offered to us. It recognizes the allure and the mystery which always gathers around the notion of hidden treasure. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. Matthew 13:45-46. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" They have not found it yet. The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet: Jesus shows that the world will remain divided right up until the end, and the Church will not reform the world, ushering in the kingdom. The oyster creates a coating that covers the sand or shell. This one features a merchant in search of fine pearls. Life outside the kingdom is sort of like this. '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. That is what keeps a nation strong. This powerfully shows how Jesus gave everything to redeem the whole world to preserve a treasure in it, and the treasure is His people. 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. iii. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. Jesus came, he says, and found a treasure hidden in humanity. The Lord Jesus says that he came and uncovered for a brief time the secret of world peace and prosperity. This parable likely also fired the imaginations of Jesus' listeners, because it pictures unexpected good fortune. Did not choose Israel for that purpose buy it never, anywhere in Scripture is salvation ever to... 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