The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl

Matthew 13:44-46

Hear the Word

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a
man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it." Mt. 13:44-46 NAU

The Facts–"Just the Facts, Ma'am."

•	What is the kingdom of heaven like in verse 44?

◦	Treasure hidden in the field

•	Where is the treasure?

◦	In the field

•	Where in the field is it?

◦	Hidden in the field

•	Whose field is it?

◦	The answer is that the text does not say, but follow up by asking: What do we know about the ownership of the field?

-	It is not the man's field because he is about to purchase it.

•	Summarizing then–we have treasure hidden in a field that is not the man's.

•	(Groups) In your group write a list of all the actions taken by the man.

◦	He found the treasure hidden in the field

◦	He hid it again

◦	From joy over it he goes away

◦	He sells all that he has

◦	And he buys that field

•	Let's look at this purchase. What did he actually purchase?

◦	The field

•	(For emphasis)

◦	What did he find?

-	Treasure

◦	What did he buy?

-	The field (Isn't it interesting that he wanted the treasure badly enough to buy the entire field, even the part that wasn't treasure, in order to get the treasure portion?)

•	What did it cost him to purchase the field and the treasure?

◦	Everything he had

•	And how did he feel about spending all he had on this field?

◦	Joyful

Interpretation–"What Does It Mean?"

•	(Groups) Who does this man represent? Take into account all the actions of the man. Please support your answer from Scripture. You may use the entire Bible. To answer the question you would do well to think in terms of the big picture–the entire plan of salvation. (Possible Scripture texts are given below in parenthesis.)

◦	Jesus

-	Found treasure hidden in the field

▪	When did Jesus find something that was hidden?

*	Adam and Eve hid in the Garden of Eden. (Gen. 3:8)

-	Hid it again

▪	How did He hide them again?

*	In the skins of the sacrifice (Gen. 3:21) He kept Adam and Eve and generations after them hidden in the skins of the sacrifice until He could purchase mankind back with His own sacrifice.

-	From joy went and sold all (Heb. 12:2 and 2 Cor. 8:9)

-	Buys field which is not His own (John 3:16 and John 12:31)

▪	How much of the field?

*	All

▪	What does the fact that He bought all of the field rather than just the treasure imply about this purchase?

*	The purchase included even the ungodly. He was willing to buy even the part that wasn't treasure or wouldn't become treasure. Jesus died for the ungodly. (Rom. 5:6)

•	How valuable is this treasure to Him?

◦	It is worth more than everything he has.

The Facts–"Just the Facts, Ma'am."

•	(Groups) Read the next parable and find the three major contrasts between it and the parable of the treasure.

Kingdom is like a merchant	Kingdom is like a treasure
Merchant seeking fine pearls	Man found treasure
When he found one of great value	Unspecified amount of treasure

Interpretation–"What Does It Mean?"

•	What is significant about each difference?

◦	The man is specifically identified as a merchant. It is his job to seek fine pearls.

◦	He is actively seeking pearls.

◦	He sold all for just one!

•	Who is that one?

◦	(You could gently prompt with something like: "I'll know you're hearing the message if you answer correctly."

Note–This question might get different responses because most people have heard that Jesus is the Pearl of Great Price. If they have been hearing the passage up to this point, however, they may rejoice to discover that Jesus calls them a priceless pearl. Both interpretations are valid. It may be of primary importance for us to see how much God values us first so that we have a right estimation of His worth. Remember, "We love, because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19) Mrs. White in Christ's Object Lessons supports both interpretations. After writing about Christ as the pearl she continues on page 118: "Christ, the heavenly merchantman seeking goodly pearls, saw in lost humanity the pearl of price. In man, defiled and ruined by sin, He saw the possibilities of redemption. Hearts that have been the battleground of the conflict with Satan, and that have been rescued by the power of love, are more precious to the Redeemer than are those who have never fallen. God looked upon humanity, not as vile and worthless; He looked upon it in Christ, saw it as it might become through redeeming love. He collected all the riches of the universe, and laid them down in order to buy the pearl." (Emphasis mine.)

See also The Desire of Ages page 483--"The soul that has given himself to Christ is more precious in His sight than the whole world. The Saviour would have passed through the agony of Calvary that one might be saved in His kingdom."

