Ask: Who can remember the four different soils Jesus talked about? Share your treasure! I am sure that these disciples understood this because they were Jews themselves, and they knew their people's history, and what the Old Testament revealed about them. 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. In 1998, a man named James Hill found a small cave full of emeralds on his familys property in North Carolina. In the great series of parables in Matthew13 our Lord gave us, as he said, "The secrets of the kingdom of heaven." a. The one thing they have in common is that they were sown of the Lord, and from the good seed of His Word. [That is, when God set Israel aside, he allowed his delivering word to go out directly to Gentile peoples everywhere so that they might be the visible demonstration of how God can heal and fulfill human life, and Israel was watching -- at least individual Jews have been, all along.] But then the parable says, "Then in his joy the man went and gave all that he had and bought the field." b. (As we saw last time, the parable of the leaven also has been misconstrued to mean something quite different from what our Lord ever intended.) Life outside the kingdom is sort of like this. The person has a change of heart, and he or she truly wants to do Gods will. 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. Yesterday I spent a few hours with Dr.Billy Graham. 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. 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. The man who finds the treasure does not simply take it. He uncovered it. 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. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. Justin Martyr, an ancient writer, testifieth, that our Saviour, ere he entered upon the ministry, made ploughs, yokes, and so forth. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. But you have refused," (Matthew 11:21, Luke 10:13). 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 a. 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). When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. By that he indicated that the privilege of demonstrating the grace of God would he taken from Israel and given to the church. But Jesus came to make the kingdom available to everyone (Mark 1:15). For 1900 years Israel was utterly lost among the nations, dispersed. Then it is up to us to sell all that we have, give it all up, and buy him at any cost. This parable and the one following are different in character than the previous three. The seed starts out really small, but in time it grows to be one of the largest plants in the garden. Put dark glasses on her and tie the handkerchief LOOSELY to cover her nose and mouth (bandit style). Life outside of the kingdom of God is way less than God intended it to be. But when King Solomon met her he began to give presents to her, and his outweighed hers by far. He hideth - That is, he conceals the fact that he has found it; he does not tell of it. That person is part of Gods kingdom. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. a. Then, as you can read in Mark's Gospel, our Lord went into the temple and he stopped the sacrifices. 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. Never, anywhere in Scripture is salvation ever offered to us as something we have to buy, or can buy. 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 . There was no voice of God in their midst, no prophet speaking forth from God. Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. Jesus came and offered the kingdom. Listen to these words from Romans11. The bigger and more perfectly round the pearl, the more valuable it is. Western democracies say that they have found it. a. And Congress is trying to put its finger on where you begin and how you relate peace of heart in an individual to peace among men. Because each of us sins, none of us can do the perfect will of God. He declared it in great messages like the Sermon on the Mount. 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? Psalms 135:4 KJV). Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. (Matthew 13:44-46 RSV). MATTHEW 13:45-46. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. 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. Now we turn to these three private parables given to the disciples: The parable of the hidden treasure, the parable of the pearl of great price, and the parable of the dragnet. ii. But in our own time we are facing an amazing wonder, one of the most remarkable things that has ever taken place in the annals of men, and one of the most dramatic demonstrations of the truth of the Word of God! Finding the treasure appears to be by chance. However, Jesus did not deny their claim to understand. So he unfolded it and unveiled it again. So did Jesus himself, at the utmost cost, buy the world to gain his church, which was the treasure which he desired. (Spurgeon), 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.. "Many turned back," the record says, "and no longer walked with him," (John 6:66). Jodi has over 20 years experience teaching children in large and small group settings. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who was looking for fine pearls. But when they do, Paul tells us, they will cause the earth to blossom and the world will move into its promised inheritance. But then they let greed and worry take over their heart and mind, and that chokes out the truth that they know. The oyster creates a coating that covers the sand or shell. Or maybe the field was for sale and the man was looking it over before deciding whether to buy it. We speak of the Jews as "the chosen people," and unfortunately a very grave misconception of that phrase has arisen. Notice that the man sold EVERYTHING. Something is hidden in the world. THE PARABLE OF THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls" (v. 45). Say: This summer we have been studying the parables that Jesus taught. 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 has but hidden them away again. And you and I are making a great mistake if, as Americans, we think that this country is being held together by the Constitution of the United States or by the Declaration of Independence. 