The Parables

[airIam2worship]

  The parables of Jesus are treasure houses of wisdom masterfully woven in story form. They are deep, theological, practical, sometimes confusing, but always worth the effort needed to unlock their mysteries.
     Basically, a parable is a short story with a moral lesson. Jesus’ parables teach a series of moral concepts using the culture of the times. Though the parables have much to offer to us in the present day via a casual reading, they have even more to offer when we understand the culture of the time and examine them in that light. For instance, in the story of the Prodigal son, when the son asked for his father’s inheritance, that was equivalent to saying he didn’t care if his father lived or died. He just wanted his money. Why? Because a son never ever asked for an inheritance until after the death of his parent. To do so prematurely was to imply he wished his parent’s death!
     There are many such cultural gems waiting for us to discover. When laid in the rich framework of the parables, we can see the majestic beauty and power of Jesus’ living words reflected in the light of His truth...and we are not left unaffected.
     In the presentation of these parables, I have gleaned heavily from the book Poet & Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes, by Kenneth E. Bailey. This book forced open my eyes when reading the parables caused me to see things in them I had never thought of before.
     It is important to know that the nobleman of ancient Israel did not run, but walked at a dignified pace. Then what does this mean when the Prodigal’s father runs to his son?
     Isolation from impure food and people was especially crucial for the Pharisees when they sat down to eat. How do we consider this when the Pharisee asked Jesus to eat with him and provided no means for Jesus to wash?
     A person’s ethnic background could be seen through his speech and his clothes. How does this bear upon the Good Samaritan parable where the man is left unconscious and naked?
     A woman could be divorced for letting her hair down in public. What does this mean when the woman wet Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair?

     The parables used familiar symbols so the listener could relate and, if need be, be shocked. Whatever the outcome in the hearer, the parables required a response. Either the hearer was to change a behavior, or a thought, or a belief, or something else. But change is the reason for the parables.
     They were not simply stories. They were living words from the mouth of God.

[airIam2worship]

Candle Under a Bushel

Mt 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. (KJV)


14 Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. (ASV)

Barnes

 
Verse 14. The light of the world. The light of the world often denotes the sun, Joh 11:9. The sun renders objects visible, shows their form their nature, their beauties, and deformities. The term light is often applied to religious teachers. See Joh 1:4; 8:12; Isa 49:6. It is pre-eminently applied to Jesus in these places; because he is, in the moral world, what the sun is in the natural world. The apostles, and Christian ministers, and all Christians, are lights of the world, because they, by their instructions and examples, show what God requires, what is the condition of man, what is the way of duty, peace, and happiness--the way that leads to heaven.
 
  A city that is set on an hill, etc. Many of the cities of Judea were placed on the summits or sides of mountains, and could be seen from afar. This was the case with Jerusalem; and it is said by Maundrell, that near the place where our Saviour is supposed to have delivered his sermon, there is still such a town, called Saphat, anciently This can Bethesda. be seen far and near. Perhaps Jesus pointed to such a city, and told his disciples that they were like it. They were seen from far. Their actions could not be hid. The eyes of the World were upon them. They must be seen; and as this was the case, they ought to be holy, harmless, and undefiled.
 
{i} "light" Php 2:15

Mt 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. {a bushel: the word in the original signifieth a measure containing about a pint less than a peck}  (KJV)

15 Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house. (ASV)


Verse 15.  Neither do men light a candle, etc. Jesus proceeded here to show them that the very reason why they were enlightened was, that others might also see the light, and be benefited by it. When men light a candle, they do not conceal the light, but place it where it may be of use. So it is with religion. It is given that we may benefit others. It is not to be concealed, but suffered to show itself, and to shed light on a surrounding wicked world.
 
  A bushel. Greek, a measure containing nearly a peck. It denotes anything, here, that might conceal the light.
 
{1} "bushel" or, "The word, in the original, signifieth a measuring containing about a pint less than a peck."


Mt 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (KJV)

16 Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (ASV)


Verse 16.  Let your light so shine, etc. Let your holy life, your pure conversation, and your faithful instruction, be everywhere seen and known, Always, in all societies, in all business, at home and abroad, in prosperity and adversity, let it be seen that you are real Christians.
 
