Did You Hear the One About the...

When speaking to the crowds (I wonder how many people were there?) Jesus used illustrations that compared something familiar with something unfamiliar...or parables.  These draw listeners in to discover truth while also concealing it from people too stubborn or lazy to understand. 

I like most of the parables in this chapter...mainly because Jesus explains them afterwards.  But when we get to the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl merchant we're given a couple of quick statements that left me hanging on the edge of the cliff looking for a bridge. 

Looking at the parable of the hidden treasure in Matthew 13:44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."  I still don't understand why the man hid the treasure after finding it, but it does make sense when you realize that the hidden treasure is the kingdom of heaven...and, although buying the field that it was in cost the man everything, for the treasure he paid nothing...it was a priceless gift.

Then onto the parable of the pearl merchant.  Matthew 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."  I thought this one was saying the same thing as the hidden treasure parable...but it's the opposite!  Here the kingdom of heaven is actually the merchant...and the kingdom pays the ultimate price to possess the pearl.  The price that God was willing to pay to redeem each of us (the pearls).

When I was reading in verses 55-58 I thought it was interesting to find out that the people in Jesus' hometown and even members of his family didn't accept who he was (this also happened to the prophet Jeremiah), and couldn't accept him as Christ because they knew him as he was growing up.  Not to say I compare with them....but in my own way I go through the same kind of thing with people who knew me before I accepted Christ...they just can't see (or more likely don't want to see) the person I've become.