Matthew 13:44
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.
The kingdom of heaven
This phrase is central to Jesus' teachings and is synonymous with the "kingdom of God" found in other Gospels. The Greek word for "kingdom" is "basileia," which implies not just a physical realm but the reign and rule of God. The "kingdom of heaven" represents God's sovereign rule over the hearts of believers and the ultimate fulfillment of His divine plan. It is a spiritual kingdom that begins in the hearts of those who accept Christ and will be fully realized in the eschatological future.

is like treasure
The Greek word for "treasure" is "thēsauros," which denotes something of immense value and worth. In the ancient world, treasures were often hidden to protect them from thieves and invaders. This metaphor suggests that the kingdom of heaven is of incomparable value, surpassing all earthly wealth and possessions. It is a treasure that offers eternal life, peace, and joy beyond human understanding.

hidden in a field
Fields in the ancient Near East were common places for hiding valuables, as there were no banks or secure storage facilities. The "field" represents the world, and the "hidden" nature of the treasure suggests that the kingdom of heaven is not immediately apparent to everyone. It requires spiritual insight and revelation to recognize its worth. This also implies that the kingdom is accessible to all but must be sought after diligently.

When a man found it
The "man" in this parable represents anyone who discovers the truth of the Gospel. The act of finding suggests an active search or a divine encounter. It emphasizes the personal nature of salvation; each individual must come to the realization of the kingdom's value on their own. This discovery is often a life-changing moment, leading to a complete reorientation of priorities.

he hid it again
This action reflects the careful and deliberate response to discovering the kingdom's value. The man hides the treasure to secure it, indicating the need to protect and cherish the newfound faith. It suggests a personal commitment to nurturing one's relationship with God and safeguarding it from worldly distractions and temptations.

and in his joy
The Greek word for "joy" is "chara," which conveys a deep, abiding sense of happiness and fulfillment. This joy is a natural response to the realization of the kingdom's worth. It is not a fleeting emotion but a profound and lasting state of being that comes from knowing and experiencing God's love and grace.

he goes and sells all that he has
This phrase illustrates the total commitment required to follow Christ. The man willingly sacrifices everything he owns, recognizing that the treasure he has found is worth far more than all his possessions. This reflects the call to discipleship, where believers are asked to prioritize the kingdom above all else, even at great personal cost.

and buys that field
The act of buying the field signifies the man's determination to secure the treasure for himself. It represents the decisive step of faith, where one fully embraces the kingdom and its values. This purchase is not a transaction of merit but a response of faith, acknowledging that the kingdom is a gift of grace that requires a wholehearted commitment.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Kingdom of Heaven
Represents God's sovereign rule and the spiritual realm where His will is fulfilled. It is a central theme in Jesus' teachings.

2. The Man
An unnamed individual who discovers the treasure. He symbolizes those who recognize the value of the Kingdom of Heaven.

3. The Field
The location where the treasure is hidden. It can be seen as the world or life circumstances where the Kingdom is discovered.

4. The Treasure
Represents the immeasurable value of the Kingdom of Heaven and the salvation it offers.

5. The Transaction
The man sells all he has to buy the field, illustrating the total commitment required to obtain the Kingdom.
Teaching Points
The Incomparable Value of the Kingdom
The Kingdom of Heaven is of such great worth that it surpasses all earthly possessions and desires.

Joyful Sacrifice
The man’s joy in selling all he has underscores the fulfillment and joy found in prioritizing the Kingdom above all else.

Total Commitment
Entering the Kingdom requires a wholehearted commitment, symbolized by the man selling everything to secure the treasure.

Hidden Yet Discoverable
The treasure is hidden, indicating that the Kingdom may not be immediately apparent but is accessible to those who seek diligently.

Personal Encounter
The parable emphasizes a personal discovery and decision, highlighting the individual nature of faith and commitment to God.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does the parable of the hidden treasure teach us about the value of the Kingdom of Heaven compared to worldly possessions?

2. How can we apply the principle of joyful sacrifice in our daily lives as we pursue the Kingdom of Heaven?

3. In what ways can we seek the Kingdom of Heaven in our current life circumstances, similar to the man finding the treasure in the field?