  That they may see your good works. This is not the motive to influence us, simply that we must be seen, (comp. Mt 6:1); but that our heavenly Father may be glorified. It is not right to do a thing merely to be seen by others, for this is pride and ostentation; but we are to do it that, being seen, God may be honoured. The Pharisees acted to be seen of men; true Christians act to glorify God, and care little what men may think of them, except as by their conduct others may be brought to honour God.
 
  Glorify your Father. Praise, or honour God, or be led to worship him. Seeing in your lives the excellency of religion, the power and purity of the gospel, they may be won to be Christians also, and give praise and glory to God for his mercy to a lost world.
 
We learn here,
 
(1.) that religion, if it exists, cannot be concealed.
 
(2.) That where it is not manifest in the life, it does not exist.
 
(3.) That professors of religion, who live like other men, give evidence that they have never been renewed.
 
(4.) That to attempt to conceal or hide our Christian knowledge or experience is to betray our trust, and injure the cause of piety, and render our lives useless. And,
 
(5.) that good actions will be seen, and will lead men to honour God.
 
If we have no other way of doing good--if we are poor, and unlearned and unknown--yet we may do good by our lives. No sincere and humble Christian lives in vain. The feeblest light at midnight is of use.
 
 "How far this little calldie throws his beams!" So shines a good deed in a naughty world!"
 

 
 
{k} "glorify" 1Pe 2:12

[airIam2worship]

A Wise Man Builds on Rock and A Foolish Man Builds on Sand

Mt 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: (KJV)

24 Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: (ASV)

Mt 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. (KJV)

25 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and if fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. (ASV)

Mt 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: (KJV)


26 And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: (ASV)

Mt 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (KJV)


 27 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. (ASV)



Barnes

Verses 24-27. Jesus closes the sermon on the mount by a beautiful comparison, illustrating the benefit of attending to his words. It was not sufficient to  hear them; they must be obeyed. He compares the man who should hear, and obey him, to a man who built his house on a rock. Palestine was, to a considerable extent, a land of hills and: mountains. Like other countries of that description, it was subject to sudden and violent rains. The Jordan, the principal stream, was annually swollen to a great extent, and became rapid and furious in its course. The streams which ran among the hills, whose channels might have been dry during some months of the year, became suddenly swollen with the rain, and would pour down impetuously into the plains below. Everything in the way of these torrents would be swept off.  Even a house erected within the reach of these sudden inundations, and especially if founded on sand, or any unsolid basis, would not stand before them. The rising, bursting stream would shake it to its foundation; the rapid torrent would gradually wash away its base; it would totter and fall, and be swept away. Rocks in that country were common, and it was easy to secure for their houses a solid foundation. No comparison could, to a Jew, have been more striking. So tempests, and storms of affliction and persecution, beat around the soul. Suddenly, when we think we are in safety, the heavens may be overcast; the storm may lower; and calamity beat upon us. In a moment, health, friends, comforts, may be gone. How desirable then to be possessed of something that the tempest cannot reach! Such is an interest in Christ; attention to his words; reliance on his promises; confidence in his protection; and a hope of heaven through his blood. Earthly calamities do not reach these; and, possessed of religion, all the storms and tempests of life may beat harmlessly around us.
 
There is another point in this comparison. The house built on the sand is beat upon by the floods and rains; its foundation gradually is worn away; it falls, and is borne down the stream, and is destroyed. So falls the slumber. The floods are wearing away his sandy foundation; and soon one tremendous storm shall beat upon him, and he and his hopes shall fall, for ever fall. Out of Christ, perhaps having heard his words from very childhood; perhaps having taught them to others in the Sunday-school; perhaps having been the means of laying the foundation on which others shall build for heaven, he has laid for himself no foundation; and soon an eternal tempest shall beat around his naked soul. How great will be that fall! What will be his emotions when sinking for ever in the flood, and destined for ever to live and writhe in the peltings of that ceaseless storm that shall beat when "God shall rain snares, fire, and a horrible tempest" upon the wicked!
 
