The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl
Matthew 13:44-46
In Matthew 13, Jesus teaches the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven in parables. The Jews in Jesus’ day, including His disciples, had certain expectations about the kingdom of God. They knew the prophecies about the glory and grandeur of God’s kingdom, but they misunderstood the nature and timing of the kingdom.
We have already looked at four of the parables. First was the parable of the sower. In it, Jesus showed why there are many who will not receive the King and His kingdom. They expected that when the Messiah-King arrived, all Israel, indeed the world, would instantly turn to Him. That didn’t happen. Many rejected Jesus and His message of the kingdom. Jesus explained that they could not receive the message of the kingdom because their hearts were hardened, shallow, or worldly.
Second was the parable of the wheat and the tares. The disciples expected that when the kingdom came, all the wicked and all evil would immediately be judged and destroyed. Jesus explain that the sons of the kingdom will grow together with the wicked until the end of the age. Only at the final judgment will God separate them.
Next, Jesus told the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast. The disciples expected God’s kingdom to be glorious and immense, and they were not prepared for the humble form of the kingdom that they saw. Jesus explained that though the kingdom appears small and insignificant, it will eventually grow and permeate the whole earth.
Today, we look at two more parables of the kingdom of heaven—the parable of the hidden treasure and the parable of the pearl of great price. These two parables share the common purpose to teach us about the precious, immeasurable value of the kingdom. Both parables follow a similar pattern. Each begins with an object of enormous wealth, a treasure in a field, or a costly pearl, but its full value is unseen or unrecognized. Then someone discovers its true worth. Finally, that person trades all that he has to acquire the vast riches unrecognized by others.
First, I will explain the two parables and then I will draw some application from what we learn. First, we see that the kingdom of heaven is like…
1. Treasure Hidden in a Field (Matt. 13:44)
Jesus taught in Matthew 13:44, “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.”
The details of the parable all support the main point: the kingdom of heaven is incomparably valuable. First, it is a treasure, something stored up, hidden away because it is precious and costly. In the days before there were reliable banks, people commonly buried their valuables to keep them safe. This was especially true in the land of Israel which had been subject to countless military raids and wars over its long history. Jesus’ story implies the treasure had long been hidden and forgotten, and whoever buried it was no longer around to claim it. It couldn’t have belonged to the present owner of the field, because, if it did, he wouldn’t have sold the field, or at least, he would have dug up the treasure first before selling.
According to Jewish rabbinic law, if someone found treasure, it belonged to the finder.[1] But if it was on someone’s land and the finder lifted it out, it belonged to the owner of the land.[2] In that case, “finders, keepers” didn’t apply. By not disturbing the treasure, reburying it, and purchasing the field, the man who found it legally acquired it for himself.
The second element that shows its great value is how the man felt about founding it—“joy”. The man doesn’t go off dutifully or reluctantly to raise the funds to purchase the field. No, he is so full of joy at the discovery of the treasure that he is glad to sell everything he has to obtain it.
Thirdly, its value is demonstrated by what the man does, “he goes and sells all that he has.” Imagine this man figuring up the value of the land and making an offer to the owner. Then the man sells everything he owned—literally everything—to scrounge up all the money he could. Selling everything he had could have made him experience temporary hardship, homelessness, and hunger. But he was happy to suffer whatever the loss because of the great gain he would have.
But this parable is not about the cost of the kingdom of heaven, it’s about the overwhelming value of the kingdom. It is a precious, priceless treasure. Finding it brings great joy. It’s worth more than everything else you have.
And that brings us to the second parable. Its theme is the same. The kingdom of heaven is like…
2. A Pearl of Great Price (Matt. 13:45-46)
Jesus teaches, “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.” (Matt. 13:45-46).
Again, this parable is a twin to the parable of the treasure in the field. The details are different, but they also support the main point—that the value of the kingdom of heaven is most precious and priceless.
The merchant in this story is a person who buys and sells commodities. And this particular merchant is on a quest to find pearls. Pearls were considered the most valuable items in Jesus’ day, more precious than silver or diamonds or gold. Jesus tells us the merchant is looking for “beautiful pearls,” which means he is looking for fine pearls, the best pearls, those of the highest quality and value. A pearl that was perfect and beautiful was priceless.
