Jesus said to his disciples: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full, they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Do you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes.” And he replied, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”
Gospel Trivia:
The parable is one of the many parables in this section of Matthew’s gospel. It comes after the parables of the Sower, the Weeds and Wheat, and the Mustard seed, among others. It talks about the Kingdom of God (or Heaven), a phrase that is mentioned more than 120 times in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Being mentioned that many times, this subject must be a very important one in the preaching of Jesus. In fact, it can be said that if Jesus had a Personal Mission Statement, it was to preach the Kingdom of God.
This parable is what we consider as a “twin parable.” It presents the Kingdom of God as “like a treasure buried in a field” and “like the merchant searching for fine pearls.” In interpreting a “twin parable,” our search should reveal a meaning that is common to both parables.
- First, we note that the comparison is first as a “treasure” and then as a “merchant.” It would have been more logical for the second comparison to be with the “pearl,” isn’t it? Our search for the common element then should be more of the situation presented in both parts rather than what is common to the “treasure” and the “pearl.”
- Secondly, let us also eliminate the other elements that we may initially think may be common but which, on a deeper analysis, are not? For example, some would interpret that the parable as saying that one has to “search” for the Kingdom of God. But this is doubtful since the finding of the treasure and the pearl are presented as being accidental and a fortunate turn of events. (Note that the parable presents the finder of the treasure as a hired hand who ploughs the field and accidentally finds the treasure).
Others would say that it is the “joy” of finding the Kingdom that is the message of the Gospel. This is also doubtful because “joy” is not at all mentioned in the part of the merchant.
Another interpretation is that one has to “give up everything” for the sake of the Kingdom. This is also tenuous because the merchant has not really given up anything. The merchant, in biblical times, is a wholesaler who buys and sells for a profit. He has simply sold everything to buy the pearl, but eventually plans to sell it (obviously for a profit, instead of simply feasting on it with his eyes).
Finally, the interpretation cannot be the “value” of the Kingdom because the people in Jesus’ times already knew this and were simply awaiting it.
What then is common to both parts of the parable? It is the behavior of both the finder in the field and the merchant. They BOTH ACTED DECISIVELY: they GO, they SELL, and they BUY. There is no more weighing of pros and cons, no more questioning of whether the benefit is worth the cost, or consideration that later may be a better time to commit to spread the Kingdom values.
The message is this: Kingdom of God is not a place, but a condition where God's rule prevails; and where love and forgiveness are the paramount bases of relationships. This condition is so powerful and compelling that anyone who gets a taste of it cannot help but personally commit to it and spread this good news to others. The response to the call to Kingdom building is immediate and total.
Want to know more about the Kingdom of God? Click here for my post on this subject.
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, Parables for Today (Makati: St. Paul's Publications, 1987), pp. 57-60.
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