Buried Treasure, a Pearl and a Bugatti Sportscar

This post is an excerpt from a talk I gave in August 2022, at my local church.

Jesus told two short parables, recorded in the gospel of Matthew 13:44-46 (NIV).

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. 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.

It’s not hard to see parallels between the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl. Yes, the high value of the Kingdom of Heaven, through the treasure and the pearl stands out. Another similarity is that the person who finds the valuable item, whether by chance or by diligent search, sells everything to possess it.

As we ponder these parables, letting them roll around in our minds, and earnestly seeking their meaning, we realize that the value of the Kingdom and the willingness to sell everything to obtain it really go hand in hand. 

Have you ever held and examined a pearl? It’s one thing to store up some facts about pearls in our minds and then have a logical understanding of what Jesus said, and it’s another to ponder a pearl, roll it around in our palm, and earnestly seek its meaning and its beauty. 

A Syrian theologian who served as a deacon did this very thing in around the year 360 AD. Based on his hands-on experience with a single pearl and his thoughtful reflections about it, Ephrem the Syrian wrote seven hymns. 

Among other things, he observed that the pearl speaks with “silent mouth” of the trophies, victories and crowns of Jesus Christ. The bright and luminous gem was for him a reflection of Jesus, the “Light of the world.”[1]

If buried treasure and a lustrous and valuable pearl feel too distant from our everyday experiences, let’s reimagine the parable of the hidden treasure and the parable of the pearl using a more current example of something out of reach for most people.  

It was suggested to me as a modern equivalent by a Grade 8 student during class devotions, when asked, “What is something today that somebody might sell everything to get?” 

Consider with me: The Kingdom of Heaven is like the case of a collector of classic cars, who scours websites and advertisement and travels to dealerships and auto shows every weekend for months. He is seeking for the one car that meets all his criteria for design, speed, and luxury. One day, he spots a one-off Bugatti sportscar and knows he doesn’t need to see any others. 

He smiles broadly and sells all the other cars in his collection and everything else he owns to get that sportscar. 

The man who sold everything to buy the field, and the merchant who sold everything to buy the pearl, and the car enthusiast of our modern example did not feel they were making a sacrifice. It was a calculated decision; they knew the supreme value of the item they were seeking. Therefore, I also hesitate to use the word “sacrifice” to describe what citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven choose to give up in their loyalty to Jesus. 

After all, what else has lasting value? Through Christ and his Kingdom, in the words of the hymn writer, we have “pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, [Christ’s] own dear presence to cheer and to guide, strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Blessings all [ours] with ten thousand beside.”[2]

JOY is the motivation for a Kingdom citizen to give up things of minor value so that they become more and more centered on their King and Lord. Committing every part of oneself to serving the Lord is a joyful process, and it will take a different form in your life than it does in mine. 

[1] http://www.voskrese.info/spl/pearl.html

[2] Lyrics from the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923.