Matthew 13:44, commentary and pictures

In ancient times people hid valuables in the earth for safekeeping, and the hiding place could be lost, so a hired laborer plowing neglected ground could uncover forgotten riches, hide them again, and then gladly sell all he had to buy the field and secure what he knew to be of great worth.

The field is the Word of God, the Scriptures holding revelation, and the hidden treasure is the gospel and plan of redemption centered in Christ Himself, His love and righteousness and salvation, the heavenly truth and knowledge of God that satisfies every need of the soul.

The kingdom and its treasure are of surpassing infinite worth beyond every earthly possession, so finding it brings joy that makes selling all and surrendering body, soul, and spirit worthwhile, with entire consecration of affections, abilities, means, and energies.

Possessing it requires working the field and searching every part of it diligently and perseveringly, not resting with surface truths but studying verse by verse and comparing Scripture with Scripture, with a humble, teachable, prayerful heart depending on the Holy Spirit to open the understanding and reveal the buried gems.

Finding the treasure means receiving Christ by a faith that works by love, repents, transforms character, and sanctifies soul, body, and spirit, and those who find it abide in Him, show His goodness, joy, and peace, and become light-bearers who share what they received so others may find its value.

Story and Historical Setting

In ancient times people hid their wealth in the earth to protect it from theft, heavy tribute, and invading armies. The hiding place could be forgotten when the owner died, was imprisoned, or went into exile. Forgotten treasure, including old coins and gold or silver ornaments, could later be found in neglected land, as happened in Christ's day.

A man cultivating hired land discovers such treasure while plowing, hides it again, then gladly sells everything he owns to buy the field in order to secure it. He acts because he knows its worth and that gold does not perish or lose its value. Family and neighbors who see only worthless neglected soil think him foolish. After securing ownership he searches the field thoroughly for its riches.

The parable teaches the spiritual character of the kingdom through an event drawn from human life and familiar daily experience. It uses an actual occurrence and gathers spiritual teaching from the surroundings of daily work. By an earthly fact familiar to the hearers it illustrates heavenly and immortal truth about the spiritual and the unseen, making vivid what is spiritual and unseen. The lesson is fitted to interest every mind and appeal to every heart, and it brightens and uplifts the ordinary daily task with higher thoughts and constant reminders of the spiritual and unseen.

Jesus especially tailored the hidden-treasure parable to reach people searching for riches, a class likely to recognize its lesson. It was adapted to their particular experience to bring the truth home to them. In this way the value and joy of finding the treasure make the worth, clearness, vividness, and appeal of the kingdom's truth especially plain to them.

Field and Treasure Meaning

The field that holds the hidden treasure is the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, the field of revelation and storehouse holding the unsearchable riches of Christ. It is God's great lesson book and educator, containing instruction in spiritual matters and in all branches of knowledge and true science. As treasure is found in a field, so treasure is found in Scripture through earnest searching of all of it, valuing what is found above all else. Christ gave the parable to set before fallen humanity the nobler world they have lost sight of, to bring eternal realities back into view and lead to the threshold of the Infinite, flushed with indescribable glory, to show the treasure there. The finder buys the field to work it, plow up every part of it, and take possession of its treasures, finding leads of precious ore, estimating their value, and sinking deeper for still more valuable treasure until many rich lodes are discovered.

The treasure is the gospel of Christ and the plan of redemption centered in Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It is Christ Himself, His matchless love, excellencies, power and righteousness, and the riches of His grace, love, peace and righteousness, with salvation and eternal life. Receiving God's peace leads to deeper desire for divine love and righteousness, and once Christ's love and grace attract the heart they lead on to greater blessings, deeper peace with God, and more righteousness. It is the peace and rest of mind He alone gives, made available to all rich or poor, so that the earnest seeker need not labor in vain, while obedience to His will is the condition of success. His love and teaching are a hidden treasure of immeasurable worth, and His truths including those conveyed in parables and maxims must be sought with strenuous effort as more precious than any earthly wealth.

