The Hidden Treasure and Pearl of Great Price...two short parables...by Jesus Mat 13:44-46
Matthew 13:44-46 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls: 46 and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Introduction:
1. Many of us here today are trying to find something to better ourselves. We are constantly looking for ways to better our health, wealth, and our happiness. This has been the case for many years of man. We all look to do something better with our lives. Each of us seek to be better off than our worse off.
2. All of us would love to find buried treasure, in this lesson Jesus tells a parable of buried treasure. A parable is a laying along side a physical truth with a similar spiritual truth. Parables help us understand the higher spiritual truths by relating that truth to a physical truth.
3. In this section of Scriptures, Jesus tells us a couple of parables along the lines of finding something of great value and then giving everything we have in order to receive that gift of precious value.
I. The Hidden Treasure
A. The Physical Truth Illustrated (Mat 13:44)
1. The kingdom of Heaven is like hidden treasure
a. In countries that are not as modern or advanced as our country, there are few banks and secure places to keep one’s money, especially in the time this parable was told.
b. So without banks, people would take their treasures and hide them in the ground. We all have heard of people hiding money in jars, as a way of saving for a rainy day.
c. Jesus tells us that the kingdom of God is like buried treasure, we may not even know it is there, but when we find it we rejoice.
2. A man finds (not looking for it but just finds it)
a. This man finds the treasure someone else had buried. The most reasonable explanation would be that the original owner of the treasure had died before telling where he buried the treasure and so no one even knew.
b. Picture this: This man walking along a piece of property sees something out of the corner of his eye and investigates to determine what it was, and he finds it is buried treasure.
c. He is excited and maybe even wonders if the owner of the land knows it is there
3. He hides the hidden treasure again
a. The man did not know for sure if the owner knew it was there and he puts it back and decides to buy the land.
b. You and I if we were walking along and found a gold mine on some property we would not tell everyone but would do some investigating to see if we could buy the land and then mine the gold.
c. Notice he did not take the treasure but had integrity concerning stealing someone else’s property. However some say it is dishonest to buy something when you know it is worth more than you are paying, in either case Jesus did not condone or condemn the man for his intentions. Jesus was stating a physical truth to illustrate a higher spiritual truth.
4. He sells all and buys the field
a. The man realizing the value of the treasure is worth more than all that he has seeks to sell everything in order to buy this piece of property.
b. He makes an offer to buy the field from its owner and the owner did not know the treasure was there or else he would not have sold it. You and I can imagine that the man buying the field made the owner an offer he could not refuse.
c. The owner of the land sells the property to the buyer. According to the Jewish Law this made the treasure belong to the buyer.
B. The Spiritual Truth Illustrated
1. The kingdom is compared to treasure that is hidden
a. Jesus says there are few that enter into the kingdom of God. Most people do not want to hear the good news of God.
b. Most people want to do whatever it is they want to do without having to conform to the image of Jesus. Most people intend to do good but will end up in Hell. They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
c. In this case the knowledge of the great treasure is the knowledge of the kingdom of God. Many people reject the morals, ethics, sin, and punishment that the Kingdom of Heaven demands, but most people will be lost.
2. When a man finds it he hides that knowledge within himself
a. This man was not seeking the treasure but just happened up on it.
b. You and I when we invite someone to church we are asking them to consider buying the treasure that has been hidden from many.
c. The man took the knowledge of the treasure within himself knowing the treasure was worth more than anything else he had, just like you and I know that eternal life and salvation from sin is worth more than anything that you and I have.
3. Then after considering the matter he sells everything in order to buy it
a. The man had to decide if the treasure was worth selling everything he had to buy it
b. He reasoned that everything he had was worth selling in order to buy that treasure.
c. Just like those that become citizens of the Kingdom of God thought giving everything they had is worth the promises guaranteed to the citizens of the Kingdom of God.