{l} "Therefore" Lu 6:47
{m} "wise man" Ps 111:10; 119:99,130

See also   Lu 6:47

[airIam2worship]

Unshrunk (New) Cloth On an Old Garment

Mt 9:16 And no man putteth a piece of undressed cloth upon an old garment; for that which should fill it up taketh from the garment, and a worse rent is made. (ASV)

Mr 2:21 No man seweth a piece of undressed cloth on an old garment: else that which should fill it up taketh from it, the new from the old, and a worse rent is made. (ASV)

Mr 2:22 And no man putteth new wine into old wineskins; else the wine will burst the skins, and the wine perisheth, and the skins: but they put new wine into fresh wine-skins. (ASV)

Lu 5:36 And he spake also a parable unto them: No man rendeth a piece from a new garment and putteth it upon an old garment; else he will rend the new, and also the piece from the new will not agree with the old. (ASV)

Barnes

No man putteth a piece of new cloth, etc. A second illustration was drawn from a well know fact, showing also that there was a propriety or fitness of things. None of you, says he, in mending an old garment, would take a piece of entire new cloth. There would be a waste in it. An old piece, or a piece like the garment, would be better. The word here treated new, in the original means rude, undressed, or not fulled or cleansed by the cloth-dresser. In this state, if applied to an old garment, and if wet, it would contract and draw off a part of the garment to which it was attached, and thus make the rent worse than it was. So, says he, my new doctrines do not match with the old rites of the Pharisees. There is a fitness of things. Their doctrines required much fasting. In my system it would be incongruous; and if my new doctrines were to be attached to their old ones, it would only make the matter worse.

Additional Scriptures for Personal Study
2Co 6:16


Spurgeons Commentary on Matthew

His teaching and spirit could not be associated with the Pharisaic order of
things. Judaism in its degenerate condition was an old skin bottle which
had seen its day, and our Lord would not our the new wine of the kingdom
of heaven into it. - John’s disciples were trying to emulate the Pharisees,
and make common cause with them to save the old church. Jesus would
have nothing to do with this project. he would have a new church for his
new doctrine and for his new spirit. There was to be no amalgamation.
Christianity was not to be an outgrowth of Rabbinism. There was to be a
severance between Jesus, and the scribes and their school of thought; for
he who had come was resolved to make all things new. There is rare
teaching here, and guidance for the present crisis. Compromises are often
proposed, and we have good people, like John’s disciples, who would have
us conform to what they think good in things established; but we had better
act consistently, and begin de novo. The old cloth will always be tearing,
and tearing all the worse because of our new pieces; therefore let us leave
the old garment to those who prefer antiquity to truth.
The mixing of wedding feasts and funeral fasts, the patching of old cloth
with pieces unfurled and unshrunk, and the putting of new wine into old
bottles, are all pictures of those mixtures and compromises, which cannot,
in the nature of things, serve any good and lasting purpose. If we follow
the rejoicing Bridegroom, let us not try to keep in with the fasting
Pharisees, or the sacramentarian legalists of the day. Let the Scientific
Doubters also go; for faith is not of their mind: she knows, and can never
be Agnostic. Let us have done with the doubts which make us fast, and let
us hold high festival while the Bridegroom is still with us by his Spirit.
We would follow nought beside Jesus,
Jesus crucified

[nChrist]

Amen Sister Maria!

Thank you. This was a wonderful way to start the day.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Psalms 23:1 NASB  The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

[airIam2worship]

The Sower

Mt 13:3 And he spake to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went forth to sow;
Mt 13:4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured them:
Mt 13:5 and others fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much earth: and straightway they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth:
Mt 13:6 and when the sun was risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
Mt 13:7 And others fell upon the thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked them:
Mt 13:8 and others fell upon the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty
Mt 13:9 He that hath ears, let him hear.
Mt 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mt 13:11 And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mt 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath
Mt 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.


Barnes NT Commentary

Our Saviour's parables are distinguished above all others for clearness, purity, chasteness, intelligibility, importance of instruction, and simplicity. They are taken mostly from the affairs of common life, and intelligible, therefore, to all men. They contain much of himself his doctrine, life, design in coming, and claims; and are therefore of importance to all men; and they are told in a style of native simplicity intelligible to the child, yet instructive to men of every rank and age. In his parables, as in all his instructions, he excelled all men in the purity, importance, and sublimity of Iris doctrine.

