Topic: Kingdom Parables“
TEXT: Matthew 13:44-52
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.
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.
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.
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.
Key Verse: Matthew 13:44
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hiddeth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth the field.”
MESSAGE
In May 2012, a 32-carrat Burmese ruby and diamond ring that was part of the collections of Lily Safra, one of the richest women in the world was sold at an auction. The pre-auction estimate for the sale was $3-5 million, but the final sale price ended up at $6.7 million. It is believed to be the most expensive ruby ever sold.
Three parables are narrated in our text today: the parable of the treasure, goodly pearls, and the net. The treasure hidden in the field was discovered by the wise man, who went and sold all he had to buy the field so he could have access to the treasure therein. That of the pearl of great price also required the buyer to first of all sell all that he had in order to have enough to purchase it. The third parable was of the drag net thrown into the sea to enclose both good and bad. The catch was sorted and the unwanted items were cast away while the good ones were retained.
Three things are common with the three parables – wisdom, investment and vision. Unwise and foolish people despise wisdom and have limited understanding. This is why the owner of the field in the first parable could not discover the treasure right there by his nose, and the reason the owner of the treasure of inestimable value was willing to sell it off. The ability to make the right judgment also runs through the three parables. This was the reason the fisherman was able to discard what was useless and retained what was useful in the net.
Most valuable things do not lie on the surface of the earth; they are hidden below or in the atmosphere and require wisdom and discernment to discover. Only those who are visionary and with good understanding can see why we have to forsake and abandon the mundane things of the world to pursue one inestimable treasure of the greatest value – heaven.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Valuable things require wisdom to extract.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Hebrews 5–9
Daily Manna is the daily devotional of the Deeper Christian Life Bible Ministry (DCLM). It is an extraction of God’s Word designed to draw the sincere seeker closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word. Read More…
