Read MATTHEW 13:44-52!
Welcome back, friends! We have another 3 parables to cover today! Are you enjoying this as much as me? Do you have your Bible, pen, journal, and a cup of something nice and warm to sip on? Great...let's get started!
Verse 44 brings us to our first parable today, The Hidden Treasure. In verses 45-46 you'll find the second, The Pearl of Great Price. Because they are so similar, we're going to look at both at the same time.
A treasure is something you are glad to find! What did Jesus say about treasure? We find the answer in Matthew 6:19-21. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." The treasure in the parable is hidden in the field. We have already learned that the field is the world.
In the parable, the treasure is people - lost souls. The man in the parable is Jesus. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost! He found a treasure (us when we were lost, others who are still lost), and loved it so much that he considered us extremely valuable (like the pearl). He then gave up all he had (His life) to pay the full price for the field/pearl (us!)
Let's think of some of the pearls that Jesus saw as great value and purchased.
-The Woman at the Well
-Unlearned fisherman who wanted to follow him
-The woman taken in adultery
-A Tax Collector
-Children in the temple crying "Hosanna!"
-The multitude that moved Him to compassion
Can you think of some more examples that I missed?
These people seemed like trash to the world, but were beautiful treasures to Jesus! So much so that he sold all he had just for them! AMAZING GRACE, how sweet the sound!
And the last parable of Matthew 13 is The Parable of the Dragnet. A dragnet is a huge, weighted net that drags along the bottom of a body of water to collect fish. Think about who these people were that were listening to Jesus teach. They knew about fishing and nets! I love that Jesus uses things that we can understand and relate to explain the deep truths of the Gospel! Don't ever doubt that the Holy Spirit will use things you are familiar with to speak words into your life!
This parable is similar to the Parable of the Wheat and Tares. Both parables concern an end-times sorting, aided by angels, when believers will be separated from unbelievers once and for all. Just as the net was cast into the sea drawing many fish, the gospel message is spread into the world, drawing many people to it. Just like the net gathered all types of fish, the Gospel draws in many people who don't repent or desire to follow Christ right along with those who will. Just like the fish could not be sorted until the net was pulled onto the shore, false believers will masquerade as true Christians and will not be made known until the end of the age.
Verse 44 brings us to our first parable today, The Hidden Treasure. In verses 45-46 you'll find the second, The Pearl of Great Price. Because they are so similar, we're going to look at both at the same time.
A treasure is something you are glad to find! What did Jesus say about treasure? We find the answer in Matthew 6:19-21. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." The treasure in the parable is hidden in the field. We have already learned that the field is the world.
In the parable, the treasure is people - lost souls. The man in the parable is Jesus. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost! He found a treasure (us when we were lost, others who are still lost), and loved it so much that he considered us extremely valuable (like the pearl). He then gave up all he had (His life) to pay the full price for the field/pearl (us!)
Let's think of some of the pearls that Jesus saw as great value and purchased.
-The Woman at the Well
-Unlearned fisherman who wanted to follow him
-The woman taken in adultery
-A Tax Collector
-Children in the temple crying "Hosanna!"
-The multitude that moved Him to compassion
Can you think of some more examples that I missed?
These people seemed like trash to the world, but were beautiful treasures to Jesus! So much so that he sold all he had just for them! AMAZING GRACE, how sweet the sound!
And the last parable of Matthew 13 is The Parable of the Dragnet. A dragnet is a huge, weighted net that drags along the bottom of a body of water to collect fish. Think about who these people were that were listening to Jesus teach. They knew about fishing and nets! I love that Jesus uses things that we can understand and relate to explain the deep truths of the Gospel! Don't ever doubt that the Holy Spirit will use things you are familiar with to speak words into your life!
This parable is similar to the Parable of the Wheat and Tares. Both parables concern an end-times sorting, aided by angels, when believers will be separated from unbelievers once and for all. Just as the net was cast into the sea drawing many fish, the gospel message is spread into the world, drawing many people to it. Just like the net gathered all types of fish, the Gospel draws in many people who don't repent or desire to follow Christ right along with those who will. Just like the fish could not be sorted until the net was pulled onto the shore, false believers will masquerade as true Christians and will not be made known until the end of the age.
A day will come when like the tares and wheat and the good fish and the bad fish, true believers and unbelievers WILL BE SEPARATED. This should be extremely sobering to us and cause us to pray even more fervently for lost souls!
TIME OF REFLECTION
Did you think of other biblical examples of people who the world might see as worthless, but Christ saw as treasure? Record them in your journal!
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