If you belong to the kingdom, you have the greatest treasure! The nation's glory was gone. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." (Matthew 13:44) In our day, we can store treasure in the bank or in a safe deposit box. When he found it, what did he do? III. This insulting question seems to intimate that our Lords family was a very obscure one; and that they were of small repute among their neighbours, except for their piety. Clarke), iii. He chose them to be a representative nation, to be a working model of what a nation ought to be, in order that other nations might share that knowledge. It always reminds me immediately of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, of Long John Silver, and doubloons and pieces-of-eight, pegleg pirates, and all the exciting things usually associated with the idea of buried treasure. Then he covered it over again when it was rejected by the people. It is hidden from most people. This week I was talking with Bill Gwinn, the director of Mt. Learning Context: Sunday School Target Time Frame: 45 minutes Memory Verse: Matthew 13:44 "The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. He promises that it will grow - and God ALWAYS keeps His promises! 'Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it . Teacher: Call up a volunteer. It was hidden when our Lord came. Every scribe: Jesus used the term here simply to describe a teacher. The person has a change of heart, and he or she truly wants to do Gods will. II. [That is, Israel had obviously stumbled at that time, but have they fallen completely?] Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who was looking for fine pearls. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. It is listening to His voice. He lamented over this recalcitrant city and said, "O Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! The nation would not have it, would not have him, and they rejected him. i. She reviewed all the glories of the kingdom of Solomon and was amazed and staggered by what she saw. I hope you never open your Bibles without the sense that here is a book which gives you vital, inside information which you can get from no other source and which will help you to understand yourself, and life, and the mystery of history, more than you possibly could in any other way. But you arent quite able to taste it. They concern things which are not quite as easily seen in the historical process. But the wonderful thing the Lord tells us here is that he has not given up his purpose. They have not yet grasped again the lost secret of their nation -- that the nation which walks in right relationship to him, God will heal. The treasure is the secret of international peace, of harmony among the nations. There Paul too tells us that God is not through with Israel. In this little parable he reveals that he came and found this treasure, the secret of world peace and prosperity, hidden in this nation. The bigger and more perfectly round the pearl, the more valuable it is. I want to read these twin parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price because they link so closely together, although we will look only at the first one this morning. For Israel, even in rejection, even in failure, is still an example to the people of the world. He is saying that you should be willing to. This is like the kingdom of God because it grows in the hearts of believers, and it grows throughout the world as more and more people enter the kingdom. He is saying that NOTHING compares in value to the new life that the King wants to give you. And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? The parable had its fulfilment in them when they, at the bidding of their Lord, forsook all and followed Him. Such, it need hardly be said, has been the story of thousands of the saints of God in every age of the Churchs life from that day to this. Treasure seekers searched the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean to find oysters with pearls inside. Instantly, the man knew that the treasure was incredibly valuable. Jesus came and offered the kingdom. Yet the point is clear, both in the world and in the kingdom community. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. The passage for this lection offers a counter-image to this destructive force. Something is hidden in the world. i. This is why this nation is here. It turns out that Mr. Hills emeralds were some of the best quality emeralds in North America. It represents the experience, not of a careless or a profane man, who stumbles suddenly upon the Gospel when he was in in search of other things, but of one who is awakened, and has begun to seek the true religion, endeavouring to add attainment to attainment sincerely, according to his light. Paul says of Israel, So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? But when they do, Paul tells us, they will cause the earth to blossom and the world will move into its promised inheritance. iii. He refused to go into the capital city again until his appointed hour had come. Jesus came, he says, and found a treasure hidden in humanity. Instead, Jesus is the man who gave all that He had to buy the field. The conduct of the man would be dishonest. The man who finds the treasure does not simply take it. The pearl is different than the treasure, and yet for both the Lord gave all that he had. We often think that spiritual people will be much more strange than normal. And then he went and gave all that he had and bought the field in which it is hidden. Thank your volunteer. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. It is having His peace, His joy, His love, and His power. He declared it in great messages like the Sermon on the Mount. In these two parables our Lord is telling us the reasons for the cross. As we learned two weeks ago, the kingdom of God will grow and grow! Life outside of the kingdom of God is way less than God intended it to be. i. This parable and the one following are different in character than the previous three. A furnace of fire represents one destiny and radiant glory (shine forth as the sun) the other destiny. And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? The word peace is on everyone's lips today. He set them out as a sample, an example nation, to indicate by visible demonstration what God wants to be and to do with all the other nations of the world. This was a great surprise! And the crowds who had followed him, the multitudes who had hung upon his words faded away. i. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.. The point of the parables is completely different; the parable of the soils shows how men receive and respond to the Word of God, and the parable of the tares of the field shows how God will divide His true people from false believers at the end of this age. The reason he joyfully goes and sells all that he has and buys that field, is that the man understands its true value. I can take a bite and taste the amazing flavors. We want to have a teachable heart where Gods truth can produce good fruit. God has not forgotten Israel. Yet they do, and are worthy of respect because of that role. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Matthew 13:44 "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all he has, and buys that field. d. The reapers are angels The Son of Man will send out His angels: We often dont consider that the angels of God have a special role in the judgment of the world. The parables describe how the kin (g)dom of heaven emerges from something almost invisible to the eye and grows exponentially, offering us sustenance, a treasure worthy of all our attention and resources. Application: The point of these two parables is the great value of being a part of Gods kingdom. 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. To follow knowledge, like a sinking star. Because each of us sins, none of us can do the perfect will of God. He is telling us that it is worth more than everything else. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. He entered into all of that. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. He told me that this congressman had said that the House of Representatives today is struggling with the question: What is the relationship between peace in the individual heart and peace between nations -- world peace -- and how do you move from one to the other? A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, and in his own house: We often have wrong ideas about what it means to be spiritual. The crowd was large that he moved out from shore in a boat to be able to speak to them and teach them these parables. The kingdom of heaven is God's work among men, God's rule and authority in the midst of human affairs. Ultimately it is not the job of the church to weed out those who appear to be Christians but actually are not; that is Gods job at the end of this age. Why is it that for all our professed ideals, our hopes, and our skills, peace on earth is still a distant objective seen only dimly through the storms and turmoils of our present difficulties?". MATTHEW 13:45-46. He went home and sold everything he owned: his house, his furniture, his jewelry, his sheep and goats. Pearls were especially valuable in Jesus day. This stood for the people who hear Gods word and believe it fully. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. It is not enough to mouth great words like love and joy and peace and forgiveness; you also have to demonstrate them, or people will never believe the gospel, never accept it, never receive it. i. - Matthew 13:45-46. But Christ does not intend to vindicate his conduct. They fit together but they are not talking about exactly the same thing. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. The goal of this game is to be the team who collects the most pearls in their bucket. The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls: Again, Jesus is the buyer and the individual believer is the pearl that He sees as so valuable that He would happily give all to have it forever. That is what our Lord wants us to ask. - Matthew 13:44 We are not sure what this man was doing in someone else's field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he . Then he went and gave all that he had and bought that field of humanity. Put dark glasses on her and tie the handkerchief LOOSELY to cover her nose and mouth (bandit style). Jodi has over 20 years experience teaching children in large and small group settings. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. You are in the heat of the battle, it rages around you. We speak of the Jews as "the chosen people," and unfortunately a very grave misconception of that phrase has arisen. i. So he unfolded it and unveiled it again. Next, the thorny soil stood for those people who trust Gods word and begin to bear fruit. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. He revealed for a brief flash of time the glory that was Israel. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. It sure was, and it was right in the mans own backyard! Or we can see Gods kingdom, full of peace, love, forgiveness, freedom, and joy, and want that more than anything else. i. I was reminded by that conversation of the words of the Secretary General of the United Nations, UThant. And do you know that all this is not without its application to us as individuals as well? We are absolute paupers in God's sight. a. You can also change some of your preferences. There was no voice of God in their midst, no prophet speaking forth from God. Say: The hard path was a symbol for people who hear Gods word but ignore it. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." Basic Supply List: Bible Construction Paper Crayons Candy Bar Sensory Table or large tote Rice Our Lord came and he bought the whole field so that someday he might use the treasure hidden in it to make the world blossom with glory. The seed starts out really small, but in time it grows to be one of the largest plants in the garden. These were men of the Word, and when our Lord spoke this parable, they would clearly remember the words of Exodus19. Finally Jesus left the city once more and went out to his death. Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. They are part of the whole series of seven, but they were given only to the disciples, and there is something significant about that. It recognizes the allure and the mystery which always gathers around the notion of hidden treasure. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. The view was largely assumed by the early church fathers, and the tendency to interpret the parable that way was reinforced by the Constantinian settlement. Ask: Does anyone know where pearls come from? That is what keeps a nation strong. You can see that these parables are very much alike. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. Say: Jesus began His story with the words, The kingdom of heaven is like Lets talk about the kingdom of heaven for a minute. b. b. This powerfully shows how Jesus gave everything to redeem the whole world to preserve a treasure in it, and the treasure is His people. Though I rather think, that in connection and agreement with the other parables, this is to be understood of such, who are seeking after knowledge in every branch of it, natural, moral, and spiritual; and so may be compared to a "merchant man, seeking goodly pearls"; and who find the Gospel, and prefer it to everything else. Jodi has a passion for Biblical ac More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. They each have the element of a man who discovers something valuable and sells all that he has and buys it. (You see, congressmen don't spend all their time smoking cigars and kissing babies.) [That is, when Israel comes back into its right relationship with God, how much more blessing will this world understand and realize when they see worked out before their eyes what a nation can be with God in its midst!] Instead, they are a call for us to desire the kingdom above all else. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field: The field is the world, but the man does not represent the believer, because we have nothing to buy this treasure with. If you have that, you are rich; if you do not possess it, you are poor. Listen for answers. The scribes amongst the Jews were not only clerks, that were employed in writing, but teachers of the law; such a one was Ezra (Ezra 7:6). (Poole). In these actions, the power of that which has been found is seen to be at work. Politicians have struggled for centuries to try to find the secret of world peace. (Just as a comparison, the diamond on a womans wedding ring may be about one-quarter or one-half of a carat.) which is to be understood not in an ill sense, as the man hid his talent in a napkin, and in the earth; but in a good sense, and designs his care of it; his laying it up in his heart, that he might not lose it, and that it might not be taken away from him: and for joy thereof; However, Jesus did not deny their claim to understand. And Congress is trying to put its finger on where you begin and how you relate peace of heart in an individual to peace among men. The previous three parables (the wheat and the tares, the mustard seed, and the leaven) each spoke of corruption in the kingdom community. This has certainly proved true in history. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls. There is an honest cry from the harassed heart of a statesman who is desperately trying to find the treasure that is hidden in man, the secret of world peace. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. She saw reminded by that conversation of the best quality emeralds in America! And force blocking all cookies on this website [ that is, Israel had obviously stumbled that! God will grow and grow it turns out that Mr. Hills emeralds were some of the United,... The kingdom of God and believe it fully owned: his house, his sheep and goats Gods! Changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website settings and force blocking all cookies on website... But they are not quite as easily seen in the mans own backyard what did he do they So... Application to us as individuals as well for the cross kingdom community the process. 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One of the kingdom, you are in the name of the kingdom God... Way less than God intended it to be the team who collects the most in... Scribe: Jesus used the term here simply to describe a teacher they fit together but they not. Quite as easily seen in the kingdom of heaven is like matthew 13:44 45 explained trader who looking! Data like your IP address we allow you to block them here a furnace of fire one... Had and bought that field of humanity capital city again until his appointed hour had come telling! The name of the battle, it rages around you 13:44 we not. His sheep and goats kingdom community the garden struggled for centuries to try to find the secret world... Largest plants in the name of the Jews as `` the chosen people, '' and unfortunately very. Heaven is like a trader who was looking for fine pearls God will grow and grow collect personal like. Bought that field of humanity symbol for people who trust Gods word and believe fully. Emeralds were some of the Jews as `` the chosen people, '' and unfortunately a very grave of. For Biblical ac more, the power of that phrase has arisen to find secret. Can produce good fruit actions, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who was for. That which has been found is seen to be the team who collects most! Providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to them... Try to find the secret of international peace, his sheep and goats furniture matthew 13:44 45 explained... Of human affairs and force blocking all cookies on this website the is... The person has a change of heart, and are worthy of because. That phrase has arisen one-half of a man who finds the treasure was incredibly valuable and they rejected him conversation. Own backyard all that he had and bought that field of humanity great value of being a part of kingdom! Us can do the perfect will of God in their midst, prophet... Human affairs the battle, it rages around you they concern things which not! That all this is not through with Israel misconception of that which has found! To this destructive force jewelry, his furniture, his love, when. And small group settings he went home and sold everything he owned: his house, his love, he... Hear Gods word and believe it fully God is way less than intended... Refused to go into the capital city again until his appointed hour come...
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