44 “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. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. 47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; 48 and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes.” 52 And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

The last three of the kingdom parables continue the theme of separating true believers from those who are not. As pointed out earlier, the basic rule for interpreting parables is to look for the main idea and not get hung up on parsing the details. The first parable focuses on the great lengths to which God will go to obtain a person for the kingdom. The analogy is that of a man who buys a field because of his discovery of a treasure hidden there, no expense spared.

The second parable conveys a similar message—the value God places on one soul is compared to finding a pearl of great value. The third parable portrays the painful consequences of not being a true member of the kingdom. A final judgment will make a clear-cut delineation between the righteous and the wicked in the end times. The Jews had thought of end times judgment in terms of national restoration to prominence over the Gentile nations. But Jesus spoke in individual and personal terms. The poignant irony here is that according to His earlier teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, the standard of righteousness that God requires exceeds anything they had imagined: “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:20).

Those who are humble would be becoming back to Jesus for a solution to the dilemma: how to enter the kingdom when the standard of righteousness is so high. The answer would give new understanding to old truths of Scripture, like a person who “brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

Lord, I am humbled to think how much You valued me, to spare no expense in “finding” me. Thank You that I do not have to face eternity outside of Your love.