The treasure is also heavenly celestial truth, the doctrines of grace and jewels of truth already in the Word, its divine wisdom, light, truth and life. It is the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ that satisfies every need of the soul, worth more than all earthly pursuits and learning, while worldly wisdom and visible things can obscure its worth. It is celestial truth uncorrupted by error, left for perception beyond ordinary vision, rewarding the humble, teachable, prayerful industry of devout and vigorous minds who endure as seeing Him who is invisible. Scripture's riches are not exhausted by truths most easily found, for every part of revelation must be explored so precious truths may be discovered and seen in their place in the plan of redemption. Unexpected precious truths are found and treasured, old truths appear in new aspects, and truths overlooked before come to light, calling for an open mind and pure understanding and heart.

The Word as a field is more richly veined than earthly gold fields and interlaced with golden veins, more richly filled with choice and precious things than the world is interlaced with golden veins. It is a mine and casket of jewels of inestimable value, to be presented so they are seen in their intrinsic luster, yet their beauty and excellence cannot be discerned by the natural eye until revealed by the Sun of Righteousness. As lovely material things are unseen until the sun dispels darkness and floods them with light, so the treasures of God's word are not appreciated until thus revealed. It is an inexhaustible treasure of God's truths and wisdom, hidden until diligently searched for and made one's own, to be fully searched and mastered by searching every part and making oneself master of the treasure.

The treasure is spiritual, not material wealth, status, or an earthly kingdom such as the scribe wrongly expected from love of the world, who mistook what Jesus spoke of for riches and status for disciples and thought following Him would bring them. Its full value is not apparent on the surface but lies beneath an unpretending surface, for Christ's words contain precious truths whose deeper significance must be discerned. Minds made alive and quickened by the Holy Spirit discern these buried truths as precious gems, which requires whole-hearted, patient study and prayerful searching like digging, since indifference and half-hearted effort will not uncover them. Christ scattered His doctrines like a sower in a field, and His parable teaching is seed holding the most precious doctrines of His grace like precious jewels requiring clear spiritual eyesight to discern and gather. The gospel is the key that unlocks mysteries including the truths of the Jewish economy that pointed to Christ, and there is beautiful harmony in the teaching of the Word beyond ordinary searching, with wonderful development rewarding the one who keeps digging and never thinks he knows all worth knowing.

Surpassing Worth and Joy

The kingdom and its treasure are of surpassing, infinite, priceless worth, beyond every earthly possession and all earthly knowledge, and gaining it is worth every sacrifice and any amount of labor, effort, conflict and toil. It is lasting treasure within everyone's reach, and even the poorest who follow after it become richer than wealthy people who do not know it. Investing in it is a safe investment with sure return, in contrast with risky worldly speculation and ventures that may bring loss.

Finding the treasure brings a joy that makes gladly selling all and surrendering everything worthwhile, with no cause for regret. That joy calls for wholehearted commitment, consecration of affections and abilities, and devotion of talents, means and energies, while setting aside whatever hinders eternal welfare. The value is seen in willing, untiring work to secure the hidden riches, counting no labor too great and no sacrifice too dear to gain the treasures of truth.

Buying the field takes all, holding nothing back, and means freely giving up all for God and His cause as a willing free-will offering that is never compelled. It requires a bold and unyielding stand for the truth with sacrifice, with property and the strength to labor with the hands to sustain the cause equally accountable to be given. All who are not willing to sacrifice all will be shaken out in the mighty shaking that has commenced and will go on as the judgments of God speedily come.

Salvation cannot be bought, but it must be sought as earnestly and perseveringly as if abandoning everything in the world for a treasure above price. The treasure is obtained by accepting Christ and making Him all and in all, which gives an invaluable experience. Then the true, strong, joyous life of the soul begins when Christ is formed within, the hope of glory, giving power to become sons of God to all who believe, and all who receive Him will surely show good works. Nothing is too dear to give up for entrance, and giving earthly means to help others learn and practice the truth is investment in the kingdom with lasting returns, laying up treasure in heaven rather than keeping possessions that will soon be lost.

Readiness to sell all means earnest determination to possess the heavenly treasure at any cost from realizing soul-need, willing to sacrifice all possessed, to give up advantages and suffer inconvenience in order to win it. It means entire surrender to God of body, soul and spirit, being purified from every unrighteous thought and unholy action, dying to self and living to God. It means giving up cherished self-righteousness, humbling self to put away old habits and practices and all evil speaking, with no self-exaltation or self-seeking because these separate from Christ. That determination has the heart garrisoned with the words of Christ and truth brought into the inner sanctuary of the soul, and falling upon the Rock and being broken, for without it the work is surface work with a selfish, self-caring, hard heart almost insensible to the Spirit. The opportunity is urgent and brief while God's day of mercy still shines, so every ray of divine light is to be gathered, open opportunities availed, the true science of soul-saving learned, and ascent heavenward made round by round in the strength of Christ rather than in own strength.

