The Value of the Kingdom, the Cost of Discipleship

Introduction

This morning we will cover the last of the parables in this first major grouping of parables that Jesus taught. And as an introduction, I want to cover the last parable first, because it re-states a principle that Jesus has covered in a different way.

Turn with me, if you will, to Matthew 13:47-52

Matthew 13:47–52 KJV 1900

47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. [This parable of the dragnet, as it is sometimes called, is similar to the parable of the wheat and the tares. It reminds us that those in God’s kingdom will continue to live alongside unbelievers until the end of time.] 49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. [The judgment will be precise, careful, and deliberately executed, and to illustrate this, Jesus paints us a picture of men sitting in broad daylight, carefully inspecting the fish that they have caught - keeping the good fish and tossing those of lower quality, not back into the sea, but discarding them. This analogy of the discarding is specified by Jesus as casting the unbelievers, the wicked, those that do not have the forgiveness of sins, in to a furnace of fire. So, this is again a reminder: do not give up or lose hope when you see evil in the world; rather, remember that God is in control, justice will be had, and in the meantime, we get to continue to spread the seeds of the gospel and impact those to whom we share it. And then Jesus asks an important question.] 51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. 52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. [“Every scribe that is instructed unto the kingdom...” Who were the scribes? They not only copied the law, but taught it as experts in the law. But here Jesus is talking about the Scribes that are instructed unto the kingdom. He is referring to Scribes that have believed in Jesus. These Scribes, and in reality, anyone who teaches, must teach the old truths along with the new truths. Jesus’ illustration is that of a man that is hosting a dinner. For the pleasure of his guests, he brings out old treasures -decorations, conversation pieces, etc.- that previous guests will be familiar with, but he also brings out new treasures. These new treasures keep the conversation going. They hold the interests of even the guest that is most familiar with the host’s house.

This is what teachers and preachers ought to do. We can’t go on teaching the same old stories the same old way. Yes, teach David and Goliath for the 70th time, but do it differently than the last 69 times. Bring out new or neglected applications; focus on a different character and learn lessons from them. Make it different. Stay true, don’t make up stuff, but let the exposition of God’s word be refreshing to the hearers, and not an occasion to tune you out because they “have heard this one so many times before.”

Jesus ends this grouping of parables this way.

Matthew 13:53 KJV 1900

53 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

It seems that this parable of the dragnet and the parable of the householder along with the previous 2 parables that we are about to look at were told to just the disciples and those that had continued to follow Jesus to ask him to interpret the other parables, and this is important.

it is important to understand this because it is to these disciples and to the relative few who followed Jesus, genuinely interested in the truths that He was teaching that Jesus directs Himself in the two parables we just saw and the two we are going to focus on now.

The Value of the Kingdom, the Cost of Discipleship

These parables that we have covered in Matthew 13 are all about different aspects of the Kingdom of Heaven. These next two are no exception. We have seen that the message of the Kingdom, the Gospel, will be accepted by some and rejected by others. We have seen that the Kingdom of Heaven will grow, regardless of the fact that evil is growing right alongside it. We have seen that in the end, those that belong to the Kingdom of God will be gathered together with Him, while those that remain dead in their sins will be cast into an eternal fire. We have been taught through these parables to not lose hope because of the growing presence of evil, because the those in the Kingdom of God will have an impact on the world around them, even in seeing unbelievers turn from their sin and unbelief to trust Jesus as their savior.

And today, we cover a special private message that Jesus gives to those truly following Him about the value of the Kingdom and the cost of Discipleship.

As we read these two parables, we will first discuss

The Value of the Kingdom

Let’s read these parables in Matthew 13:44-46

Matthew 13:44–46 KJV 1900

44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

These parables are often known as the parable of the Treasure in the Field and the parable of the Pearl of Great Price.

The Parable of the Treasure in the Field

The first one, the treasure in the field, may seem a bit odd to us. Matthew 13:44

Matthew 13:44 KJV 1900

44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

So maybe some cultural context is in order.