Notice the difference between the man who found the treasure and the pearl merchant. The man in the field was not necessarily seeking treasure, he just discovered it, perhaps by chance. But the merchant is seeking his treasure, the most beautiful pearls. And Jesus tells us he found it—”one pearl of great price.” It is very valuable, extremely costly. The merchant knows his business. He would know what a pearl was worth. He certainly wouldn’t be duped into overpaying for a pearl. No, he understands how valuable this pearl is. “This was the granddaddy of all pearls, the pearl of pearls, the best of them all, magnificent, beautiful, of the highest quality, unequaled, unrivaled, incomparable, matchless, superior, supreme.”[3]
And notice that this merchant does the same as the man who found the treasure in the field, he “went and sold all that he had and bought it.” This merchant considered the pearl so valuable that he sold everything he had to buy it. He knew it was worth more than all he had. He knew he was getting a good deal.
Again, that is the point. The kingdom of heaven is like that. It is like a treasure or a pearl more valuable than anything and everything we have. It’s not about the cost you will pay. It is about the value you will receive.
So those are the parables and their explanation. Let’s make three points of application…
The Kingdom is priceless.
Both parables teach us the incomparable value of the Lord’s Kingdom. In his commentary, John MacArthur quotes Thomas Guthrie, who writes about the preciousness of the treasure we have in salvation:
In the blood of Christ to wash out sin’s darkest stains, in the grace of God to purify the foulest heart, in peace to calm life’s roughest storms, in hopes to cheer guilt’s darkest hour, in a courage that defies death and descends calmly into the tomb, in that which makes the poorest rich and without which the richest are poor indeed, the Gospel has treasure greater far than east or west unfold, and its rewards more precious are than all the stores of gold![4]
Christ and His Kingdom are treasure precious beyond comparison. It is incorruptible, undefiled, and eternal (2 Pet. 1:4). Do you know, O Christian, the great treasure you have in Christ and His Kingdom?
When you recognize the value of the kingdom of heaven and realize it is yours, what do you do? REJOICE! Because …
B. The Kingdom brings joy.
The man’s response to finding the treasure was joy (Matt. 13:44). When God truly reveals himself to you through Christ, there is a joyful, spontaneous abandonment of self and sin for Christ and the gospel. That’s the joy of salvation.
The world pursues happiness. But happiness is fleeting because your happiness most often depends on what happens—your circumstances. When something good happens, people get happy. When something bad happens, they are unhappy. Christian joy is not like that. Joy is not tied to what happens. Joy is tied to Christ and His kingdom (Rom. 14:17). It is found in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ (John 15:11), “whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8). Joy is the gift of God, the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22).
O Christian, do you have this joy? “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Phl. 4:4).
The kingdom is priceless, the kingdom brings joy, and finally …
C. The Kingdom must be personally appropriated.
In both parables, the one who found the priceless treasure “sold all that he had and bought it” (Matt. 13:46). This, of course, isn’t saying that we can “buy” our place in the kingdom of Jesus Christ. We know from the rest of scripture that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. No amount of money, or good works, or religious rituals, or keeping God’s law could ever purchase for us a place in the kingdom of heaven.
So why does Jesus stress that the men sold all they had and bought the field or the pearl? Gil Rugh points out that “The point in buying or purchasing something is in securing it for yourself, having it as your possession.”[5] The point of buying in this parable is securing it for yourself.
Let me show you how this concept is used in other places in scripture. Proverbs 23:23 says, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.” That proverb is not teaching that you can purchase truth or understanding. The opening verses of Proverbs, show that knowledge, wisdom, and truth are found in fearing and trusting in the Lord, not purchased with money (Pro. 1:7; 9:10). The point is to obtain the truth, to get wisdom, instruction, and understanding for yourself—to make it yours. The emphasis on buying the truth is not on paying money for it necessarily, but rather the emphasis is on doing whatever is necessary to secure the truth. It may cost you to stand for the truth. No matter what, secure it for yourself.
In Isaiah 55:1, the Lord gives this call to His people: “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.” Here again, the idea behind buying is not trading money for the refreshing water of life. Even those without money can secure it for themselves because it can be obtained “Without money and without price.” The idea is securing it as your possession.
