Christian Art | Love Revealed By Jesus Christ | Parables Of The Kingdom
Matthew 13: 44-53 | Week 17, Wednesday, Thursday | King James Audio Bible
44 ¶ 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.
45 ¶ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
47 ¶ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.
52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
53 ¶ And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.
The three parables follow one upon another, and they are addressed in Matthew’s Gospel to the disciples, rather than to the crowds. The parables of the hidden treasure and of the pearl clearly develop upon the same theme, and then the parable of the net follows and expands upon their meaning, magnifying it, while also relating to the disciples’ apostolic mission. We are taught through each parable of the supreme value of the gift of grace and of the Kingdom, and also of judgement, the rightful valuing of our gifts such that we live in accordance with God’s will.
In the parables of the hidden treasure and of the pearl, the man searching the field and the merchant both find a precious treasure which is so far beyond all that they currently possess, such that they sell all they have in order to acquire their jewel.
Nothing that has gone before matters in comparison to what they have found. They may have laboured and traded for years, all their life, but now they have found the gift of God. The man working the field may have stumbled upon his gift; the merchant may always have longed and sought for it. Both must give away everything in order to be able to be with this new treasure.
Jesus tells us that all our lives’ work, as we struggle and trade and labour and compete, are as nothing in comparison to the gift of heaven. We are warned that we could become so attached to what we have struggled to achieve in the field and the market place, that we might not sell all we have. The response of the men in the parables is a guide to us: nothing that we have achieved through our trade, through our labour, can compare to the gift Christ brings to us; we are to give all such attachments away, to become unattached to our worldly position and possessions, to give away all attachments in order to focus wholly on our true life, the hidden treasure, the precious pearl. We are to stake everything to obtain this prize.
The parable of the net builds upon these messages. God’s net is cast into the sea. We are all drawn from the sea within the net. The good will be retained; the bad will be cast away.
We are to ask, then, when we are drawn into the net, have we given everything away to have with us the hidden treasure or the precious pearl? Are we wholly dedicated to God, or have we refused to give everything to be with him? Have our lives been wholly focused on God, or have we kept something back – whether attachment to money, or the things that money can buy, or to worldly prestige, or to some other state of mind, such as a clinging to pride, or some sexual activity, or self-regard, gluttony, jealousy, envy, anger… Or have we just been too busy? Whatever the excuse might be.
Christ’s message is overwhelmingly this: the pearl, the hidden treasure, can be our own. This is treasure that is new and also old: the truth of Christ’s message holds for all times, and we can all be scribes sharing this message. All we have to do is give God everything. All we have to do is give God all.
‘For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5
King James Audio Bible | Endnotes
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure, the Pearl, and the Net serve as teachings on the Kingdom of Heaven and the value of salvation – purity of faith as distinct from loss in hell.
In the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, Jesus tells of a man who finds a treasure hidden in a field. He sells all that he has to purchase the field and obtain the treasure. In this parable, the treasure represents the Kingdom of Heaven and the man represents a person who recognizes the value of salvation and is willing to give up everything to obtain it.
In the Parable of the Pearl, Jesus tells of a merchant who searches for fine pearls and, upon finding a pearl of great value, sells all that he has to purchase it. This parable represents the Kingdom of Heaven and the pearl represents salvation, which is so valuable that a person should be willing to give up everything to obtain it.
In the Parable of the Net, Jesus tells of a dragnet that is cast into the sea and gathers all sorts of fish, both good and bad. The fish are sorted and the good fish are kept while the bad fish are thrown away. In this parable, the net represents the Kingdom of God and the fish represent people. The sorting of the fish represents the judgment at the end of the age, when those who are saved will be kept and those who are not will be thrown away.
The parables serve as teachings on the value of salvation, of joy in the discovery of Christian faith and of the merely human capacity to embrace Christianity so as to discover Jesus as the gateway to eternal life. Through the imagery of hidden treasure, a precious pearl, and a sorting net, Jesus emphasizes the incommensurate value of life geared toward the Kingdom of Heaven and the need for people to recognize and pursue this perfect life with all their heart, soul, and mind.
The parables serve as powerful illustrations of the transformative nature of faith in Jesus Christ. Through the parables, Jesus teaches that the pursuit of the Kingdom of Heaven should be so valuable to a person that they are willing to give up everything else to obtain it.
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure, the Pearl, and the Net are central to Christian theology. They may be said to distil to perfect focus the message of the Sermon on the Mount, as we are taught to direct our being in its entirely to spiritual good.
Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection demonstrate as perfect God’s love for humanity. Through His death on the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of humanity, making it possible for all people to receive forgiveness and have a right relationship with God.
Our perfection may be termed ideal. Christians are called to resist the influence of Satan and to remain steadfast in our faith in Jesus. Through the grace and strength given to us through Jesus, Christians are empowered to resist Satan’s temptations and to live a life that is pleasing to God.
We are with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as we pray for courage to accept and to bring into the heart of our lives our need for sainthood.