We need to remember that Israel was a land at a crossroads of various powers. Wars occurred, armies marched through as they either fought with Israel or with nations beyond. People in Israel often needed to flee to safety. Looking all the way back to the times of the judges, we know that there were times when Israelites had to live in caves because of hostile nations constantly raiding and encroaching on their territory.

When times of fleeing and hiding came, people with riches would not always travel with their goods, but hide them in caves or dig holes in the ground, hoping to one day return and retrieve money and heirlooms that had been hidden from the enemy.

Sometimes, these families would not return for a very long time, or died before having the chance to return. The result was that treasures were left buried and hidden, sometimes for many generations, until someone happened upon it by either plowing a field or something like that.

Now, when this sort of thing happened, there were rules for what happened next. If you dug up the treasure completely, you had to tell the owner of the field and give it to him. However, if you didn’t dig it up entirely, but were able to see just from the plowing that what you had run into was not a rock, but a clay jar or wooden box full of wealth, you could buy the field from the current owner and then dig up the treasure for yourself.

What has happened here is what we would deem, in the immortal words of Bob Ross, a happy, little accident. A man discovers a buried treasure on a field that he is probably working, and even without having to dig it up completely, realizes that it is substantial.

He puts dirt back on the treasure, lest anyone else should happen upon it, and happily goes and sell everything he owns to buy this land from the owner.

This is sometimes how the Kingdom of Heaven is like.

Sometimes, people stumble upon Christ, entirely by what they would consider accident or coincidence. Someone “happens” to tell them about God’s word; they happen to listen to a radio program or TV show that is proclaiming Gospel truth; they happen upon a track that someone left on their door or that was found in the street; but they realize the value and gladly receive the word of God.

Some of you here this morning, that is exactly how your salvation story starts. Someone “happened” to talk to you about Jesus; you just “happened” to walk into a church one Sunday morning; or you just “happened” to go to a park where a couple of crazy church ladies invited you to come to VBS (Sobergs...). A happy “accident.”

But what happened? You realized the worth of this treasure and bought into it.

The next parable is one that we would say similar, but different.

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

This next parable is similar, but not the same. The way I would describe it would be that it is “exactly the same as the previous parable, but different.” So, let’s look at it. Matthew 13:45-46

Matthew 13:45–46 KJV 1900

45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

So, the similarity is that there is something of great value here that the person is willing to sell all they have in order to acquire it.

Both parables are stating that the Kingdom of Heaven is of supreme value. But this is where the similarities stop. See, the person in the field came upon the treasure by accident. This time, it is not an accident.

In this parable, there is a merchant that is seeking for something. He’s looking for pearls, good pearls. This is a deliberate search that he is conducting. From vendor to vendor, and collector to collector he goes, trying to find the best pearls. Presumably, he has bought several, if not many, pearls. But one day, his search pays off in a way that he was not expecting. He finds THE pearl. This is no accident, this is the result of a search. A search that has now led him to a pearl of great price.

And finding this pearl, he realizes that this singular pearl is worth all that he has accumulated in his life, so he goes and takes all of his other pearls along with all his worldly possessions and sells them all. From merchant to merchant, trader to trader he goes, selling off everything piece by piece until finally, left with nothing but the money from his trades and sales, he takes it all and spends it on this one-of-a-kind pearl of great price.

In other words, while some come across the Kingdom of Heaven by seeming “happenstance,” others find it, not by accident, but because they are looking for it. Some people are on a quest for forgiveness, others for peace, and still other for acceptance and fulfillment. Some people are searching, but not really knowing what they are searching for - as if they are saying, “I don’t know exactly what I am looking for, but I’ll know it when I find it.” One of the wonderful things about God is that He is near to those that seek Him.

The Apostle Paul preached to people in Athens at a place called Mars Hill about this very thing. We find that event in Acts 17:22-23

Acts 17:22–23 KJV 1900

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

Acts 17:26–27 KJV 1900

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

When he finished his sermon, many laughed at Paul. These were people that were bound to their traditions and superstitions. Others told Paul, “We’ll hear you out on this matter later.” But their was another group of people - people that were truly seeking. They worshipped at an altar to the unknown god because they knew something was missing. Even with the pantheon of gods that the Greeks worshipped, there was still a void.