4. How does the concept of total commitment to the Kingdom challenge our current priorities and lifestyle choices?

5. Reflect on a time when you discovered a "hidden treasure" in your spiritual journey. How did it change your perspective or actions?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 6:19-21
This passage emphasizes storing treasures in heaven rather than on earth, highlighting the eternal value of the Kingdom.

Philippians 3:7-8
Paul speaks of considering all things as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, paralleling the man's willingness to give up everything for the treasure.

Proverbs 2:4-5
Encourages seeking wisdom and understanding as one would search for hidden treasures, akin to the pursuit of the Kingdom.
Hid TreasureMatthew 13:44
Hiding TreasuresKitto.Matthew 13:44
I Shall Now Show Why He Rejoices that Finds This TreasureB. Keach.Matthew 13:44
I Shall Now Show You the Nature of This TreasureMatthew 13:44
I Shall Show You How This Treasure is HidMatthew 13:44
Jewish Law of Things FoundEdersheim.Matthew 13:44
Points in Parable of Hid TreasuresAnon.Matthew 13:44
Religion Gained At Personal SacrificeR. Tuck Matthew 13:44
The Hidden Treasures, and the Pearl of Great PriceW. M. Taylor, D. D.Matthew 13:44
The Kingdom of HeavenJ. J. Wray.Matthew 13:44
The Parable of Treasure Hid in a FieldMatthew 13:44
The Parables of the Hid Treasure and the PearlH. Allen.Matthew 13:44
The Particle of the TreasureJ. Parsons.Matthew 13:44
The Treasure of Great, But Careful, JoyP.C. Barker Matthew 13:44
TreasureEssex RemembrancerMatthew 13:44
Treasure and PearlAlexander MaclarenMatthew 13:44
Why Christ is Called TreasureMatthew 13:44
Parables of the Hid Treasure and the Pearl of PriceMarcus Dods Matthew 13:44-46
The Chief GoodJ.A. Macdonald Matthew 13:44-46
People
Esaias, Isaiah, James, Jesus, Joseph, Joses, Judas, Mary, Simon
Places
Nazareth, Sea of Galilee
Topics
Across, Bought, Buried, Buries, Buyeth, Buys, Covered, Field, Finds, Gives, Goes, Ground, Heaven, Heavens, Hid, Hidden, Hide, Hideth, Joy, Kingdom, Open, Piece, Reign, Secret, Selleth, Sells, Sold, Store, Thereof, Treasure, Wealth, Whatever
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Matthew 13:44

     8289   joy, of church
     9413   heaven, inheritance

Matthew 13:1-52

     2345   Christ, kingdom of

Matthew 13:31-52

     2357   Christ, parables

Matthew 13:36-50

     5438   parables

Matthew 13:44-46

     5242   buying and selling
     5407   merchants
     5503   rich, the
     5591   treasure
     5974   value
     6650   finding
     8160   seeking God
     8813   riches, spiritual

Matthew 13:44-50

     2377   kingdom of God, entry into

Library
Toleration
(Preached at Christ Church, Marylebone, 1867, for the Bishop of London's Fund.) MATTHEW xiii. 24-30. The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the household came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He
Charles Kingsley—Discipline and Other Sermons

