Bible Lesson: Parables-Our Lord's - The Hidden Treasure

Bible Lesson: Parables-Our Lord's
Parable: The Hidden Treasure

Matthew 13:44 KJV
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

A common interpretation of this parable:
A man seeing the great value of the Lord Jesus Christ, selleth all that he has, to purchase Him.

Although it well true that we are to forsake all for Him...

Luke 14:26,33 KJV
26 If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple.

Philippians 3:4-11 KJV
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

We are to follow Christ to the exclusion of all others, or things.
But, yet we cannot “buy,” our salvation!

Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Titus 3:5 KJV
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Titus 3:4,5 NLT
4 But—“When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love,
5 He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.

Salvation is free, the gift of God, not something bought.

Isaiah 40:1 KJV
Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.


Another interpretation of this parable is the following:

In Matthew thirteen verse thirty eight, Jesus says, in the parable of the sower, that “the field is the world.”
In the parable of the hidden treasure, then, it is the Lord Jesus that buys the field.
At Calvary, He bought all of creation, including mankind.

Hebrews 12:2 KJV
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

II Corinthians 8:9 KJV
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.

Well if Christ died for the whole field, then is the whole field saved?
No. Purchase, is not necessarily redemption.

Homily:

If in a prison, the warden announces that everyone has been pardoned, and yet only a few get up and leave, because they like having a roof over their heads with three meals a day, with paid health care, they don't want to go back onto the street.

Does this mean that all were not able to go free?
Hardly, it means that although all could have taken the pardon and gone free, yet only a few did, by choice.

Was not all the field a treasure?
No, only those who accepted the pardon, with thanksgiving were.
It wasn't the field (in the parable), that was special to the buyer, no it was the “treasure” that was buried there!

All could accept the pardon, all could go free, but the stark reality is, that only the “few” (Matthew 7:14) will, and they are Christs' treasure.

Colossians 1:12,13 KJV
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

II Corinthians 5:21 KJV
For He(God the Father) hath made Him (God the son)to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Friend, no matter how long and hard you think on it, you will never in this world, know the price that the Lord Jesus has paid to redeem you.
Accept, His love and pardon today!

Salvation Prayer