The Parable of the Treasure, Pearl, and Dragnet

Open your bibles to Matthew 13:44

Tonight we are going to consider three parables our Lord told in successive fashion. We see in these three parables as Matthew has recorded a continued theme of the Kingdom of Heaven and the last of their theme that we will consider this summer. The message of these parables is again quite simple and put together they reach out to men of all sorts to tell of this heavenly Kingdom He is bringing. There is one recurring theme in all of these parables, and that is the worth of the Kingdom of Heaven. Lets look at all three…

The first one is the parable of the hidden treasure. Here is a man that was not looking for a treasure but came upon it naturally. He was not seeking anything in particular, but what was hidden became plain to him. The treasure was already there in the field waiting to be found. The word for treasure means exactly what you would think it means, it is something not of value, but of life changing value. In a sense it drives the persons motivations. Luke 6:45

Luke 6:45 LSB

45 “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil. For his mouth speaks from the abundance of his heart.

And again in Luke

Luke 12:34 LSB

34 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We can see that this is true of the man in the parable because the man finding the treasure covers it back up so as not to have it stolen, but then Jesus says out of Joy he goes and sells all that he has. The treasure has caused something in his heart, it is joy. He is not selling all of his stuff out of covetousness, he does not want to flip it all for a profit. He wants the treasure more than his own life. He is willing to do whatever it take to aquire it.

The second parable, the parable of the costly pearl speaks of a different man. This man does not stumble upon anything, he is looking. His life is already bent to look for pearls because it is what he does to sustain his life. Pearls were of great value in the ancient near east culture. They were considered to be gems of the highest value like gold or silver… We can probably easily think of another scripture than involves pearls. In the sermon on the mount Jesus told those listening not to throw your pearls before swine lest they trample them under their feet. Pearls were costly, but to find a pearl that was worth all that this merchant had, that is one very rare pearl. This pearl he stumbles upon was that pearl, and in finding it, he like the first man, sells all that he has in order to purchase the pearl.

Now, I want you to consider this. Matthew the disciple and apostle of Jesus is writing this Gospel, in which these two parables and the parable that follows are unique. These three parables are not told anywhere else other than here. Now, who was Matthew? Matthew was a tax collector. He knew good and well what the value of things were. He must be sure as to the fair market price of various items folks might consider treasure, and what a pearl was going for in order that he did not rip off rome in his collecting of taxes and make a bad deal. It is not a coincidence that a jewish tax collector, under the influence of the Holy Spirit makes sure these parabales are here. Why? Because we see that there is nothing of greater value that what God has to offer us. The kingdom of heaven revolves around one man, God’s king over zion, and he is worth everything.

Come with me to 2 Corinthians 4…

Paul says it this way, 2 Corinthians 4:5-7

2 Corinthians 4:5–7 LSB

5 For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord (We are not Lord, we are not our own authority, we are not priority! But Christ. ), and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus. 6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (this is the response of a slave, my worth is not in what I own… Not in anything about me… But I was made worthy. I was given a grace to see Jesus, I am prone to wander, I am quick to anger, I am apathetic and unresponsive and …. but He, He saved me… The same God who created everything from nothing, has done this work in my heart…)7 But we have this treasure (what is the treasure? The light of Christ! The knowlegde of our God, the God of the universe has revealed himself to use through the Lord Jesus Christ. We know Him! What is love? Christ. What is true? Christ. What is worth living for? Christ…. This is the treasure we have… now he says where….) We have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;

Earthen vessels… That is what we are. Earthen vessels… Isaiah says,

Isaiah 64:8 LSB

8 But now, O Yahweh, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.

We are weak… we are broken… but that is where the light shines through! The singer of casting crowns is fond of saying, we are not the point, but we are to point to the point… Christ is the point. He is the treasure that is worth everything. He is the one worthy for us to know, and to preach, and to proclaim, and to live for.

So whether you are looking, or whether or not you simply stumbled upon Him this evening by His grace, Christ is being preached to you. Jesus, the son of God and son of man, came to earth, kept every law, all 613 of them. There was not sin found in him! And he was crucified… As a sacrificial lamb, so that anyone who believes, anyone who calls on Him to save them, will find mercy. Anyone who recognizes they need saving! That is key… He did not come to call the righteous… the righteous don’t need a treasure, they have plenty of them… The righteous don’t need a pearl, they have all the wisdom one could long for… Christ came not to call the righteous, but the sinner. The weak, and despised things of the world. He can’t shine in the life of the righteous, he doesn’t look like a treasure in the life of the righteous, because he gets crowded out by their own glory.

Isaiah 42:8 LSB

8 “I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.

And again…

Isaiah 44:6–7 LSB

6 “Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts: ‘I am the first, and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. 7 ‘Who is like Me? Let him call out and declare it; And let him tell it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient people. And let them declare to them the things that are to come And the events that are going to take place.

There is no one like Him… Let not your hearts be hard today but listen to his voice and return to Him.

Now, we close with the last parable here. The parable of the dragnet… Here it is that you must make a decision. For there is coming a time when the Lord will reckon the earth, he will weigh the earth, and all people will be sorted. The unrighteous will be thrown into the fire… And the righteous will be held in the bosom of Christ.

So Jesus asks them… And I ask you… Have you understood these things? I could spend my time teaching you all sorts of things. How to be a christian father, a christian wife, how to be wise with your money, how to this and that… Which is what the American pulpit is filled with. But this is it… Christ is what should be preached, and even if the Lord tarried the next one million sundays and gave me those to preach, we could never say all ther is to know about Him.

Jesus said this, and here is the secret to a Christian life. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

All of it Jesus says, the scribes, those pastors and evangelists that will use these parables in years to come. Those who preach the word of the Lord, both old covenant, and new covenant. Both in the ancient near east, and the 21st century, the kingdom of God is still as costly and still as worthy as ever. Therefore we can say with David…

Psalm 19:9–11 LSB

The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of Yahweh are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, even more than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your slave is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.