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8. Three Further Short Parables (13:44–50)
⁴⁴“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man
found and hid; then in his delight he goes and sells all he has and buys that field.
⁴⁵“Again the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who was looking for fine pearls;
⁴ when he had found one immensely valuable pearl he went off and sold¹ all he
had and bought it.
⁴⁷“Again the kingdom of heaven is like a net² which was thrown into the lake
and collected fish³ of every kind. ⁴⁸When it was full the fishermen pulled it up
onto the beach, sat down and collected the good fish into containers but threw
out those that were worthless.⁴ ⁴ That is how it will be at the end of the age: the
angels will come⁵ and separate the wicked from among the righteous, ⁵ and will
throw them into the burning furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing
of teeth.”
These parables are found only in Matthew. All the preceding parables have been
introduced by a narrative clause, but these follow immediately after the
explanation of the weeds with no further indication of audience. This, and the
fact that vv. 49–50 contain an explanation of the kind hitherto given only to
disciples, leads many to assume that these parables too are addressed only to the
disciples. But I have argued above (see on v. 36) that Matthew’s audience-
specifications are sufficiently imprecise to allow us to assume that these parables
too come under the rubric of v. 34, that parables are for the crowds. The
similarity of the parable of the net to that of the weeds strongly suggests that the
two are designed for the same audience. In that case the appending of the
explanation in vv. 49–50 to a public parable without an expressed change of
audience should be ascribed more to literary convenience than to a deliberate
change of policy. The only parable in this chapter addressed specifically to the
disciples would then be that of the householder in v. 52, and in that case, unlike
in vv. 44, 45, 47, the audience will be clearly indicated.
As in vv. 24–33, this trio of parables divides into two sections, the treasure and
the pearl forming a natural pair, with similar form and message, while the net is
different not only in that it carries an explanation, but also in its focus, so that it
finds its natural twin in the parable of the weeds.⁷ I shall again, therefore, discuss
the group in two sections.
a. The Parables of the Treasure and of the Pearl (13:44–46)
These parables are similar in form and message, differing primarily in the
narrative specifics appropriate to the two analogies chosen, though the vivid
present tenses of v. 44 are not repeated in v. 46. They are about enthusiastic and
whole-hearted commitment to the kingdom of heaven, with the secondary theme
of costly renunciation for the sake of the greater good. It is only those who make
the kingdom of heaven their top priority who will enjoy its blessings. These
parables also continue the theme of the “secrets of the kingdom of heaven” in
that the treasure is “hidden” from others and the pearl has to be “found” (it is not
thrown before any old pigs, 7:6!).
The relevance of these parables to the disciples is obvious, especially in view of
their having “left” their previous lifestyle and its material possessions in the call-
stories of 4:20, 22 (and cf. 9:9), a theme which will be taken up again in 19:27–
29, where it is provoked by the example of the rich man who was unwilling to
sell his possessions in order to gain “treasure in heaven” (19:16–22). The same
contrast between earthly and heavenly possessions and security has been
explored in 6:19–34,⁸ where it is specifically commitment to God’s kingship
(6:33) which must take priority over other concerns. In the treasure-finder and
the pearl-dealer, then, we find the opposite attitude to the “worries of this world
and the false lure of wealth” which stood in the way of true discipleship in v. 22.
To find the kingdom of heaven is to find the one treasure which outweighs all
other valuation. It is worth any cost to seize this unique and unrepeatable
opportunity. Note that in both cases the treasure comes into the purchaser’s
possession immediately, so that it is unlikely that the blessings of the kingdom of
heaven are envisaged as purely future and eschatological.
Is this, then, a message only for disciples? Surely in so far as the crowd is made
up of people who are at least potentially disciples, it applies to them as well. It
obliges them to think seriously about the single-minded commitment which
discipleship must involve, as well as about the immense value of the offered
kingdom of heaven. It is a message which, like the parables as a whole, is
designed to divide those who hear. There will, one hopes, be some who like the
men in the parables are sufficiently captivated by the treasure on offer to be
ready for the sacrifice of everything else. But human nature being what it is
those who rise to the challenge are likely to be few (like those who find the
narrow way in 7:13–14). So these parables, like the others, will bring
enlightenment and joy to some, but leave others “hearing but not
understanding.”
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