In today’s gospel reading we encounter for the first time Jesus teaching in parables, simple stories that illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. There are eight in total in this chapter. We’ll briefly deal with the last four: Matthew 13:44-58.
The focus is on the kingdom of God, and specifically, these parables “illustrate the divisions among [people] in their attitude to Jesus” and the preaching of his kingdom.
On the one side are those who accept Jesus as the Son of God. They are the true disciples, his true family. Their future is glorious: “they will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father”, says Jesus (13:43).
And on the other hand are those who reject Jesus. They choose pain, torment, and separation from God instead of fellowship with him (13:49-50).
So we begin then, with two parables about the value of the kingdom of God, verse 44. Jesus says here, “the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells everything that he has and buys that field.”
And then verse 45: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
The kingdom of God is “like a treasure hidden in a field”, it’s “like” a most valuable pearl. It is worth much much more than any and all of our current material possessions. Indeed, taking hold of it fills us with joy. The man who sells his possessions in the parable does so out of sheer joy for the treasure in the field (13:44). Giving up his personal toys is suddenly the least of his concerns. The value of the the kingdom of heaven is priceless.
The next parable deals head on with the nature of the kingdom: the kingdom of God is divisive. Verses 47-48: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad.”
Earlier parables in the chapter illustrated the division between fruitful soil and unproductive soil, and good grain and weeds; here, division lies between good fish and bad fish. The good are kept, the bad are thrown away. They are not thrown back into the water (13:48).
That’s what the kingdom of heaven is like. “At the close of the age” (13:49), the righteous will be separated from the wicked. The righteous will enjoy fellowship with the Father, while the wicked are “thrown away” (13:48).
These are hard words to hear, in a city such as ours. The kingdom of heaven is not a “spiritual Switzerland”, as someone said recently. We can’t walk the fence, there’s no neutral ground. We must decide what to do with the Christ.
The final parable is of a household owner who “brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old” (13:52). This parable seems a little more obscure, but essentially it can be boiled down to the following: the true disciple is one who treasures “the old” (the Jewish heritage of the Christian faith), and “the new” (that which has happened in and through Jesus the Messiah). “Both new and old are valued; the new does not make the old useless.”2
In the end, brothers and sisters, the kingdom of heaven is both, a secret and a mystery. It’s a secret that has been revealed - and continues to be revealed - to men and women everywhere. That’s why we gather week after week: to celebrate this revelation.
But the kingdom of heaven is also a mystery, because even as the most powerful agent at work in the world, people remain unresponsive and unaffected by it. The response then, as now, is often the same: initial amazement, followed by doubt, and finally, rejection (13:54-57).
May God in his mercy continue to reveal to us, to our families, to our friends, coworkers, and loved ones, the secret of the kingdom of heaven. And may God - again, in his mercy - spur us on in faith and works even amidst rejection.
Thanks be to God.
Amen ✠
The focus is on the kingdom of God, and specifically, these parables “illustrate the divisions among [people] in their attitude to Jesus” and the preaching of his kingdom.
On the one side are those who accept Jesus as the Son of God. They are the true disciples, his true family. Their future is glorious: “they will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father”, says Jesus (13:43).
And on the other hand are those who reject Jesus. They choose pain, torment, and separation from God instead of fellowship with him (13:49-50).
So we begin then, with two parables about the value of the kingdom of God, verse 44. Jesus says here, “the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells everything that he has and buys that field.”
And then verse 45: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
The kingdom of God is “like a treasure hidden in a field”, it’s “like” a most valuable pearl. It is worth much much more than any and all of our current material possessions. Indeed, taking hold of it fills us with joy. The man who sells his possessions in the parable does so out of sheer joy for the treasure in the field (13:44). Giving up his personal toys is suddenly the least of his concerns. The value of the the kingdom of heaven is priceless.
The next parable deals head on with the nature of the kingdom: the kingdom of God is divisive. Verses 47-48: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad.”
Earlier parables in the chapter illustrated the division between fruitful soil and unproductive soil, and good grain and weeds; here, division lies between good fish and bad fish. The good are kept, the bad are thrown away. They are not thrown back into the water (13:48).
That’s what the kingdom of heaven is like. “At the close of the age” (13:49), the righteous will be separated from the wicked. The righteous will enjoy fellowship with the Father, while the wicked are “thrown away” (13:48).
These are hard words to hear, in a city such as ours. The kingdom of heaven is not a “spiritual Switzerland”, as someone said recently. We can’t walk the fence, there’s no neutral ground. We must decide what to do with the Christ.
The final parable is of a household owner who “brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old” (13:52). This parable seems a little more obscure, but essentially it can be boiled down to the following: the true disciple is one who treasures “the old” (the Jewish heritage of the Christian faith), and “the new” (that which has happened in and through Jesus the Messiah). “Both new and old are valued; the new does not make the old useless.”2
In the end, brothers and sisters, the kingdom of heaven is both, a secret and a mystery. It’s a secret that has been revealed - and continues to be revealed - to men and women everywhere. That’s why we gather week after week: to celebrate this revelation.
But the kingdom of heaven is also a mystery, because even as the most powerful agent at work in the world, people remain unresponsive and unaffected by it. The response then, as now, is often the same: initial amazement, followed by doubt, and finally, rejection (13:54-57).
May God in his mercy continue to reveal to us, to our families, to our friends, coworkers, and loved ones, the secret of the kingdom of heaven. And may God - again, in his mercy - spur us on in faith and works even amidst rejection.
Thanks be to God.
Amen ✠
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1 R. T. France, The Gospel according to Matthew. An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1985), 215.
2 Daniel J. Harrington (S. J) The Gospel of Matthew. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 1. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1991), 208.
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