II. The Pearl of Great Price (Mat 13:45-46)
A. The Physical Truth Illustrated
1. A Merchant seeking goodly pearls
a. Any person that buys and sells in a certain trade will have trained himself or herself to recognize value in the products they buy and sell.
b. He is not just seeking pearls but goodly pearls, goodly means that which is beautiful and better than others. He was a person looking and trading in the highest quality of pearls.
c. To seek is to hunt it out, to leave no stones unturned but to dig deep in order to find something others would over look.
2. Finds one perfect pearl worth more than any other
a. When we are looking for the best of anything and then find it, it makes us happy
b. During his seeking he runs across a pearl of great value. Being a person known for trading in high quality pearls, he realizes that this pearl is the best he has or will ever see.
3. Sells all he has and buys the pearl of great price
a. This merchant takes the knowledge of that pearl within himself and makes a decision.
b. He decides to buy the pearl that is more precious than any other he has ever seen.
c. He sells all of his goods so he will have enough to buy that pearl of great value.
B. The Spiritual Truth Illustrated
1. Those who are in the kingdom of God have done what the merchant did
a. The merchant made himself fit for the trade he was in. He had to train himself to determine if a pearl was good or bad. The man had to determine if it would be profitable.
b. All of us are in the habit of doing what is best. For those in school, it is best to go to school and do our homework or face the consequences of failing grades, punishment from parents, and not moving on to the next grade level.
c. The Merchant was in the habit of doing what was best for trading pearls.
2. The Merchant seeks goodly pearls or higher truths
a. The merchant did not want any pearls but the good ones. The ones that are of high quality.
b. The spiritual pearls of our lives are the principles of the kingdom of heaven. It would be the knowledge to grow closer to God and become one of His dear children.
c. The merchant was going along his life looking for pearls of truth to help him get to Heaven.
3. The Merchant finds the greatest pearl of all or the greatest truth of all
a. Then one day as he is seeking the pearls of truth he finds the greatest truth of all.
b. He takes that knowledge he found called a pearl of truth and determines if the pearl is worth buying.
4. Sells all other lower pearls in order to have the great pearl of price
a. The merchant was not going to miss out on the pearl of a lifetime. He sells all of his possessions and lays hold on the pearl that surpasses all other pearls.
b. He knew the truth of the kingdom of God once he found it and then took everything that was his and sold it away to lay hold onto the kingdom of God.
III. Application to Ourselves
A. To be eager to lay hold on salvation
1. Some find the kingdom of God by accident
a. Even when you and I are not looking for treasure and find it we should consider if the treasure or in our case the kingdom of God is worth it.
b. When you and I invite someone to church services we are causing or giving them an opportunity to find some buried treasure.
c. Some of you may be Christians by accident; you only went because your mom and dad took you. You never had to look for the truth it was always within your grasps
d. Some people do not look for spiritual things and they happen to meet someone that tells them of the Jesus and His love for us sinners.
2. Some seek out the things of God and find the Kingdom
a. Some folks seek higher truths of life and try to be spiritual and never find them. That is why there is Buddhism, Mormons, Hindus, Jehovah witnesses, and Islamic. They find a pearl but it is not better than the pearl of Jesus and His kingdom.
b. Those that seek will find, as long as they seek and do not determine they know everything already. Since truth is absolute then we have to make a decision to believe truth or error.
c. Those of us who have looked hard for the truth of the Kingdom of God are like the merchant when we find the truth. We rejoice and sell everything in order to lay hold of the great pearl.
3. Either case we need to be eager to lay hold on the kingdom when it is in our grasp
a. No matter how or why you are exposed to the truth of God’s kingdom, it is a choice each of us have to make. Is giving all that I have worth the value of the kingdom of God.
b. We have to decide or we may lose our chance to purchase the treasure or pearl.
B. To be willing to give all
1. The accidental man realized the treasure or kingdom of God was worth more than anything else
a. The man that happened on the treasure decided that the treasure was worth far more than his possessions and sold everything in order to get the reward of treasure.
b. He did not wake up and say well I am going to find some treasure today, but as he went along he was given the opportunity to seize the treasure and he did just that.