These men and women believed the Gospel because they realized that this was what they had been searching for all their lives.

And maybe that is you this morning. You didn’t happen upon the gospel by accident. Someone didn’t tell you out of the clear, blue sky. You were searching. Maybe you had tried other religions, other faiths, other practices. Perhaps you had sought fulfillment like Solomon did - in everything under the sun, from community projects, to wealth expansion, to drinking and eating, and adventuring. But nothing seemed to fill the void. But then you found Jesus, or Jesus found you in your search.

And realizing that He was worth it all, you left it all behind to receive the wonderful treasure, this priceless pearl that could only be obtained by leaving everything else.

These two parables, though different in their meaning, show a common theme: the incomprehensible value of the Kingdom of God. Incomprehensible, I say, because we may not be able to actually think of someone who has found something so valuable that they were willing to sell absolutely everything they had in order to obtain it.

But there is one other thing that these parables teach us. They teach us the value of the Kingdom of God, but they also teach us

The Cost of Discipleship

This is something that we have discussed many times here at Good News, and something that will be discussed many more times. It is important to keep this thought at the forefront of our minds. Up until now, we have generally spoken of the cost of discipleship all on its own. But it is important to analyze the cost of discipleship along with the value of being a disciple of Jesus, living in His kingdom.

Every person that is a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, every born-again Christian, is called to be a disciple. This life is not one that is to be embarked upon without thought. This is why during the invitations, I do not ask people that want to be saved to repeat a sinner’s prayer after me. This is why I do not make emotional appeals to people to make decisions.

Becoming a Christian and living like a disciple is something that Jesus taught needed to be analyzed carefully. He told parables about this. He told a parable of a man who should have counted the cost of building a tower before embarking on the construction, only to find he did not have what it took to finish it. Jesus told a parable of a king who wisely took stock of a hostile situation, sending peace emissaries to appease his enemy who far outnumbered his own army.

And now, Jesus tells us of two men who have found a treasure - one who found it accidentally; one who had been searching for this very pearl - but both men fully realized the value of the treasures they had found, and both men were willing to pay the price to obtain said treasures.

The life of a disciple is costly - it will cost you everything.

Parables have limitations, because they use earthly, temporal things and situations to illustrate heavenly and eternal truths and principles.

We must understand that the Kingdom of God is so valuable, its worth is far beyond anything we could ever hope to imagine. If we were to sell everything we had and everything that we will have in the future, it would never even begin to scratch the surface of the worth and value of the Kingdom of God.

So, these parables are not about principles of investment. The point is a spiritual one.

The parable is not one that teaches that salvation can be bought, as that would contradict everything that the rest of the Bible teaches. Jesus already paid it all, but to come to Jesus, we must come empty handed, realizing there is no merit in our lives at all. Our faith must be placed in Christ and in Christ alone for the forgiveness of sins since He is the One who paid the cost of our sins.

As Jesus was preaching and teaching, we have seen that multitudes, hundreds and thousands of people, are following Him. Yet only a few are willing to truly live like Him and learn truth from Him. Jesus regularly turned people away whose faith was superficial and lacking.

Luke 9:57–62 KJV 1900

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Some He called and some went searching for Him, but in all these cases, no one realized the value of the kingdom, they only despised the cost.

The rich young ruler, of whom we read about during Wednesday’s discipleship session, went to Jesus and said, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” When Jesus, knowing that this man loved his riches above all else, said, “Go home, sell everything you have and give it to the poor; take up your cross, and follow me,” it made the young man very sad. He was one that was seeking, but when he found the truth, when he found the pearl, he had sticker shock. He was too shocked at the price to see the value.

Sadly, Jesus turned to the disciples and said, “How difficult is it for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of heaven.” But Peter spoke up and said, “Lord, we have left everything to follow you.” And when Peter had said this, Jesus showed him part of the value of the kingdom.