Jesus used this same approach in Revelation 3 when He wrote to the church at Laodicea. This church thought it was wealthy and needed nothing. Yet Christ said they were “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17). So, He tells them in Revelation 3:18, “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” Can you purchase these spiritual blessings from Christ? No. His salvation is by grace and spiritual blessings are free gifts, but you can buy it from Christ in the sense of securing it from Him. What you need to be righteous before God you can get only from Jesus Christ.
So, the emphasis on buying is securing it for yourself. What is the emphasis on selling all you have? The point is that the kingdom of heaven is so valuable that you should let nothing keep you from it.
Do you remember the story of the rich young ruler? (Matt. 19:16-22). He asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life. He told Jesus that he had kept the law from the time he was a youth, but he knew something was missing. “What do I still lack?” he asked. Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Matt. 19:21-22). Jesus then said to his disciples, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matt. 19:24).
What a contrast he was to the man in Jesus’ parable! He didn’t sell all that he had “for joy” over Jesus’ offer. In fact, he went away sorrowful. He did not consider eternal life to be of more value than his possessions.
When Peter heard this, he looked at himself and his fellow disciples, and saw how they had forsaken all to follow Jesus. He said to the Lord, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” (Matt. 19:27). Peter wants to know if it is all worth it. Is the kingdom of God so valuable that it’s worth more than everything? I think it was a very good question to ask.
Jesus told them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life” (Matt. 19:28-29).
The answer is: Yes, it is worth it. The kingdom of Jesus Christ is a treasure far more valuable than anything and everything. The “great price,” was paid by Christ for our redemption. He emptied Himself of His glory, came to earth in the form of a lowly servant, and shed His precious blood on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. It cost our Lord Jesus Christ everything—humility, rejection, suffering, and death on a cross. His blood has purchased salvation, eternal life, the kingdom of heaven for all who believe in Him. To us, it is a free gift. We cannot earn it or pay for it. Christ has already paid the ransom for our freedom from sin and death. We receive it free of charge by God’s grace through believing in Jesus Christ.
Then why did the man sell all he had to obtain the treasure? FOR JOY! Once you truly see Jesus Christ as Lord, the eternal Savior and King, no one will have to tell you to go, sell all you have and buy that field or secure that pearl. You will joyfully give anything and everything just to have Jesus Christ and His kingdom. It will be like abandoning trivial trinkets to possess eternal treasure. It will be like giving up your garbage to possess a lavish kingdom.
The apostle Paul writes about His salvation in Philippians 3. First, he lists the self-righteous things that once gave him confidence in the flesh. He thought these things merited him the kingdom of heaven. He writes that he was “… circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” (Phil. 3:5-6). These were his self-righteous treasures of the flesh. But meeting Jesus Christ changed everything. He writes,
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Phil. 3:7-11).
In comparison to the kingdom of heaven, to knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, everything else is rubbish—garbage, dung.
Every day, people are tempted to trade eternal joys for worldly pleasures. They pursue self-righteous, works-based religion rather than receiving God’s gift of salvation by trusting in Jesus Christ. Some people never come to Jesus because they are afraid they would have to give up their sinful desires and the trinkets of this world. But nothing is more valuable than the kingdom of heaven. Nothing is more important than entering the kingdom of God. Only Jesus can bring you into the kingdom, and so no one is more important than Jesus.
If you have not yet trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, what stands between you and Christ? What do you think is more important than eternal life? Your family, your job, your prestige, your influence, the pleasures you now enjoy? Repent of your folly. Change your mind about Jesus Christ. He is Lord and Savior. Surrender your all today.
[1] William Barclay, Daily Study Bible, Matthew, p. 94-95, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb/matthew-13.html
[2] D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 328. Carson quotes Derrett (Law, pp. 1–16) who pointed out that “under rabbinic law if a workman came on a treasure in a field and lifted it out, it would belong to his master, the field’s owner; but here the man is careful not to lift the treasure out till he has bought the field.”
[3] Ray Fowler, The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl, https://www.rayfowler.org/sermons/matthew/parables-of-the-treasure-and-the-pearl/ accessed 6/20/2024.
[4] Thomas Guthrie, The Parables, London: Alexander Strahan, 1866, quoted by John MacArthur, Matthew, https://www.gty.org/library/study-guides/111/the-parables-of-the-kingdom accessed 06/21/2024.
[5] Gil Rugh, Hidden Treasure and Costly Pearl, https://s3.amazonaws.com/ihccathena/pdf/GR695transcript.pdf accessed 06/21/20024.