2. The seeking man also realized the value of the pearl or kingdom of God
a. The seeking man, had found many pearls that he thought were valuable. Then as he was trading he found one that was better than any other that he had seen.
b. He took all that he had and sold it to buy the pearl of great price.
c. When we hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are faced with a question. That question: “Is living for Jesus worth the rest of my life?” The cost of becoming a Christian is everything. It costs you everything to become part of the kingdom of God.
3. The treasure and the pearl have values that give security to those that have them
a. Treasure in the physical world provides food, clothing, housing, and abundance of life.
b. A pearl or piece of jewelry worth very much can provide the same.
c. Becoming a child of God will do the same to you and I. In Mat 6:24-33, Jesus says that if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness we will have all these things provided for: water, food, and provision for our bodies.
d. The costs of buying that treasure, or pearl is everything. It costs us everything to become a child of God and in return we receive eternal salvation and earthly provision.
C. Have we made that decision?
1. You and I have found the knowledge of the hidden treasure
a. You have a decision to make a lifelong commitment or to recommit your life to the Kingdom of God. You and I have to determine if this treasure the kingdom of God is worth walking out of here today and living for the rest of your life following Jesus and His will.
b. It is a lifetime of deciding to keep the treasure called the kingdom of God. We all must keep ourselves committed to holding on to the promises of the Kingdom of God.
2. You and I have found the pearl of great price
a. We have found the kingdom that no one may enter unless they come through Jesus. Do we all realize that the eternal kingdom of God is worth our buying it?
3. You and I have to make the decision just as the merchant did
a. We have to decide the worth of the treasure or pearl.
b. If that treasure is worth more than anything I have, then I have to decide is it worth spending the rest of my life in order to lay hold on to it.
c. The Merchant knew the value of eternal life and salvation that belongs to the kingdom of God and gave everything in order to lay hold on to its promises.
d. The treasure finder did the same, he knew that he had found something special and decided to purchase it no matter how much it costs him.
Conclusion:
1. Today you are given the opportunity to see the value of the kingdom of God. You can see some of the promises given to those who are in the kingdom of God. Things like salvation from sin, eternal life, hope of heaven, and having everything needed in this life provided for. Jesus is the door into the kingdom of God.
2. We can not go to Heaven in any other way than through Him. Since the kingdom is so valuable there is only one way to purchase into the kingdom of God and that is by obeying the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By doing so then you will have put to death the sin in your life and have Jesus’ righteousness given to you. By securing your soul into the kingdom of God you will have caused God to write your name in the book of Life.
3. In order to become part of the Kingdom of God you must realize we are sinners (Rom 3:23) and that all sinners have a punishment of death to pay that we can not pay (Rom 6:23). That Jesus can provide that payment for our sins if we believe he has died for us (John 3:16). Then after knowing that Jesus died to pay our sin debt, we repent and begin to follow Jesus and turn from our selves (Acts 17:30-31). Then we must make that belief know to others in the form of a confession (Mat 10:32-33). Then we have to be baptized in order to be forgiven of our sin (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38-39). Finally we have to live a lifetime of abiding in the kingdom of God in order to receive the promises that belong to those who are citizens in the kingdom of God.
Father, we ask that you will help us see the value in the kingdom of God that you offer to all men through your Son Jesus, we ask that you will remove everything that hinders us from being reconciled to you, and that you will continue to make a way of salvation for those of us who have been baptized into Christ (Gal 3:27), and secure us into the citizenship found in Heaven, in Jesus name may it be so.
Try…A…Daily Pause for Prayer and Devotional a Wellsaid Christian Devotional about the teachings of Jesus… https://www.anopenbiblestudy.com/blog-by-ben-the-friend...
#benjaminbrianstewart,#Love,#Christianity,#Faith,#Bible,#Jesus,#Prayer,#Art,#ChristianLife,#Gospel,#ChristianInspiration,#Salvation,#ChristianCommunity,#love,#instagood,#photoftheday,#beautiful,#happy,#new,#sports,#entertainment,#technology,#business,#fashion,#health,#travel,#food,#music,#art,#photography