Jesus said, “Peter, there isn’t anyone who has left house or family, or lands for my sake and the gospel’s that will not get that back 100-fold in this time and in the world to come.” Part of the value of the Kingdom of God, the value that many of you are experiencing now, is a family, a home, sisters and brothers, spiritual mothers and fathers, a community, a belonging when you’ve never belonged before.

And this is only a small part of the value that we experience. But you cannot experience it if you do not give everything else up.

Mark 10:28–30 KJV 1900

28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. 29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, 30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

Notice all that Jesus says: Those that leave family, homes, lands. Family and homes speak of belonging, love, acceptance, and shelter. Lands speaks to stability. Those that leave those things behind, will gain those things in other ways in this life, along with persecutions. But it is worth it. The value is far higher that anything you left behind. And not just that, but in the world to come, you’ll have eternal life.

On the other hand, look at who Jesus says is not worthy of following Him. Matthew 10:37-38

Matthew 10:37–38 KJV 1900

37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

If there is anything or anyone at all that you love more than Jesus, you are not only unworthy to follow Jesus, you are unable to do so effectively, because you will always be going back to that thing or that person. What was the difference between the twelve and the multitudes? The multitudes eventually would go back home, but the twelve had abandoned it all, including homes to walk with Jesus and follow Him. They realized that He was so much more valuable than anything they had or ever could get.

If you are not saved, if you do not know Jesus Christ as your savior and as the redeemer of your soul, you’re missing out on the most valuable thing, and I hope that you see that this morning.

If you are a Christian, let me encourage you to stop holding onto anything besides Jesus. If you are truly going to follow Jesus, it will bring persecution. It will bring tough times. There will be times that you will get attacked by Satan, by people, even by people you love. You will be drained spiritually and emotionally and physically at times. There will be times that you will be far from your family, you may have to move, and you may have to leave your comfort zones.

Jesus tells us that to be His disciple, we need to die to our own wishes, plans, goals, and desires. Be willing to give everything up for His sake and for the Gospel’s sake. That is the cost.

We should count the cost. We should consider the cost on a daily basis.

But Don’t ever let the cost blind you to the value of the Kingdom.

Being a disciple of Jesus is so costly but it is SO worth it! Just give up whatever you are holding onto.

John MacArthur said that in counting the cost of following Jesus, we will “surely realize that the pearl is so valuable and the treasure so rich that it is worth letting go of every temporal treasure.

We saw on Wednesday that that is exactly what Zacchaeus did. He gave up his love for and grasp on money and the security and safety that it brought to follow Jesus. Make no mistake, when he had finished quadruple-repaying those he had defrauded, he would have been left with nothing, or near nothing. But it was worth it, and Zacchaeus was able to see that clearly.

Whatever God is calling you to do, however hard it may be. IT IS WORTH IT!

Invitation

Life Groups

How has God been working in your life recently?

What, if anything, stood out to you from the sermon today?

Warm Up Questions

1. Have you ever found something valuable by accident—like money on the ground or a forgotten item you thought you lost? How did you feel?

2. Can you remember a time when you were searching for something very important (like keys, a document, or a special gift) and finally found it?

Scripture Focus Questions

3. How does the difference between “accidentally finding” and “searching for” the kingdom help us understand different ways people come to faith?

4. What would you say your experience was in coming to faith? Were you looking for something, or did you “happen” upon it?

Heart Reflection Questions

5. Are there things in your life that sometimes compete with your love for Jesus? How do you recognize those things?

6. When you think about the “cost of discipleship” that Jesus describes, what feelings come up for you—fear, excitement, hesitation, determination? Why?

7. How do you balance the reality of sacrifice with the joy of knowing the kingdom’s value?

Application Questions

8. What might “selling all” look like in today’s world—what kinds of things might God be calling you to surrender to follow Him?

9. How can remembering the value of the kingdom help you endure persecution, loss, or difficulty for Christ’s sake?

10. If someone asked you why following Jesus is worth it, what personal story or experience could you share with them?

11. What practical steps could you take this week to loosen your grip on earthly treasures and hold more tightly to Christ?