Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
January 1, 1984
The Treasure and the Pearl
Matthew 13:44-46
Michael [pointing to a young boy in a pew] - did you get everything you wanted for Christmas? Everything? What about you, Grover? [pointing to an older man]
When I was a kid, Christmas day was always a letdown. I'm being honest. I never got everything I wanted. When I was in second grade we lived in St. Louis. On Christmas I went outside to play with my new toys. The kid in the house next to me got a Nuclear Big Cannon. The kid in the house on the other side got a self-propelled tank. I got both! But I still wasn't satisfied. There was always something I wanted that wasn't under the tree. My innocent young greed surpassed anything my parents could provide.
Fortunately, God is greater that our parents. Our passage today talks about something that is more fantastic than anything else in the world. It's not in a Sears catalogue; Toys-R-Us doesn't stock it and Santa Claus can't stuff it down your chimney. Instead of describing it as a gift, Jesus says it is like a treasure or a pearl.
The first parable describes something that was common in Jesus' day. Back then there were no banks as we have, so often the safest place for money was a hole in the ground. This was especially true when war was imminent. Palestine was probably the most fought-over country in the world and when war was near they would bury their valuables before running away. This way they could still have some wealth left when they returned.
What's interesting is the way the man reacts. He covers the treasure back up and doesn't tell anyone. Then he sells everything he has to buy the field and its treasure. To many people it seems Jesus is glorifying a very shady character here. Two questions arise - Is what he is doing legal? And even if it's legal, is it ethical? (These aren't necessarily the same thing.)
First, for the legalities. Since the man did not own the field he must have been a hired hand. According to Jewish law, if someone found treasure on your land and lifted it up, it automatically belonged to you, the owner. "Finders, keepers" didn't apply. By not disturbing the treasure and by purchasing the field, this man is being perfectly legal. But is he being ethical? Jesus defined being ethical as "doing unto others as you would have them do unto you." If someone found treasure on MY land.... The man may be perfectly legal but his behavior certainly falls short of the Golden Rule.
The second parable deals with a merchant who is out buying pearls. One day he comes across an extraordinary pearl. Jesus says it had great value. In his day people were fascinated by pearls and were willing to spend huge amounts on them. Julius Caesar gave a pearl to Brutus' mother that was worth $45 million by today's standards. Cleopatra is said to have owned one worth 25 million denarii's. That's equivalent to $750 million. The merchant's knew a good thing when he saw it, so he liquidated his assets and bought the pearl.
Scholars agree that both of these parables are teaching the same point. What would that point be? Even though there are only three verses, five different main points have been proposed. Some say that these parables teach that God's Kingdom is hidden and can't be seen by most people. But only one of the parables, the one about the treasure, has this aspect. Others say the key theme is the joy in finding God's Kingdom. But once again, joy is only mentioned in the first parable. A third interpretation is that you have to search for the Kingdom. The merchant was searching for pearls but the farmer wasn't searching for anything, so this doesn't seem like a main point for both.
If you study the parables carefully, two things stand out in both. The first is that both men find something of extraordinary value. The second is that they sell everything they own in order to acquire it. These are the two main points Jesus is stressing.
The value of being saved, of being part of God's kingdom, was obvious for Jews. Their supreme goal in life was to be right with God. Many people today have a different perspective. God isn't worth more than a few bucks or an hour of their time each week. Millions miss the value of believing in the Gospel. The only gifts they look for are the kind under trees. But Jesus is saying that his kingdom is worth more than any earthly possession.
This brings us to the second main aspect of these parables - God's kingdom is so valuable that it is worth any sacrifice to gain it. We don't usually associate the words "sacrifice" or "sell all" with salvation. We Baptists are accustomed to thinking of salvation as free. This is true but salvation is costly at the same time. It requires getting rid of what the world finds security in and just trusting in God. Some people want to make becoming a Christian as easy as possible. They ignore the harsh aspects, like God's hatred of sin or his demand for our heart-felt repentance. These people figure that if you stress the "warm fuzzies," people will race to the kneeling rail.
How did Jesus present the Gospel? A confident, wealthy young man came to him ready to be saved. What did Jesus do? He told him to sell every last thing he owned! Not exactly effective evangelism. But Jesus knew that many people who seem to be on the brink of making a decision are actually miles away from the Kingdom. The little small things you want to keep for yourself can make all the difference.
The conversion of C. H. Spurgeon was very much like the parable of the treasure in the field. When he was fifteen he set off one New Year's morning for church but there was such a blizzard of snow he couldn't make it to the church he usually attended. When he gave up trying to reach it, he turned back and came across a small Methodist church. He went inside. The regular preacher was held up by the storm and never arrived, so a deacon was pushed forward to lead the service. About fifteen people were there. Spurgeon later wrote down: "The man was really stupid. His text was: Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth, and he kept repeating it because he had nothing else to say." Something about the young Spurgeon caught the deacon's eye. "Young man" he said suddenly, "you look very miserable and you will always be miserable - miserable in life and miserable in death - if you do not obey my test." Then he literally shouted, "Young man, look to Jesus! Look, look, look!" At the moment, Spurgeon did. He had stumbled into a little Bible-believing church and discovered salvation in Jesus Christ.
Within a year he began to preach and ten years later he dedicated the London Metro Tabernacle which seated six thousand people. He filled it to capacity for thirty years. Millions of dollars were donated to him but he gave it all away. Spurgeon understood the value of what he had received.
How much do YOU value the gospel? Is it worth your time, your treasure, your talents?
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Typed on September 25, 2005, by Sharon Lesko of Ledgewood Baptist Church, New Jersey
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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