Verse 3. A Sower went forth to sow. The image here is taken from an employment known to all men, and therefore intelligible to all. Nor can there be a more striking illustration of preaching the gospel, than placing the seed in the ground to spring up hereafter, and bear fruit.
 
  Sower. One who sows or scatters seed. A farmer. It is not improbable that one was near the Saviour when he spoke this parable.

 
Verse 4.  Some seeds fell by the way side. That is, the hard path or headland, which the plough had not touched, and where there was no opportunity for it to sink into the earth.

 
Verse 5.  Stony places. Where there was little earth, but where it was hard and rocky; so that the roots could not strike down into the earth for sufficient moisture to support the plant, When the sun became hot, they of course withered away. They sprang up the sooner because there was little earth to cover them.
 
  Forthwith. Immediately. Not that they sprouted and grew any quicker or faster than the others, but they were not so long in reaching the surface. Having little root, they soon withered away.

 
Verse 7.  Among thorns. That is, in a part of the field where the thorns and shrubs had been imperfectly cleared away, and not destroyed. They grew with the grain, crowded it, shaded it, exhausted the earth, and thus choked it.

 
Verse 8.  Into good ground. The fertile and rich soil. In sowing, by far the largest proportion of seed will fall into the good soil; but Christ did not intend to teach that these proportions would be exactly the same among those who heard the gospel. Parables are designed to teach some general truth; and the circumstances should not be pressed too much in explaining them.
 
  An hundredfold, etc. That is, a hundred, sixty, or thirty grains, for each one that was sowed--an increase by no means uncommon. Some grains of wheat will produce twelve or fifteen hundred grains. The usual proportion on a field sown, however, is not more than twenty, fifty, or sixty bushels for one.


Verse 9.  Who hath ears, etc. This is a proverbial expression, implying that it was every man's duty to pay attention to what was spoken, Mt 11:15.
 
{z} "Who hath ears" Mt 11:15

 
Verses 10-17. Christ, in these verses, gives a  reason why he used this manner of instruction. See also Mr 4:10-12; Lu 8:9,10.

Verse 11.  The mysteries of the kingdom. The word mystery, in the Bible, properly means a thing that is concealed, or that has been concealed. It does not mean that the thing was incomprehensible, or even difficult to be understood. The thing might be plain enough if revealed, but it means simply that it had not been made known. Thus the mysteries of the kingdom do not mean any doctrines incomprehensible in themselves considered, but simply doctrines about the preaching of the gospel, and the establishment of the new kingdom of the Messiah which had not been understood, and which were as yet concealed from the great body of the Jews. See Ro 16:26; 11:25; Eph 3:3,4,9. Of this nature was the truth that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles, that the Jewish polity was to cease, that the Messiah was to die, etc. To the disciples it was given to know these truths. It was important for them, as they were to carry the gospel around the globe. To the others it was not then given. They were too gross, too earthly; they had too grovelling conceptions of the Messiah's kingdom to understand these truths, even if presented. They were not to preach it, and hence our Saviour was at particular pains to instruct his apostles. The Pharisees, and Jews generally, were not prepared for it, and would not have believed it, and therefore he purposely employed a kind of teaching that they did not understand.
 
{a} "to know" Mt 11:25; Mr 4:11; 1Co 2:14; Eph 1:9; 3:9 Col 1:26,271Jn 2:27|

 
Verse 12.  Whosoever hath, etc. This is a proverbial mode of speaking. It means that a man who improves what light, grace, and opportunities he has, shall have them increased. From him that improves them not, it is proper that they should be taken away. The Jews had many opportunities of learning the truth, and some light still lingered among them. But they were gross and sensual, and misimproved them, and it was a just judgment that they should be deprived of them. Superior knowledge was given to the disciples of Christ; they improved it, however slowly, and the promise was that it should be greatly increased.
 
