The whole story
Matthew 13
To read if you have time to take it all in.
The key episode
Matthew 13:44-46
Read this if you only have time for the main narrative.
The tale in a nutshell
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:45-46
Most people recognise that the heart of Jesus’ teaching is the coming of the kingdom of God and many of his parables are ‘parables of the kingdom’. Several are gathered together in Matthew 13, Mark 4 and Luke 13, yet the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl only appear in Matthew’s Gospel. They are very brief and seem to be linked in some way.
Before thinking about any particular parable we need to clarify exactly how we understand Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom of God (or kingdom of heaven as Matthew calls it - and that’s what we’ll call it from now on; we don’t think there is any difference between kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven). Scores of books have been written about this in the last century so what follows is just a sketch.
Many people have thought that the kingdom of heaven is simply a description of that future time when Jesus will return. He will judge the Earth and set up his own perfect reign on Earth. But, at various points in the Gospels (eg Luke 11:20), Jesus seems to suggest that the kingdom of heaven has arrived or, as John the Baptist said, has come very near. Jesus, as king, is bringing his own reign by his own ministry. Wherever the king is, you’ll find his kingdom. Or, to put it another way, wherever God is at work by the power of his Spirit, that’s where the kingdom of heaven is. During Jesus’ ministry, people still died and weren’t raised again, people suffered and weren’t healed, wrong was not always put right. But evidence of the kingdom of heaven breaking in was clear to see, as Jesus told John the Baptist (Matthew 11:2-11).
These stories primarily focus on the way that the man and the merchant pursue their find. The excitement of discovery ripples through these parables
What are these parables really about?
Some parables have a huge wealth of detail, like the sower (Matthew 13:1-23) or the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). These parables seem to invite you to identify what all the component parts refer to: whats the seed and the different soils are and who is the sower, the priest or Levite are. In the parable of the sower, Jesus does make that explicit, but not so with the parable of the good Samaritan. However, with any of these parables we still have to identify the central message and not get lost in the detail.
But even when there are few details, you can still guarantee that there will be a huge number of interpretations. In the case of these two parables, among other things, the treasure has been thought to be Christ himself, the Scriptures, heaven, desirable virtues and even virginity! The selling up of everything, in both cases, has been thought to represent personal perfection, the rejection of worldly values, almsgiving and so on. The pearl has been thought to be Christ himself, Christianity, Jesus’ teaching; and if the merchant is thought to be Christ, then the pearl must be the church or individual Christians. How confusing!
Jesus is clearly talking here about the kingdom of heaven with the suggestion that both the treasure and the pearl are out there waiting to be discovered. That much is sure. But, is he focusing on the treasure or pearls, the man or the merchant? We don’t think so. There isn’t much detail about any of them, except that the treasure in the first parable is hidden. (By the way, it has been said that the actions of the first man could be regarded as unethical since he conceals the value of his find from the person he buys the field from! Hardly in keeping with the Bible’s teaching. He may even have been trespassing! Perhaps this should alert us not to identify too much with the man.)
Putting it simply, both stories primarily focus on the way that the man and the merchant pursue their find. Both take steps to ensure that nothing stops them from getting what they want - the treasure and the pearl. Their behaviour is impressively extravagant. Both sell everything in order to achieve what they want. Their actions are sudden, immediate, enthusiastic and, in the first parable, joyful. The excitement of discovery ripples through these parables.
A secondary focus is upon the supreme value of both the treasure and the pearl. Jim Elliot, an American missionary to the Huaorani people in Ecuador, was martyred by these very people in 1956. He is famous for writing: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Since these two parables are so clearly linked together, what are the differences between them? In the first case, the man had hardly deliberately set out to find the treasure. The parable doesn’t suggest that. No Google search engine was at his disposal! He appears to have stumbled upon it and, as a result, seems to be surprised at his find. Throughout Matthew 13 Jesus suggests the kingdom of heaven is hidden and mysterious. People come across it by surprise, which creates such joy!
In contrast, the merchant is intentionally on the look-out for the pearl. He has identified what he’s looking for and so will recognise it when he sees it. We might compare this with the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23). Of course, not everyone recognises things of great value when they see them.
Wonder and fascination, curiosity and enthusiasm are natural to children. A sense of seeking meaning and identity is common to many young people
The determined search
Children, young people and even adults enjoy searching for things with the satisfaction of finding them. This is a common theme in children’s and young adult fiction - the search for what is missing or finding the key to unlock whatever is currently concealed or misunderstood. Wonder and fascination, curiosity and enthusiasm are natural to children. A sense of seeking meaning and identity is common to many young people, although they may not be fully aware of it.
Those working with children and young people are privileged to walk with them in their search, to stimulate curiosity, to ask questions, to listen to what they are asking and to encourage them to listen to and learn from others. Of course, we know that ultimately, as Augustine said in his Confessions: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” The great thing about Jesus’ parables is that they often penetrate sharply into our deepest needs.
Sadly, adults have often lost the capacity to be curious, to question, to learn from others. They have got stuck. This is one reason why it is often children and young people who are the ones who most easily come to faith. They can be our teachers!
Reflect
How ‘stuck’ are you, closed to new ways of exploring your life with God? When did you last ask someone a question about God and, not satisfied, force them to clarify, or asked someone else or done your own research, refusing to give up on it? The merchant knew what he was looking for and went out searching for it.
For most of us, the challenge to give up everything for something worthwhile is very attractive - the value of friends or other relationships may be worth it, or maybe the desire for a better life (just think of the risks taken by Syrian refugees), or the appeal of something exquisitely beautiful or meaningful. Many young people are focused on what they want to achieve in life and will make many sacrifices. Sadly, the aspirations of many others are low. We may be able to help them discover and articulate what they most want in life.
But in the context of these parables, how far do we personally see becoming a follower of Christ as accepting the invitation to live dangerously, differently, on a great and eternal adventure, one that it is worth putting above everything else? How do we communicate that with those we seek to disciple?
Like the man in the field there are those in our groups who just stumble across the treasure that awaits them in their journey towards or with God. Those like the merchant are more focused in their search. Either way, it is always going to cost a great deal - total commitment.
Act
The man in the field was motivated by the joy of his find. Children’s and youth ministry can be motivated more by a desire for fun than the experience of joy, of sheer delight in God. How can you ensure that joy characterises your group, clear evidence that the kingdom of heaven has come near?
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