Application–"Make it Personal!"

•	Does anyone else need to claim their identity by faith today?

◦	(Give opportunity for everyone who is willing to make a personal faith statement. Some personal responses might include: "I am the pearl of great price that Jesus sold everything for," or "Jesus is seeking after me," or "I am very valuable to God.")

•	Isn't this good news?!!

•	Isn't this worth sharing? Turn to the person next to you and say, "You are a pearl of great price." You are all evangelists now. Evangelism is simply telling someone how valuable they are to God.

•	Ask, "Which is more difficult--saying this to someone else or hearing it and believing it yourself?" (People may answer either way. Usually, it is more difficult to hear it and believe it of oneself. Why? Because people have grown up hearing that they are worthless. It's hard for many to believe that God loves each of us that much.)

Let's Illustrate!

Illustration #1–Many hands shot into the air! I called on Emily to answer

the question. With a big smile on her face, she exclaimed, "One! The merchant sold everything for one!"

I could feel the excitement in my third-grade classroom. I had just taken my students through the parable of the treasure. They had seen that Jesus gave up everything He had when He died for the whole world. Now, I wanted them to experience that love personally. Looking right into Emily's eyes, I quietly asked, "And who was that one, Emily?"

Suddenly the room got very still. All eyes looked at Emily. Emily slunk down into her seat, her eyes downcast. "Did you understand the question, Emily?" I asked.

Her head bobbed up and down, but her eyes stayed glued to her desk.

Gently, I pressed her, hoping that she would respond in faith, "Would you like to tell me who that one is, Emily?"

Emily looked up at me, but with big eyes she shook her head, no.

My shoulders drooped and a small breath of air escaped my lips. I had not realized that I had been holding my breath. Turning, I addressed the rest of the class. "Would anyone else like to tell me who that one is?" I asked.

Kristen raised her hand and quietly said, "Me." Then Scott said, "Me." Their faces lit up as they spoke. I felt as if all the angels of heaven must be singing! More students raised their hands and answered the question. Then we sang, "Jesus Loves Me," inserting our names every time the song used the word me.

Note to the teacher: It is very difficult to say the simple words, "Jesus loves ME!" or "I am a pearl of great price." This is even difficult for third graders who have less to unlearn than many of us. Unfortunately, when we don't value ourselves as God values us, we devalue His sacrifice.

Illustration #2–The following are actual responses from people who have gone through this study:

–"I am that pearl," David said. Then he continued, "You know, that's the first time I've ever said that." A telling tear rolled quietly down David's cheek.

–"I need to hear this! My father always told me that I was a nobody," Karen confessed. "But I'm not a nobody. I am a pearl of great price."

Illustration #3--Read The Great Controversy pp. 666-667. Give quick background information. (E.g.–Satan, along with his evil hosts and wicked humanity, have just charged the Holy City which has come down from Heaven to rest on the desolated earth. Before their eyes Christ sits enthroned on high about to receive His final coronation. The books of record are opened . . .) Begin reading with, "Above the throne is revealed the cross; and like a panoramic view. . ." End with the phrase "while the redeemed cast their crowns at the Saviour's feet, exclaiming: 'He died for me!'" Emphasize this last phrase. Have them notice that the redeemed do not say, "He died for us," or "He died for the whole world." They make it personal. It hits home, and all they can do after witnessing the awful scene of Christ's crucifixion is to cast their crowns at His feet and exclaim these four simple but very profound words.

Illustration #4--Encourage people to do something to remind themselves of their value. E.g.–to write on their bathroom mirror at home, "I am a pearl," and to say those words by faith (even if they don't feel very valuable at the time) every time they read them.

Illustration #5–The best illustrations will be your personal illustrations. If you have believed this truth for yourself, share how it has impacted your life. If you haven't believed this truth yourself, it will be difficult to share this study with others.

Let's Sing!

Song Idea #1--After using illustration #1 you could invite everyone to sing "Jesus Loves Me." Whenever the song uses the word me, inset your own name.

Song Idea #2–Sing "God Loves People More Than Anything." Whenever the song uses the word people, inset your own name.