Diligent Search Method

Possessing the treasure means buying the field in order to work it, plow up every part of it, cultivate it and search it through, taking possession of its riches and making oneself master of them. The mind is not to rest content in indolence with surface truths made plain and easy, for much found hitherto lay near the surface and was easily obtained, while rich deposits remain to be found by sinking the shaft deeper and deeper with brain, bone and muscle until leads of precious ore are estimated and many rich lodes and veins are discovered. The field so worked is more richly veined than earthly gold fields, and digging over every part of the field of revelation discerns hidden jewels and unexpectedly finds precious ore to gather and treasure. Searching properly requires keeping a pure understanding and heart and keeping the mind open and constantly searching.

The search must be diligent, persevering, earnest, wholehearted and continuous, taxing the intellect and bending the mind to ascertain God's thought verse by verse. It is studying, not merely reading or skimming or casual reading, but closely searching God's Word daily to prove whether things are so, receiving the pure Word with all readiness of mind and seeking heavenly wisdom to distinguish divine truth from human error and misrepresentation. Scripture is to be made its own commentator and the key that unlocks Scripture, by comparing Scripture with Scripture, which can reveal errors and bring to light the riches of Christ. As miners labor to bring coal and ore from the earth, so men must apply themselves to discern the treasures of Scripture, and what is discovered there is more valuable than coal mines. Understanding requires this effort rather than expecting to grasp the treasure without study or letting others do the investigating and thinking for oneself.

Finding depends not chiefly on intellectual ability but on humility and faith that seeks God's help, rewarding the humble, teachable, prayerful industry of devout and vigorous minds who endure as seeing Him who is invisible. A humble, teachable spirit and contrition of soul, with pure understanding, open mind, and drawing near to God with humble contrite heart in faith and confidence, prepare the seeker to receive the treasures of light, truth and life. The Holy Spirit directs, aids, disciplines and rewards this diligent search, working on the heart to make believing children rich in faith, working outward to develop approved character, opening the understanding, giving wisdom and divine illumination and better knowledge of the Word to those who depend on His efficiency, and quickening the mind to discern buried gems. Truth of heavenly origin is left for perception beyond ordinary vision, and is seen and comprehended only by those who so search and dig.

Persevering effort discovers concealed jewels and unexpected precious ore to be treasured, and continued searching discovers more coins, many rich deposits, and truths previously overlooked coming to light. Old truths appear in new aspects, truths overlooked in earlier searching appear, and truth appears in a new aspect as the shaft is sunk deep into the mines of truth, advancing from obscurity of dawn toward radiance of noonday. The discovery brings astonishment at its value, as of a man discovering hidden treasure in a field when the golden treasure it contains is revealed to him through earnest continuous searching. What is shared is not lost, for teaching reveals still more, while principles deepen understanding as they are practiced and promises grow brighter.

Truth long buried beneath superstition, error, human tradition, human opinions and rubbish has been dug out and brought to light and joined link by link into a harmonious whole, each truth discovered precious as tried gold and as precious pearls of priceless value. It was preserved by God through ages when copies of the Bible were very few and its truths were long buried and hidden, and in different countries men moved by the Spirit were providentially guided to the Holy Scriptures to search for that truth as for hid treasures, studying with intense interest and willing to accept the light at any cost, perceiving many long-buried truths though not seeing all things clearly. Then they went forth as Heaven-sent messengers to rend asunder the chains of error and superstition and call those long enslaved to arise and assert their liberty, at cost through earnest prayer for light and knowledge with prayers and tears amid trial and opposition. The truths that called believers out of the world, with the evidence given over the past fifty years, remain buried treasure to be searched for, studied, dug for by both longtime believers and recent converts, and clearly shared and revived.

