In the Fulness of Time/Part 94

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The Parable of The Hidden Treasure. Matthew 13:44

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy of it goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.”

The two parables, the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price, have a man selling all he has and buying the field, or pearl. Some of the old liberal com­mentators taught that the treasure and the pearl represented salvation, and that this could be obtained by effort or money. Presently, some evangelical writers retain this interpretation and yet maintain that this does not teach salvation by human works or with money. Carson says: “The kingdom of heaven is worth infinitely more than the cost of discipleship, and those who know where the treasure lies, joyfully abandon everything else to secure it” (Matthew, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Grand Rap­ids: Zondervan, Vol. 8, p. 328). MacArthur likewise states:

In both parables the priceless object was bought at the expense of every possession the finder owned. For that reason some Christians feel uncomfortable about these parables, because they seem to teach that salvation can be bought. But from the beginning to end, Scripture makes abundantly clear that salvation is totally the free gift of God. Yet, interpreted in the right way, salvation is bought in the sense that the person who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior surrenders everything to Him (Matthew, Chicago: Moody Press, Vol. 2, pp. 389-390).

To support this, MacArthur uses Isaiah 55:1: “Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come to the waters, and he that hath no money; come, buy and eat; yea, come, but wine and milk without money and without price.” Speaking of Philippians 3:5-7 he says concerning Paul: “Like the man who bought the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price, he liquidated everything he had for the precious treasure” (p. 391).

There are certain objections to such a theory:

1. Salvation has always been free from the beginning to the end; thus, where is the new truth, the mystery in these parables, if salvation is the main thrust?
2. This interpretation uses contradictory terms. To say that salvation is free, then maintain that the sinner must abandon everything to secure it (Carson), or that the person must surrender everything he has to Him (MacArthur) is in direct contradiction to Romans 11:6: “And if by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if by works, then it is no more grace; otherwise work is no more work.” Surrender to the Lordship of Christ comes after salvation as part of the discipling and growth process.
3. It is unfair to use Philippians 3:7: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ,” since those things Paul listed were all sources of working for a law-righteousness (3:5-6). Obviously, such self righteousness must be aban­doned to gain true righteousness; but where does Paul say that he “liquidated everything he had” and used those assets to buy salvation?
4. Isaiah 55:1 specifies that the person must comes with no money, since he is buying “without money and without price”! Further, there is no selling of anything you have in order to buy salvation in the passage at all!

The parable speaks of a man finding treasure hidden in a field, then going and hiding the treasure, selling all that he has, and buying the field for the joy of the treasure. It was not uncommon in those days for property owners to bury their valu­ables in the ground, and it is quite conceivable that someone might die without remembering to retrieve his treasure, and for the seller of the filed to have no knowl­edge of the treasure. The law also provided a finders-keepers clause in such cases.

Now, what does all of this mean with reference to the Age of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven?

First, the man who sold all that He had to buy the field is Christ: 2 Corinthians 8:9: “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.” (cf. also Rev. 5:9).

Second, the field “is the world” (verse 38) and it is called “his field” (verses 24, 31). This parable emphasizes that He purchased the entire field to have the trea­sure! This is in accord with I John 2:2, “And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” This indicates two things; that Christ’s death was not only sufficient for the sins of the whole world, but that it was provided for the sins of the whole world! “He tasted death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9)

Third, since His sacrifice was intended for all; it included the entire field and the treasure in it. This treasure therefore, would include the elect, and this will be the main thrust of the parable of the pearl. It cannot be limited to the elect of the Church Age, since there is no time period specified in this parable.

Fourth, the mystery in the parable is that the Messiah is to die for the entire world, both Jew and Gentile. Earlier, in Matthew 10:5-7 the Twelve were sent to the Jews only, but now, since the earthly, Messianic Kingdom has been rejected, the new revelation is that Messiah is to die for all. Some time after the Day of Pente­cost, as late as Acts 10-11, the Apostle Peter had to learn this lesson anew. Even though there may have been a seeming contradiction between Matthew 1:21 “He shall save his people from their sins,” and John 1:29 “Behold, the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world,” it is unlikely that the Twelve rightly understood this distinction until after the Church Council in Acts 15. Yet, Jesus repeatedly in­formed them of the necessity of His death and resurrection, and that He had other sheep “not of this fold” (John 10:16) which He must also bring.

Even though the treasure refers to all of the elect of all the ages, certainly the mysteries related to the Church, and to Israel’s blindness are to be included as part of that elect group which was purchased with His blood, and will be saved “in the fulness of time.”

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