2007 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.. The kingdom of God is FAR more valuable than anything in this world. Assuming that the disciples did understand, they had an advantage over many among the multitudes. That means a recognition of his healing power, and of the fact forgiveness is available for all the injuries and mistakes and wrong doings of our past. (You see, congressmen don't spend all their time smoking cigars and kissing babies.) Here is the treasure that will make you rich, because it will pay your debts, and endow you with capacity enough to meet all future expenditure-viz. This casts special scorn upon the great evil angel. He understands that even though he is selling everything to buy that field he is becoming exponentially richer because of the unseen treasure that will belong to whomever owns the field. he said (Matthew 23:13, et al). Was this a big hidden treasure? This time, He compares the kingdom of heaven to treasure found hidden in a field. Again, let me ask you to notice, further, the two ways of finding. c. The enemy who sowed them is the devil: Clearly, the enemy plants counterfeits in the world and in the kingdom community, and this is why merely being a member of the Christian community isnt enough. You can read them in Matthew23 in the sharp series of woes that he pronounced against the Pharisees and the scribes. Say: Jesus continued by telling another, similar parable. The reference, as in the weeds, is not primarily to a mixed church, but to the division among mankind in general which the last judgment will bring to light. (France), 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.. He is telling us that it is worth more than everything else. Now notice, secondly, the concealment of the treasure. The discoveries disrupt normal daily life and priorities; they require risk and sacrifice. And when we know the value of what we have as members of the kingdom, shouldnt we share it with everyone we know? Mr. Hill, the man who found emeralds in his backyard, hired guards to keep watch over his treasure. - Matthew 13:44 We are not sure what this man was doing in someone else's field. This week I was talking with Bill Gwinn, the director of Mt. (Romans 11:15 RSV). Maybe he was a hired helper for the man who owned the field, or maybe he was just passing through. '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 had and bought it . The nation's glory was gone. So, through the course of history, there has been a counterfeit Christianity, a sham religion, a phony, a fake, which bears the name of Christianity but which is absolutely false. 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. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." Basic Supply List: Bible Construction Paper Crayons Candy Bar Sensory Table or large tote Rice I want them to have it in the fullest possible way. (John 10:10). It is right that you should pursue it. But Christ does not intend to vindicate his conduct. Notice that there are two things in this story which are immediately recognizable because we have had them before. What does Matthew 13:44 mean? Something was hidden, lost in the human race, but he uncovered it. For permission to use this content, please review Hard path, rocky places, thorny, and good soil. Is this not the carpenters son? When problems come, they forget all about Gods word. Every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom: Jesus said that everyone who really knows Gods Word both will know the old and learn the new of the kingdom. And then he did an amazing thing. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." (Matthew 13:44) In our day, we can store treasure in the bank or in a safe deposit box. Their hearts receive the message of the kingdom, and the seed takes root and produces lots of spiritual fruit. Though I rather think, that in connection and agreement with the other parables, this is to be understood of such, who are seeking after knowledge in every branch of it, natural, moral, and spiritual; and so may be compared to a "merchant man, seeking goodly pearls"; and who find the Gospel, and prefer it to everything else. i. Jodi has a passion for Biblical ac More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. 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. 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. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Kingdom life is here and now. His conscience is uneasy. The passage for this lection offers a counter-image to this destructive force. They put their trust in Jesus. But is it only a dream? Whatever the reason he was there, he found an amazing treasure, maybe similar to the emeralds. 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. The point of the parable lies in his "earnestness," his anxiety, his care, and his actually obtaining it. Just as in the first parable, the valuable pearl was a symbol of the kingdom of God. ii. Instead, he leaves it there, sells everything he has, and buys the field in order to get the treasure it contains. We often think that spiritual people will be much more strange than normal. a. 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. You are in the heat of the battle, it rages around you. 44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. He covered it up again, buried it again. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Our Lord came and he bought the whole field so that someday he might use the treasure hidden in it to make the world blossom with glory. '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. There would be a partial failure of the seed of the Word because of the conditions of some of the hearts into which it fell. Two weeks ago, we read as Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a mustard seed. he hideth, and for joy thereofon perceiving what a treasure he had lighted on, surpassing the worth of all he possessed. Commentary on Matthew 13:24-30. 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. i. Teacher: Show your pearls. 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? 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). Finds the treasure does not simply take it the message of the treasure sure what this man was doing someone! Of us can do the perfect will of God the Net Pastors Journal, Eng require risk and sacrifice Hill. 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