{b} "For whosoever" Mt 25:29; Lu 9:26


Verse 13.  Because they seeing see not. Mr 4:12; Lu 8:10 say, "That seeing, they may not see," etc. But there is no difference. Matthew simply states the fact, that though they saw the natural meaning of the story--though they literally understood the parable--yet they did not understand its spiritual signification. Mark and Luke do not state the fact, but affirm that he spoke with this intention--implying that such was the result. Nor was there any dishonesty in this, or any unfair disguise, He had truths to state which he wished his disciples particularly to understand. They were of great importance to their ministry. Had he clearly and fully stated them to the Jews, they would have taken his life long before they did. He therefore chose to state the doctrines so that if their hearts had been right, and if they had not been malignant and blind, they might have understood them. His doctrines he stated in the best possible way; and it was not his fault if they did not understand him. By little and little, in this way, he prepared many, even of the Jews, to receive the truth when it was proposed by the only possible way of ever gaining access to their minds. It was, moreover, entirely proper and right to impart instruction to his disciples, which he did not intend for others.

Continued

[airIam2worship]

The Sower

WBN

The scope of this parable is to shew, that there are four several sorts of hearers of the word, and but one sort only that hear to a saving advantage:  also to shew us the cause of the different success of the word preached.
 
Here observe, 1. The sowers, Christ and his apostles, he the prime and principal sower, they the secondary and subordinate seedsmen.  Christ sows his own field, his ministers sow his field; he sows his own seed, they sow his seed.  Woe unto us, if we sow our own seed and not Christ's.
 
Observe, 2. The seed sown, the word of God.  Fabulous legends, and unwritten traditions, which the seedsmen of the church of Rome sow, these are not seed, but chaff; or their own seed, not Christ's.  Our Lord's field must be sown with his own seed, not with mixed grain.
 
Learn, 1. That the word of God preached is like seed sown in the furrows of the field.  As seed has a fructifying virtue in it, by which it increases and brings forth more of its own kind; so has the word of God a quickening power, to regenerate and make alive dead souls.
 
Learn, 2. That the seed of the word, doth not thrive in all grounds alike, so neither doth the word fructify alike in the hearts of men. There is a difference both from the nature of the soil, and from the influence of the Spirit.
 
Learn, 3. That the cause of the word's unfruitfulness is very different, and not the same in all:  in some it is the policy of Satan, that bird of prey, which follows God's plough, and steals away the precious seed.
 
In others, it is a hard heart of unbelief; in others, the cares of the world, like thorns, choke the word, overgrow the good seed, draw away the moisture of the earth, and the heart of the soul, and hinder the influences of the sun.  The far greater part of hearers are fruitless and unprofitable hearers.
 
Learn, 4. That the best ground doth not bring forth fruit alike; some good ground brings forth more, and some less;  some thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred-fold.
 
In like manner a person may be a profitable hearer of the word, although he doth not bring forth so great a proportion of fruit as others, provided he brings forth as much as he can.

See also: Mark 4:2-20;  Luke 8:4-15

[airIam2worship]

The Tares (Weeds)

Mt 13:24 Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field:
Mt 13:25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away.
Mt 13:26 But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
Mt 13:27 And the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares?
Mt 13:28 And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this. And the servants say unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Mt 13:29 But he saith, Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them.
Mt 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.

WBN

The design and scope of this parable is, to shew that there is no expectation of universal purity in the church of God in this life; but as the tares and the wheat grow together in the same field, so hypocrites and sincere Christians are and will be intermixed in the same church, and can hardly be discerned one from the other.
 
St. Jerome observes, That in the eastern countries, the tares and the wheat were so like one another, whilst they were in the blade, that there was no knowing them asunder.
 
Learn, 1. That in the outward and visible church, there ever has been and will be a mixture of good and bad, of saints and sinners, of hypocrites, and sincere Christians,  until the day of judgment.
 
2.  That in that day Christ will make a thorough and perfect separation, and divide the tares from the wheat; that is, the righteous from the wicked.
 
3. That in the meantime none ought to be so offended at this mixture in the church, as to separate from church communication on that account: until the harvest, it is not to be expected that the tares and the wheat should be perfectly separated.
 
Yet observe, 4. That though the tares are forbidden to be plucked up when sown, yet it is the church's duty, all she can, to hinder their sowing.  Though we must not root the wicked up, yet we must prevent the rooting of wickedness all we can.  Our Saviour, that forbad to pluck up the cares, did not forbid to hinder their sowing.

[airIam2worship]

The Mustard Seed

Mt 13:31 Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
Mt 13:32 which indeed is less than all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come and lodge in the branches thereof.