'To Him that Hath Shall be Given'
'Whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.'-- MATT. xiii. 12. There are several instances in the Gospels of our Lord's repetition of sayings which seem to have been, if we may use the expression, favourites with Him; as, for instance, 'There are first which shall be last, and there are last which shall be first'; or, again, 'The servant is not greater than his master, nor the disciple than his lord.'
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Leaven
'The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and bid to three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.'--MATT. xiii. 33. How lovingly and meditatively Jesus looked upon homely life, knowing nothing of the differences, the vulgar differences, between the small and great! A poor woman, with her morsel of barm, kneading it up among three measures of meal, in some coarse earthenware pan, stands to Him as representing the whole process of His work in the world. Matthew brings
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Ears and no Ears
'Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.--MATT. xiii. 8. This saying was frequently on our Lord's lips, and that in very various connections. He sometimes, as in the instance before us, appended it to teaching which, from its parabolic form, required attention to disentangle the spiritual truth implied. He sometimes used it to commend some strange, new revolutionary teaching to men's investigation--as, for instance, after that great declaration of the nullity of ceremonial worship, how that nothing
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Seeing and Blind
'They seeing, see not.'--MATT. xiii, 13. This is true about all the senses of the word 'seeing'; there is not one man in ten thousand who sees the things before his eyes. Is not this the distinction, for instance, of the poet or painter, and man of science--just that they do see? How true is this about the eye of the mind, what a small number really understand what they know! But these illustrations are of less moment than the saddest example--religious indifference. I wish to speak about this now,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Four Sowings and one Ripening
'The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 2. And great multitudes were gathered together unto Him, so that He went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 8. And He spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4. And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 6. Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Mingled in Growth, Separated in Maturity
'Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28. He said unto them, An enemy hath done this.
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Treasure and Pearl
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. 45. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman, seeking goodly pearls: 46. Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.'--MATT. xiii. 44-46. In this couple of parables, which are twins, and must be taken together, our Lord utilises two very familiar facts
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xiii. 19, Etc. , Where the Lord Jesus Explaineth the Parables of the Sower.
1. Both yesterday and to-day ye have heard the parables of the sower, in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Do ye who were present yesterday, recollect to-day. Yesterday we read of that sower, who when he scattered seed, "some fell by the way side," [2507] which the birds picked up; "some in stony places," which dried up from the heat; "some among thorns, which were choked," and could not bring forth fruit; and "other some into good ground, and it brought forth fruit, a hundred, sixty, thirty fold."
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xiii. 52, "Therefore Every Scribe who Hath Been Made a Disciple to the Kingdom of Heaven," Etc.
1. The lesson of the Gospel reminds me to seek out, and to explain to you, Beloved, as the Lord shall give me power, who is "that Scribe instructed in the kingdom of God, who is "like unto an householder bringing out of his treasure things new and old." [2524] For here the lesson ended. "What are the new and old things of an instructed Scribe?" Now it is well known who they were, whom the ancients, after the custom of our Scriptures, called Scribes, those, namely, who professed the knowledge of the
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

Sown among Thorns
WHEN that which comes of his sowing is unfruitful, the sower's work is wasted: he has spent his strength for nothing. Without fruit the sower's work would even seem to be insane, for he takes good wheat, throws it away, and loses it in the ground. Preaching is the most idle of occupations if the Word is not adapted to enter the heart, and produce good results. O my hearers, if you are not converted, I waste time and energy in standing here! People might well think it madness that one whole day in
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 34: 1888

The Parable of the Tares, by Bishop Latimer, Preached on the 7Th of February, 1553.
MATTHEW XIII.--The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way, &c. This is a parable or similitude wherein our Saviour compared the kingdom of God, that is, the preaching of his word, wherein consisteth the salvation of mankind, unto a husbandman who sowed good seed in his field. But before we come unto the matter, you shall first learn to understand what this word parable, which
John Knox—The Pulpit Of The Reformation, Nos. 1, 2 and 3.

A Man Reaps More than He Sows.
A MAN REAPS MORE THAN HE SOWS. "But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold."--Matt. xiii: 8. If I sow a bushel, I expect to reap ten or twenty bushels. I can sow in one day what will take ten men to reap. The Spaniards have this proverb: "Sow a thought and reap an act. Sow an act, and reap a habit. Sow a habit, and reap a character. Sow a character and reap a destiny." And it takes a longer time to reap than to sow. I have heard
Dwight L. Moody—Sowing and Reaping

The Christian Society
Scripture references: Matthew 13:31-33; 5:21-24; Mark 8:1-9; John 2:1-11; Luke 5:29; 14:13; 1 Peter 2:17; Galatians 6:9; Matthew 11:28-30; 12:50; Luke 15:5,6,8-10; John 17:11-15; Luke 5:29,30; Mark 1:28-33; Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:13-15. THE SOCIAL CIRCLE The Word Society is used to designate the set of people with whom we are on more intimate terms of acquaintanceship--whom we call friends--and those whom we do not know so well, and whom we call acquaintances. The term society may also have other
Henry T. Sell—Studies in the Life of the Christian

