“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44 ESV)
Matthew 13:1-50 contains seven parables concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. These include the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:3-23), the Parable of the Weeds (13:24-30), the Parable of the Mustard Seed (13:31-32), the Parable of the Leaven (13:33), the Parable of the Hidden Treasure (13:44), the Parable of the Pearl of Great Value (13:13:45-46), and the Parable of the Net (13:47-50). Today’s study concerns the Parable of the Hidden Treasure.
Jesus indirectly compared the kingdom of heaven to a treasure. A treasure (θησαυρός; thesaurus) literally means a treasure box filled with objects costing a great deal of money. It was just such a treasure box that was hidden (κρύπτω; krypto) by someone in the past. The text does not say who hid the treasure box or why it was hidden. The text also does not reveal if the individual who hid the treasure did so in a field he owned.
One day a man found the treasure. The word found (εὑρίσκω; heurisko) means to actively discover and learn the location of some object or person. In the context, the object he found was the previously mentioned treasure.
Upon finding the treasure, the man covered it up. To cover up (κρύπτω; krypto) means to hide. The man found the hidden treasure and then hid the treasure that he found. No reason is given as to why the man re-hid the treasure that he found.
Discovering the treasure gave the man joy. Joy (χαρά; chara) refers to a great happiness solely possessed by the man. The joy the man possessed stemmed from having found the treasure that he hoped to possess.
His hopeful intention to possess the treasure that produced his joy prompted him to sell all that he had. To sell (πωλέω; poleo) means to actively sell all of his wealth for money. He in turn uses that money to buy that field. Why that field? It is because that field contains the hidden treasure that he found, re-hid, and seeks to possess because it gives him joy because of its value.
Jesus did not provide an interpretation to this parable. Therefore, it remains for the student of Scripture to accurately deduce its meaning.
We know that the parable is about the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, it is about salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone (Rom., 3:21-26; Eph. 2:1-10). It is this glorious justification from God that has a priceless value in delivering an individual from the penalty, power and eventual presence of sin (2 Cor. 4:7). It is a treasure that anyone would gladly possess.
However, the tragic irony is that fallen, sinful man would rather seek the treasures of the fallen world than possess a treasure from God beyond all measure. It is only when God regenerates man’s soul that he is able to recognize how truly valuable the treasure of the Gospel truly is (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:1-5).
Do you possess this treasure?
Soli deo Gloria!
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