The world is busily engaged in searching for earthly treasure, and by precept and example men exalt earthly riches, pleasure, worldly scholastic learning and worldly business above eternal riches, while painstaking effort to secure the heavenly treasure is strangely neglected and minds that should reach the highest attainments cultivate appetite for pleasure and allow business to exclude God from thought. Laying the Bible aside in pursuit of earthly learning sacrifices the greater treasure, for the Bible is God's great instrument of government through probationary time and the direct unveiling of truth, and without knowledge of God and obedience to the laws governing his being a man ruins body and mind by wrong habits and loses what his study gained. Human teachings and mistaken interpretations must not obscure the truth revealed in Christ, and truth not personally understood cannot save. Each must therefore investigate for himself and search diligently as for hidden treasure rather than accept others' claims or let others think for him.

Why Many Miss It

The treasure is hidden not because God conceals it but because people obscure it by their own choices, trusting their own wisdom and counting human wisdom higher than the divine Teacher. Puffed up by vain philosophy, they have eyes, ears and intellect yet fail to discern its beauty, power and mystery, the glory of unseen eternal realities in the plan of redemption centered in Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life. The field holding it is God's lesson book itself, the Holy Scriptures where the gospel treasure lies, but those who let what is seen eclipse the unseen look upon that book as old-fashioned, tame and stale, while those quickened and made alive by the Holy Spirit see its worth and will give up everything to possess it. It is held from eyes now by earthliness and commonness and is not appreciated, so finding it means preferring the teaching of God, who gave His life that people might have everlasting life, over the suppositions of human authors, taking position in faith on the Bible itself and never putting testimonies ahead of the Bible, working every foot of the field and advancing with the light given instead of remaining in the present spiritual condition until the promises grow brighter and understanding deepens through practice.

Israel had been entrusted with this treasure through a worship system established by Christ in types and symbols pointing to the truths of redemption and to Christ Himself. The Jews had the Scriptures testifying of Christ's life and character with abundant evidence that Jesus was the Messiah, including His miracles, yet traditions and human interpretations obscured their meaning so that the treasure of knowledge lay among them unrecognized, like a man resting beside treasure without knowing it. Receiving it required giving up cherished traditions, selfish practices, mistaken beliefs and preconceived opinions, and fearing conviction and conversion and the sacrifice and change required, they rejected the evidence and refused the greatest Gift from heaven.

Those who sincerely desire truth and are willing to examine and understand it search diligently and find the precious, priceless hidden treasure, while those who do not seek show they do not truly want to know what is true. Having no special love for the Bible shows blindness to the hidden treasure of great value it holds, but once its worth is discerned a person gives up everything to secure possession of it. Those convicted and longing for converting power, feeling soul-need, seek truth as for hidden treasure more precious than gold, pressing forward amid difficulties and temptations to find it, and receive it as precious even when others try to keep them from it and even when found without prior seeking.

Faith Life and Mission

Finding the treasure is finding and accepting the gospel of Christ with all its obligations through faith in Him as the world's Redeemer. That faith joins an enlightened understanding to a heart able to discern and value heavenly truth, receiving the truth of prophecy and submitting to its authority rather than adapting Scripture to meet human prejudice and jealousy. It can be understood only by humble seekers, and it is inseparable from repentance and transformation of character bringing sanctification of soul, body and spirit. Like the finder, Philip was filled with joy when he found Christ the Son of God and went to tell Nathanael.

Mere conviction that Christ is the Son of God is not enough, for saving faith receives Christ and the gospel, works by love, purifies the soul, and makes a person a doer of the Word who confesses Christ and accepts gospel obligations. Fear of losing status can keep even a believer from receiving the treasure, and self-exaltation and self-seeking separate a person from Christ so that securing the treasure requires self-sacrifice at every step.

Matthew 13 is instruction given as a warning that must be read as for life and heeded. It demands guarding against being blinded by human sophistries and mocking of sacred things, and prayerful self-examination over standing acquitted without spot or stain upon character before the judgment seat of Christ.

Those who lay hold of the treasure, which is eternal life in Christ, do so by abiding in Christ under the baptism of the Holy Spirit with sanctified intellect. Thinking and talking of Christ brings Him within, with His glory which is His character enthroned as everything, bringing rejoicing and the claim to have bought the field. Finding it takes away taste for theaters and worldly amusements and for self, and makes the life represent Christ's goodness, love, joy and peace to the world. The treasure is Jesus Himself, His matchless love, excellencies and power, the righteousness of Christ and the hope set before us in the gospel, with knowledge of God and Jesus Christ found in God's Word satisfying every need of the soul. When that love and righteousness are presented in the power and Spirit of God and grasped by faith, it puts a new song in the mouth, causes the Sun of Righteousness to rise in the heart, makes souls see delights in Jesus and speak of His love and tell of His power, coming to many long Christians as a new revelation and meat in due season. It turns lukewarmness to zeal and repentance, brings compliance with the call to buy gold tried in the fire and white raiment and eyesalve, and shows itself in impressed hearts, confession of wrongs to believers and unbelievers, and restitution, while those led to investigate, especially in health institutions, are filled with gratitude and praise.