The First Great Group of Parables.
(Beside the Sea of Galilee.) Subdivision A. Introduction. ^A Matt. XIII. 1-3; ^B Mark IV. 1, 2; ^C Luke VIII. 4. ^a 1 On that day went Jesus out of the house [It is possible that Matthew here refers to the house mentioned at Mark iii. 19. If so, the events in Sections XLVIII.-LVI. all occurred on the same day. There are several indications in the gospel narratives that this is so], and sat by the sea side. ^b 1 And again he began again to teach by the sea side. [By the Sea of Galilee.] And there
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus visits Nazareth and is Rejected.
^A Matt. XIII. 54-58; ^B Mark VI. 1-6; ^C Luke IV. 16-31. ^b 1 And he went out from thence [from Capernaum] ; and he cometh { ^a And coming} ^b into his own country; and his disciples follow him. ^c 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up [As to this city, see pages 14 and 55. As to the early years of Jesus at Nazareth, see page 60]: ^b 2 And when the sabbath was come ^c he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up to read. [This does not mean
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

New Teaching in Parables' - the Parables to the People by the Lake of Galilee, and those to the Disciples in Capernaum
We are once more with Jesus and His disciples by the Lake of Galilee. We love to think that it was in the early morning, when the light laid its golden shadows on the still waters, and the fresh air, untainted by man, was fragrant of earth's morning sacrifice, when no voice of human discord marred the restfulness of holy silence, nor broke the Psalm of Nature's praise. It was a spring morning too, and of such spring-time as only the East, and chiefly the Galilean Lake, knows - nor of mingled sunshine
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Second visit to Nazareth - the Mission of the Twelve.
It almost seems, as if the departure of Jesus from Capernaum marked a crisis in the history of that town. From henceforth it ceases to be the center of His activity, and is only occasionally, and in passing, visited. Indeed, the concentration and growing power of Pharisaic opposition, and the proximity of Herod's residence at Tiberias [3013] would have rendered a permanent stay there impossible at this stage in our Lord's history. Henceforth, His Life is, indeed, not purely missionary, but He has
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Infancy and Youth of Jesus --His First Impressions.
Jesus was born at Nazareth,[1] a small town of Galilee, which before his time had no celebrity.[2] All his life he was designated by the name of "the Nazarene,"[3] and it is only by a rather embarrassed and round-about way,[4] that, in the legends respecting him, he is made to be born at Bethlehem. We shall see later[5] the motive for this supposition, and how it was the necessary consequence of the Messianic character attributed to Jesus.[6] The precise date of his birth is unknown. It took place
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

The Leaven.
"Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."--MATT. xiii. 33. In the mustard-seed we saw the kingdom growing great by its inherent vitality; in the leaven we see it growing great by a contagious influence. There, the increase was attained by development from within; here, by acquisitions from without. It is not that there are two distinct ways in which the Gospel may gain complete
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

The Hidden Treasure.
"Again, 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."--MATT. xiii. 44. These two parables, the hidden treasure and the costly pearl, are even more closely allied to each other than the two which precede them. Generically they teach the same truth; but they teach it with distinct specific differences. It will be most convenient to notice in connection with the first,
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

The Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son.
LUKE xv. The three parables of this chapter, like the seven in Matt. xiii., constitute a connected series. As soon as we begin to look into their contents and relations, it becomes obvious that they have been arranged according to a logical scheme, and that the group so framed is not fragmentary but complete. We cannot indeed fully comprehend the reciprocal relations of all until we shall have examined in detail the actual contents of each; and yet, on the other hand, a preliminary survey of the
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

The Group in Matt. xiii.
"The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. And he spake many things unto them in parables."--MATT. xiii. 1-3. In Matthew's narrative, the first specimen of that peculiar pictorial method which characterized the teaching of our Lord, is not an isolated parable occurring in the midst of a miscellaneous discourse, but a group of seven presented
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

The Sower.
"The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

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