Treasure and the Pearl - Matt 13:44-46

The next two parables are very similar and are found only in Matthew and were told only to the disciples. Jesus tells them, “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. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” In the first parable, the man isn’t really looking for the treasure, it seems that he stumbles upon it accidentally, but recognizes it’s value and does what he needs to in order to buy it. Let’s think for a minute what it would mean to sell all that we have, that would mean giving up every material possession and sleeping outside, having no food readily accessible, and basically living a life of struggle and poverty. I wonder if one of the possible meanings might be giving up all that you have, not literally meaning giving up the things you have, but giving up all our sins. I think that the Savior used money and material possessions to bring home a point, but in actuality it’s not about “things” at all, but about giving up a lifestyle and beliefs and behaviors that are not in line with the commandments.

But then again, thinking back to when the church was first restored, the IM reminds us, “The Saints work after this pattern (of the hidden treasure). See the Church of the Latter-day Saints, selling all that they have, and gathering themselves together unto a place that they may purchase for an inheritance… See men traveling to find places for Zion and her stakes or remnants, who, when they find the place for Zion, or the pearl of great price, straightway sell that they have and buy it.” The IM continues to remind us that this is no longer the Church’s policy for it’s members, we are to now stay and build up Zion where we are. The fact that I am currently now not required to give up all I have, the magnitude of these parables are kind of lost on me. It helps me remember that the most important thing in my life is the gospel, and everything else, as Joseph Smith would say, are just appendages to it.

Why did Jesus tell these parables to the disciples instead of the group of people as a whole? I feel that Jesus was trying to help the disciples understand the disconnect between what they were going to have to do to carry the Church after He was gone and the lifestyle that they were used to, and that most other people would get to live. The disciples were not going to get to go home after all of this and build the church from there in comfort, they were going to have to leave what they knew and who they loved and live a very difficult life physically. These parables elicit feelings of temporal destitution but spiritual fulfillment, and that was the life that the disciples were being groomed for. The IM concludes, “Placing these parables back to back gives emphasis to the great value of the gospel of Jesus Christ. One difference in these two parables is the manner in which the treasure and pearl are found. The treasure in the field appears to be found accidentally, while the merchant was actively seeking for pearls. This illustrates that no matter how we find the gospel of Jesus Christ, whether seemingly by accident or through purposeful searching, it is worth sacrificing everything we have to obtain it.”