Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Parable of the Pearl, Matthew 13:44-45

Riches of the kingdom of heaven

The parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl both talk of the riches of the kingdom of heaven. The first parable tells of a treasure found in a field, where we can only suppose that there were no fences and people were permitted to wander and even dig. We walk by it all the time; we might cut through or sit and picnic. But it is only when we stop to look around at the field that we discover the riches there. This man then sells everything. We do not know if he has a wife and children, a business, a car, a house, but he knows that whatever he gives up is worth less than what he will receive.

We take it for granted

How true it is that the treasure of truth and the reality of God is around us all the time. We take for granted that the stars will always hang in the sky and the trees will pour forth fruit and the stream will not run dry. But really all this is part of God’s handiwork and a show of his glory, waiting to be discovered. The kingdom of God is worth discovering and then giving away all we have just to obtain it. Isn’t that what we are asked to do? Take up our cross, lose our life? We are called to give up ourselves, our lives, our livelihoods for our relationships with God, to glorify him. We are called to hand over our children, our marriages, our jobs, our homes, all for his glory.

Surrendered obedience

The treasure in a field is difficult for me to wrap my head around. It is so simply, yet I think it has taken me too many years to understand it to this level. This is about recognizing that Jesus is the center of our universe, and everything revolves around him. Total obedience and surrender are what are illustrated here. I’m sorry the parable ends here. My brain wants to go with the story. What happens after we have taken on the kingdom of heaven as our possession? The man continues to live his life. What does he do?

Know him and glorify him

God wants us to know him (John 17:3) and glorify him (Isaiah 43:6-7). That is what we do once we hand over everything and buy that field. God calls on us to know him, share this knowledge with others as instructed in the commission (Matt 28:16-20). And he wants us to glorify him. Most of us understand what it takes to know him: pray, read the Word, fellowship, worship. But glorifying him seems to be a bit more nebulous. At least, it was to me until recently. But John 17:4 says, ‘I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.’ Jesus brought glory to God by doing what he was assigned to do.

Doing what we are assigned to do brings glory to God. So, perhaps the man went to work again the next day. Don’t be mistaken, he was a different man. He had different priorities and a different perspective. He was full of joy doing his job for God and not man. He was living to share the Word and grow in the knowledge and love of Christ instead of gaining a paycheck. I think we could say he was sharing the treasure he found, sharing the treasure of God, and reveling in the joy of him.

Our portable treasure

The pearl of verse 45 is so similar, but this one is a ‘portable’ treasure. This treasure is of the best quality and finest you can find. This man too sold all he had for the pearl. Unlike the treasure in the field, the pearl could be worn and shown to all. A pearl is not meant to be hidden away in the drawers for a rainy day. I think he would have mounted the pearl on a necklace or ring and worn it for all to see. Just as we are to be a light on a hill or salt of the earth, the pearl is not to be hidden away but rather impact those around us.

Once we have found the treasure, we must share it. We share it by behaving differently from those around us. We share it by no longer being who we were before. We share it in the choices we make. We share it by choosing to know God deeply. We share it by giving glory to God in doing what he has called us to do. If we are digging for riches in the kingdom of heaven, the natural outcome is to share them when we find them.

This post has been updated and revised from the Parables of Matthew series from August 2019.