This passage from Catherine of Siena’s Dialogue on Divine Providence is cast as a prayer, but it also unfolds as a theological reflection. Catherine speaks to God in direct, personal language, yet her words move from personal confession to intercession for the whole Church. She frames her petition in terms of the ‘mystical body’ — a phrase drawn from Paul’s letters, meaning the Church as a living organism bound together in Christ [ … ]
Saint Bruno reflects on the longing expressed in Psalm 84[83]: ‘How lovely are your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts.’ He interprets this not only as a reference to the Temple of Jerusalem but as pointing beyond it to the heavenly Jerusalem, the eternal dwelling place of God. For Bruno, the psalmist’s desire is ultimately for the courts of heaven, where blessedness consists in unending praise of God [ … ]
Padre Pio, also known as Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, was an Italian Capuchin friar who lived from 1887 to 1968. He is renowned for his piety, his stigmata, and his gift of healing, and has become a beloved figure in the Christian world. Born into a devout Catholic family in Pietrelcina, Italy, Padre Pio felt a calling to the priesthood from a young age. He entered the Capuchin order in 1903 and was ordained a priest in 1910. He spent much of his life as a humble friar, dedicated to prayer, the sacraments, and the service of others. Padre Pio’s most famous spiritual gift was the stigmata, the visible wounds of Christ that he bore on his hands, feet, and side. He experienced this phenomenon for over 50 years, from 1918 until his death in 1968. While some were skeptical of his wounds, many believed them to be a sign of his profound union with Christ and his participation in the suffering of the crucified Christ. In addition to his stigmata, Padre Pio was also known for his gift of healing. Many people came to him seeking physical, emotional, and spiritual healing, and he prayed over them, sometimes prescribing special devotions or treatments. While some were healed miraculously, others did not experience a physical cure, but nonetheless found comfort and peace through his intercession. Padre Pio’s life was marked by his devotion to God and his love for others. He spent long hours in prayer, often in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and had a deep appreciation for the power of the Eucharist. He also had a special love for the Virgin Mary, whom he called his ‘Heavenly Mother’, and encouraged others to pray the Rosary. Today, Padre Pio is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church, and his influence has spread far beyond Italy. He is remembered for his holiness, his humility, and his profound union with Christ, as well as for his compassion and concern for the sick and suffering. Christians of all denominations continue to look to him as a model of faith and devotion to God. Prayer To Saint Padre Pio | A Prayer For Healing Saint Padre Pio is renowned for his gift of healing, which he used to help countless people throughout his life. He believed in the power of prayer and the importance of placing our trust in God, even in the face of illness and suffering. In James 5:16, we are reminded that ‘the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective’. Padre Pio’s life was a testament to the truth of this verse, as he interceded for those who came to him seeking physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. One of the most striking examples of Padre Pio’s healing ministry was the case of Gemma Di Giorgi, a young girl who had been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Her parents brought her to Padre Pio, who prayed over her and blessed her with the sign of the cross. To the amazement of her doctors, Gemma’s condition began to improve, and she was eventually healed completely. In addition to physical healing, Padre Pio also believed in the importance of emotional and spiritual healing. He often spoke of the need for repentance and conversion, and encouraged his followers to turn to God with contrite hearts. In Luke 5:31-32, Jesus tells the Pharisees, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ Padre Pio understood that true healing involves not only the body, but also the soul. For those who are in need of healing, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, Saint Padre Pio can serve as a powerful intercessor. He believed in the importance of prayer and the power of God’s grace to heal even the most difficult of cases. Through his intercession, we can ask God for the strength and courage to face our illnesses and our struggles, knowing that we are never alone and that God’s healing love is always with us. So let us pray: ‘Saint Padre Pio, you who had a deep faith in God and a profound love for your fellow human beings, we turn to you in our time of need. We ask for your intercession on behalf of all those who are sick and suffering, that they may be healed in body, mind, and spirit. We ask that you pray for us, that we may have the strength and courage to face our illnesses and our struggles with faith and hope, knowing that God is with us always. We trust in God’s love and mercy, and in the power of prayer to bring healing and wholeness to all who seek it. Saint Padre Pio, pray for us, and lead us to the healing grace of God. Amen.’ Prayer To Saint Padre Pio | A Prayer For Peace Saint Padre Pio was a man of peace, who lived his life in the service of God and his fellow human beings. He believed that peace was not merely the absence of conflict, but a state of inner harmony that could only be achieved through a deep and abiding relationship with God. In John 14:27, Jesus tells his disciples, ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.’ Padre Pio understood the importance of this peace, and dedicated his life to helping others find it. One of the ways that Padre Pio fostered peace was through his ministry of reconciliation. He encouraged those who came to him to confess their sins and seek God’s forgiveness, knowing that this was the first step towards inner peace. In Matthew 5:9, Jesus says, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.’ Padre Pio believed that this was not just a call to be a mediator in conflicts between […]
