Found treasure Mt. 13:44-46
Something very special about Jesus' parables is the succinct and accurate approach to the subject. Yes, Jesus sometimes gave longer parables, with which we will meet again while reading our Gospel, but he was also able to express the richness of content in very short stories. Such are the parables about the treasure hidden in the field and the precious pearl. Although they usually appear together as the same unit of text, they still only occupy three Gospel verses.
First, the kingdom of heaven was compared to a treasure hidden in a field. As we know, the earth hides many natural resources inside, which people gradually discover, making use of them for the benefit of a given state, corporation or private business. It is a common knowledge that is part of everyday reality. However, there are cases, most often on a small, local or even individual scale, that someone unexpectedly finds a treasure, and then it is a real surprise. A lazy and careless person will treat such a case with a wave of his hand. Character flaws limit his ability to act. Such a person will not invest time, effort, money in what he has found without his own effort. It may happen that the finder is dishonest and then plunder what he found in someone else's territory. Although the parable does not take up this thread, directing the attention of the listener/reader to other aspects of the story, life practice often confirms the aforementioned possibility. Developing this thread, however, it should be noted that the hypothetical theft of the discovered good would be something incidental, aimed at a one-time profit, while this field, with an undefined area, hides more treasures.
Jesus' parable talks about an honest man who, having found a treasure, appreciated its value so much that he sold everything he had and bought a lucrative field. It is unclear what the specific treasure is, but it is something extremely costly. Jesus emphasizes the finder's extraordinary joy, and this joy pushes him to sacrifice everything. This man correctly estimated the value of the found treasure, understood that he had achieved the goal of his life, that there could be nothing more valuable than this unique treasure. He supposes that a fortunate field may hide more of this treasure, so he does not limit himself to just getting what he has found but acquires the entire field. The parable illustrates man's proper behavior towards the values of the kingdom of heaven. It is such a treasure that it is worth sacrificing everything in your life to obtain it.
The second image shows a pearl merchant. Jesus points out that he was looking for beautiful pearls. When trading valuables, the merchant must have seen many precious stones in his life, many precious pearls in which he was particularly interested. He bought, sold, exchanged, because that was his profession. When one day he came across a pearl that he had never seen in his life, which amazed him with its beauty, he wanted nothing more than to get this beautiful specimen. How exceptionally wonderful this pearl must have been, since our merchant judged its value higher than anything he owned, and he was certainly not a poor man as a jewelry dealer. The kingdom of heaven surpasses all goods of this world with its value, its beauty, so it is worth giving everything away, sacrificing everything to get it.
Two short parables have the same message: the kingdom of heaven surpasses all other goods value in human life. For its achievement, it is worth giving up everything. Anyone who understands this truth will be a happy person. The parables differ in nuances. In the first, a person finds a treasure quite by accident, while in the second, the merchant consciously looks for a pearl that will make him rich and happy all his life. He intuitively senses that there is one and only one that needs to be acquired. The treasure was consciously and diligently searched for, and the treasure unexpectedly “donated” by fate, by Providence. This difference also applies to the kingdom of heaven and shows how to come into contact with it in life. Those who know about it persistently strive for it, to find the joy of being in it. First of all, they are people who already on the path of faith, but still in the process of shaping it, still struggling to understand, to fully accept the teachings of Jesus. Their efforts will undoubtedly be rewarded, but for that it will require a generous response. The wise men from the East, who are looking for the Child Jesus, can be a good evangelical example (Mt. 2: 1-11). There are also people who encounter the phenomenon of the kingdom of heaven in unexpected ways in their lives. Under the influence of some special grace, they marvel at him and lead the rest of their lives only in terms of their found happiness. Without any special effort, without any prior effort, they receive free grace. As a result, both the first and the second parable call for a complete, maximum response to the reality of the Gospel.
“The law of your mouth is more precious to me than heaps of silver and gold”. (Ps. 119: 72).
Until Tomorrow
fr. george