Parables of the Hidden Treasure and Costly Pearl

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:44-46, NKJV).

These two parables teach that nothing is as valuable as finding the kingdom of God.Jesus, wanting His disciples to understand that fully, gave two comparisons of the kingdom. One was a man, who not seeking a treasure, nevertheless found one in a field. He hid it, then went to sell all else he had so that he could come again and purchase the field with the hidden treasure. It meant everything to him. The merchant was already seeking valuable pearls. When he found one in value above all the others, he sold all of his merchandise so he could buy the pearl of great price.

To find Christ, the key to the Kingdom of Heaven, is the greatest treasure, the only treasure. It is not enough to be outwardly Christian or under Christian influences. The Christian must know that his relationship to the Lord is the most important thing in his life. He must know Christ as personal Savior and Lord. Christ demonstrated in the parables of the hidden treasure and the costly pearl that all else paled in pursuit of the kingdom. The joy of selling all for the kingdom of God is incomparable. There is no greater joy than to hold one’s personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ as of ultimate value, above all that one owns. In the parable of the treasure hidden in the field, it is like one who has been aware of the outward form of Christianity, but suddenly discovers its power and truth. His pursuit of this treasure takes all precedence in his life. The parable of the search for the costliest pearl represents one who, all his life, has sought truth. Then, suddenly finding it, to take hold of it is his highest aim.

Remember the story of Justin the martyr from early church history? He explored multiple philosophies that did not satisfy his deep religious longings. He embraced Jesus Christ and found rest for his soul.

Today is the ninth anniversary of the catastrophe of the terrorist bombing of the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the thwarted attempt on the capitol that landed the fourth plane in a field in Pennsylvania. That terrible day stands in memory as a day of great sorrow and infamy for America. But for the terrorists, their lives meant nothing to them in pursuit of their dedication to a cause. Christ calls us to complete commitment to Him, but in avenues of love and service. He is our Treasure and our Pearl of Great Price for which we give up all to know and to follow Him. We will definitely experience this commitment. Nothing in life after that will be the same.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Saturday, September 11, 2010

Parables of New and Old: Patches and Wineskins

“Then the followers of John came to Jesus and said, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees often give up eating for a certain time, but your followers don’t?’ Jesus answered, ‘The friends of the bridegroom are not sad while he is with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will give up eating. No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth over a hole in an old coat. If he does, the patch will shrink and pull away from the coat, making the hole worse. Also, people never pour new wine into old leather bags. Otherwise, the bags will break, the wine will spill, and the wine bags will be ruined. But people always pour new wine into new wine bags. Then both will continue to be good.’ “ (Matthew 9:14-17, NIV).

It is well that we remember Jesus’ stated intention of why he used parables to teach: “But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear” (Matthew 13:16). Stories about things the disciples could relate to added emphasis to what Jesus wanted his disciples then and now to learn. The occasion of the parables in the Bible reference given above was the disciples of John coming to Jesus to ask why they and the Pharisees practiced fasting and Jesus’ disciples did not follow the age-old customs of the law that recommended fasting, or abstaining from certain foods for religious purposes. Jesus answered by saying people did not fast when the bridegroom was present, but they celebrated with the wedding feast. This was a way of referring to Himself as the Bridegroom, and of His disciples celebrating while He was with them in the flesh. It was also a means of introducing a new and better understanding of the old ways of God with his people by introducing the way of grace through Jesus Christ. They were not able to comprehend all the new concepts of grace, although the Bridegroom was giving them ample opportunities to understand and to celebrate.

Then He followed by two stories from everyday life to which they could relate. Anyone who patches an old garment to make it wearable despite worn or torn places knows that a new piece of cloth that has not been preshrunk is not sewed onto the tear. It would make the tear worse. Likewise, in processing wine from grapes, they knew to always put the new wine into new leather wineskins so that when fermentation (which expands the volume of the wine) occurs, the wineskins would not burst but expand. Would the disciples (those who followed Jesus and those who followed John the Baptist) be able to understand that the Bridegroom is Jesus? Could they know that He has a new way of patching up old garments and also of filling new wineskins (those outside the fold of Judaism)? Could they understand that He wanted to reach those even in religious bondage hampered by the law (do this, do that) and His Way is available to admitted sinners as well (those who have not tasted the old law and its ways)? Here was a new concept of inclusiveness. God had tried to teach Abraham that that his descendants would be as the sands of the seashore. But alas, along the way, that vision was thwarted.

There is great joy in Christ’s companionship. He expects us to be reasonable and adapt our actions to circumstances. When my mother patched my father’s overalls so he could still wear the old garment to the fields to work, she always used for the patches faded denim, that which had been through the wash many times before. We were not winemakers and didn’t make wine nor store it in skins made from our sheep. But the Jews would have known of this practice. Here Jesus is teaching them (and us) that He is presenting a new and better way to God. Rather than through ritual and sacrifice, we can come directly to the point of salvation and know restoration and wholeness through faith in Him. These parables represent the bright and joyous character of the way of faith Jesus is offering. Recall that the Judaizers spoken of in Acts wanted to combine the Law of Moses with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That was like trying to put new wine into old bottles.

Are these two parables not deep, deep: of patching the old garment and the new wineskins for new wine? Indeed. The more we think about what Jesus is illustrating by these parables, the more we know that faith must step in where the substance of good works once reigned. God inspired the prophet Jeremiah to write: “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the Lord. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (-Jeremiah 31:33b-34). Thank God for the New Wine of His Word, even Jesus Christ, the very Word of God.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Parables in Jesus’ Teaching

“The disciples came to Him and asked, ‘Why do you speak to the people in parables?’ He replied, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.“ (Matthew 13:10-16, NIV).

We turn now from a biographical study of some notable people of the Old Testament that we’ve followed for several days to a study of some of the parables of Jesus. Before we look at selected parables (there were at least 51, most scholars agree), let us examine Jesus’ stated reason for using parables in his teaching. Just after he had given the parable of the seed and the sower, His disciples asked Him why he spoke in parables. His response reveals that parables were specifically for the ears of those who could hear and understand. He reminded them that the prophet Isaiah had predicted that hard-hearted people would blind themselves to the truths He taught. It was a matter of the heart—whether calloused or believing. And the parables would fall on listening ears and receptive hearts of people who could believe and act upon the truths revealed.

Many parables deal with the kingdom of God. It was not intended as a military kingdom. For a long time many had longed for Messiah’s coming and envisioned a victorious reign of a mighty leader who would overthrow the Roman bondage the Israelites were under and set up a kingdom of power and peace. When Jesus taught “The kingdom of heaven is like,” he was trying hard to get believers to see the nature of the kingdom as God intended it. Many of the parables Jesus used grew out of conflict situations when Jesus was answering his religious critics. He was fearless in exposing self-righteousness and extolling the kingdom of God. Peter Rhea Jones says of Jesus’ parables: “…appearances take a pounding. Grace shines on worship and revelation happens!” (“Parables, in Holman Bible Dictionary, 1991, p. 1073). May Jesus’ purpose for using parables help us as we look at selected ones over the next several days and learn His truths. May what Jesus said to his disciples long ago be true of us today: “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear” (Matthew 13:16, NIV). May we pray to be given more understanding and an abundance of it, as Jesus promised.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Saturday, August 28, 2010