WBN

Our Saviour's design in this parable is, to shew how the gospel, from small and little, from unlikely and contemptible beginnings, shall spread and increase, fructify and grow up; like a mustard seed, one of the smallest grains, grows up to a considerable tallness; and as a little leaven turns a great heap of meal into its own nature; so the gospel shall spread and increase, nations and countries becoming Christians.
 
Learn, That how small beginning soever the gospel had in its first plantation, yet, by the fructifying blessing of God, it has had and shall have a wonderful increase.

[airIam2worship]

The Leaven

Mt 13:33 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 it was all leavened.

See also Luke 13:20-21

Barnes

 
Verse 33.  The kingdom of heaven. This, here, means the same as in the last parable, perhaps, however, intending to denote more properly the secret and hidden nature of piety in the soul. The other parable declared the fact that the gospel would greatly spread, and that piety in the heart would greatly increase. This declares the way or mode in which it would be done. It is secret, silent, steady; pervading all the faculties of the soul, and all the kingdoms of the world, as leaven, or yeast, though hidden in the flour, and though deposited only in one place, works silently till all the mass is brought under its influence.
 
  Three measures. These were small measures, (see the margin) but the particular amount is of no consequence to the story. Nor is anything to be drawn from the fact that three are mentioned. It is mentioned as a circumstance giving interest to the parable, but designed to convey no spiritual instruction. The measure mentioned here probably contained about a peck and a half.
 

[airIam2worship]

The Hidden Treasure

Mt 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Poole


 Ver. 44. Whatsoever belongeth to the kingdom of God, whether the word, which is called the word of the kingdom, or the grace and favour of God, which he by me dispenses out under the administration of the gospel, is like, that is, should be adjudged, esteemed, and used like as treasure hid in a field. Men should do by it as they would do upon the discovery of a great sum of money, buried up in the earth, in some field not yet their own. Suppose a man had made some such discovery, what would he do? He would rejoice at it, he would hide it, he would sell all he had and buy that field. So should men do to whom there is a revelation of the gospel, and the grace thereof; they should inwardly rejoice in the revelation, and bless God for it, and, whatever it cost them, labour that they might be made partakers of that grace. Earthly possessions cannot be had without purchasing, and those who have not ready money to purchase with must raise it from the sale of something which they have; therefore our labour for the kingdom of heaven is set out under the notion of buying. But the prophet, (Isa 55:1,2) let us know that it is a buying without money and without price. However, there is some resemblance, for as in buying and selling there is a parting with something that is ours, in exchange for something which is another's, so in order to the obtaining of the grace of the gospel, and the kingdom of glory, to which the remission of sins leadeth, we must part with something in order to the obtaining of it. We have no ready money, nothing by us, that is a quid pro quo, a valuable price for Divine grace; we must therefore part with something that we have, and it is no matter what it be, which God requireth. Where this discovery is made, the soul will part with all it hath, not only its old heart, its unlawful desires and lusts, but its riches, honours, and pleasures, if it can by no other means obtain the kingdom of heaven, that it may obtain it; they are all of no value to it. Nor is it at all necessary in order to buying, that the thing parted with be of a proportionable, value. Amongst men, wedges of gold have been purchased for knives and rattles, &c; nor doth any thing we can part with, that we may obtain the kingdom of heaven, bear any better proportion; yet it is a buying, because it is what God is pleased to accept, and upon the parting with gives us this heavenly kingdom.

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The Pearl of Great Price

Mat 13:45  Again the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a dealer in search of fine and precious pearls,
Mat 13:46  Who, on finding a single pearl of great price, went and sold all he had and bought it.


 
Verses 45,46.  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man. The meaning is, that the proper seeking for salvation, or the proper conduct in reference to religion, is like the conduct of a merchantman. In his searches he found one pearl of great value, and sold all his possessions to obtain it. So, says he, men seeking for happiness and finding the gospel--the pearl of great price--should be willing to lose all other things for this. Pearls are precious stones, found in the shells of oysters, chiefly in the East Indies, Mt 7:6. They are valuable on account of their beauty, and because they are rare. The value of them is greatly increased by their size. The meaning of this parable is nearly the same as the other. It is designed to represent the gospel as of more value than all other things, and to impress on us the duty of sacrificing all that we possess in order to obtain it.

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The Net

Mt 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

Mt 13:48 which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away.