Receivers become light-bearers who cooperate with Christ by showing others the value of seeking eternal life as hidden treasure worth giving up all else to gain. Finding it brings such joy that a person willingly gives up everything, and even the poorest and most lowly who follow Him and come into possession of its priceless jewels become richer than wealthy people who do not know Him, with sharing their happiness increasing that riches. The one who recognizes its value sees truth as Christ presents it in the Old and New Testaments rather than accepting human teachings, and shares it with others even when religious teachers ridicule or oppose him. Those who seek it as treasure would seek it help their church advance in holiness, while unfolding it means opening the Bible and teaching its truth, a work requiring cultivated, consecrated workers rather than novices. Ministers open the treasure so its jewels shine, and the church receives light to pass on, lest unused ability degenerate and spiritual life decline.

The treasure calls for preferring God's lesson-book and teaching to the theories and suppositions of human authors, making God's Word the basis of study and higher education and seeking its divine truth and plan of redemption with prayer and effort to distinguish divine truth from human error. Those made alive by the Holy Spirit recognize its worth and willingly give up everything to possess it, valuing truth hidden in God's Word above all else. The Bible is to be read, studied, received and practiced as God's Word, containing the truth necessary for salvation and the standard of character for heaven. Sanitariums are to help men and women discover Christ as the hidden treasure by teaching them the truth as it is in Jesus, leading those ignorant of God to investigate and find soul-satisfying knowledge.

The field also pictures mission territory where souls are precious treasure hidden that God's workers must search for as for hidden treasure. In the Southern states after the freeing of the slaves opened doors for labor, the treasure was the colored people there, freed from political slavery yet many remaining in the slavery of ignorance and sin and terribly degraded, to be sought with the story of God's love and a message of warning. Faithful searching would have raised memorials all through the Southern field, churches, sanitariums and schools, and would have called men and women of all classes to the gospel feast. Those freed had a growing desire for knowledge and liberty, and learning to read could help them search diligently for truth, know God and Jesus Christ, and understand their right to obey God. Those who seek truth are to be treated without distinction based on skin color, because all who receive Christ belong to Him, and this earnest searching includes women workers in temperance lines, led in God's providence to the light and prepared by temperance education to bring that education into work with other searching women whose hearts are softened by the Spirit, so that the light of present truth shines into the chambers of the mind and soul.

Gaining the kingdom is worth surrendering all earthly possessions, for the field's treasure represents a cause so valuable that everything must be freely given for it. Giving means to spread the truth and save the perishing lays up treasure in heaven rather than keeping possessions that will soon be lost, and the human soul saved to eternal life is worth more than the world, so giving earthly means to help others learn and practice truth is an investment in the kingdom with lasting returns. The truths that called believers out of the world are buried treasure to be searched for, studied and clearly shared, with Scripture opened to help those ready to receive discover Bible truth as hidden treasure. The evidences of Bible truth given over the past fifty years are like buried heavenly treasure for both longtime believers and new believers to search, study and revive. Those who have experienced God's work through the opening of the Bible, with the Holy Spirit's remarkable demonstrations substantiating its precious treasures, sin against the Holy Spirit if they deny that truth.

Truth in God's Word is precious and worth searching for diligently in Scripture with most careful study as hidden treasure, and everything else should be secondary to it, with truth made primary over everything else. Finding it brings joy that makes a person willing to give up everything to obtain it, valuing its light enough to claim the field and work through every foot of it rather than staying in the present spiritual condition. The Bible is the guidebook showing the way to heaven, and promises grow brighter the more they are studied while understanding deepens as its principles are practiced. Buying the field means taking position and faith in the Bible itself, never putting testimonies ahead of the Bible, advancing with the light given when Christ opens the treasures and riches of truth now held from eyes by earthliness and commonness, for this knowledge of the only true God and Jesus Christ is life eternal.