Mt 13:49 So shall it be in the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous,

Mt 13:50 and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

Barnes

Verses 47-50.  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, etc. This parable does not differ in meaning from that of the tares. The gospel is compared to a net, dragging along on the bottom of the lake, and collecting all--good and bad. The gospel may be expected to do the same. But in the end of the world, when the net is drawn in, the bad will be separated from the good: the one will be lost, and the other saved. Our Saviour never fails to keep before our minds the great truth that there is to be a day of judgment, and that there will be a separation of the good and evil. He came to preach salvation; and it is a remarkable fact, also, that all the most striking accounts of hell, and of the sufferings of the damned, are from his lips. How does this agree with the representation of those who say that all will be saved?
 

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The Lost Sheep

Matthew 18:11-14

11 [For the Son of man came to save that which was lost.]
12 How think ye? if any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and go unto the mountains, and seek that which goeth astray?
13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth over it more than over the ninety and nine which have not gone astray.
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Luke 15:3-10

3 And he spake unto them this parable, saying,
4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, and having lost one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and his neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7 I say unto you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, [more] than over ninety and nine righteous persons, who need no repentance.
8 Or what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and seek diligently until she find it?
9 And when she hath found it, she calleth together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I had lost.
10 Even so, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.


WBN

How our Saviour continues his argument against giving offence to his children and members; he came into the world to redeem and save them; therefore none ought to scandalize and offend them.  And to illustrate this, he compares himself to a good shepherd, who regards every one of his sheep; and if any wander or go astray, he seeks to recover it with desire and joy.
 
Learn, 1. That the natural condition of mankind is like to that of wandering sheep; they err and go astray from God their chief good, and the object of their complete happiness.
 
2. That it was the work and business, the care and concern, of Jesus Christ, to seek and recover lost souls, as the shepherd doth his lost sheep.
 
3. That the love and care of Christ towards his sheep, in seeking to save and to preserve them, is a forcible argument unto all, not to scandalize and offend them, much less to persecute and destroy them.


 
In this parable Christ compares sinners to sheep going astray, and God the Father to a tender and careful shepherd seeking his stray sheep; wherein he secretly taxes the Pharisees for their uncharitableness in censuring him for conversing with publicans and sinners, and for their envy at the recovery of such sinners by repentance; assuring them, that they are far from the temper of the holy angels, who rejoice more at the news of one notorious sinner's conversion, than for many righteous persons who went not astray; like as a father is touched with a more sensible joy for the recovery of one son who was dangerously sick, than for the health of all the rest who were in no such danger.
 
From the whole note,
 
1. That the creature's aberration may serve for our instruction; the sheep's straying away from us, should put us in mind of our wandering away from God.
 
2. That Christ the Great Sheperd of his church, with vigilance and care, seeks up and finds out his lost sheep, and will never give over his search until he has found them.
 
3. That the recovery of one lost sinner by repentance, is matter of exceeding joy and rejoicing to Christ the Great Shepherd, and to all the blessed company of heaven:  There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, or changes the whole course of his life, more than over ninety and nine just persons that need no such repentance.  The opening of a sinner's heart to Christ, makes joy in heaven, and occasions triumph in the city of our God above; as when a young prince is born, all the kingdom rejoices, and the conduits run wine; so when a soul is born to Christ under the gospel, oh what mighty satisfaction is it to the heart of Christ, and to all the angels and saints, that another soul is espoused to him.  "Oh sinner, Christ never rejoiced over thee before; thou has grieved him, and wounded him a thousand times, but he never rejoiced in thee until now."  And if there be such joy in heaven at the conversion of a sinner, Lord, what rejoicing must there be at the glorification of saints.

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The Unforgiving Servant

Mt 18:23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his servants.

Mt 18:24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed him ten thousand talents.

Mt 18:25 But forasmuch as he had not wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

Mt 18:26 The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

Mt 18:27 And the lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

Mt 18:28 But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred shillings: and he laid hold on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest.

Mt 18:29 So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee.

Mt 18:30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay that which was due.

Mt 18:31 So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were exceeding sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

Mt 18:32 Then his lord called him unto him, and saith to him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me:

Mt 18:33 shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee?

Mt 18:34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due.

Mt 18:35 So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.

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