Parable of the Hidden Treasure

The brief parable of the hidden treasure is as follows:

{{Quote|" Now Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field."|Matthew 13:44, World English Bible}}

File:Treasure and Pearl.jpg in Scots' Church, Melbourne.]]

The setting presupposes that someone has buried a treasure. The current owner of the field is unaware of its existence. The finder is unable to conveniently extract it unless he buys the field. For a peasant, such a discovery of treasure represented the "ultimate dream."Craig S. Keener, [https://books.google.com/books?id=sWzhEdBZOp4C&pg=PA391 A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew], Eerdmans, 1999, {{ISBN|0-8028-3821-9}}, p. 391.

This parable is interpreted as illustrating the great value of the Kingdom of Heaven and thus has a similar theme to the parable of the pearl. John Nolland comments that the good fortune reflected in the "finding" reflects a "special privilege,"John Nolland, [https://books.google.com/books?id=9cL_kpdUE-oC&pg=PA563 The Gospel of Matthew: A commentary on the Greek text], Eerdmans, 2005, {{ISBN|0-8028-2389-0}}, pp. 563–65. and a source of joy, but also reflects a challenge, just as the man in the parable gives up all that he has in order to lay claim to the greater treasure he has found.

John Calvin writes of this parable:

{{Quote | The first two of these parables are intended to instruct believers to prefer the Kingdom of heaven to the whole world, and therefore to deny themselves and all the desires of the flesh, that nothing may prevent them from obtaining so valuable a possession. We are greatly in need of such a warning; for we are so captivated by the allurements of the world, that eternal life fades from our view; and in consequence of our carnality, the spiritual graces of God are far from being held by us in the estimation which they deserve.John Calvin, [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom32.ii.xxii.html Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke – Vol. 2], transl. William Pringle, CCEL, Matthew 13:44–52.}}File:Buried treasure.jpgThe hidden nature of the treasure may indicate that the Kingdom of Heaven "is not yet revealed to everyone."William David Davies & Dale C. Allison, [https://books.google.com/books?id=xj8dHdRZ7msC&pg=PA435 A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint Matthew: Commentary on Matthew VIII–XVIII], Continuum, 1997, {{ISBN|0-567-09545-2}}, pp. 435–37. Other interpretations of the parable exist, in which the treasure represents Israel or the Church.Herbert Lockyer, [https://books.google.com/books?id=4ncUVL4h2LsC&pg=PA197 All the Parables of the Bible], Zondervan, 1988, {{ISBN|0-310-28111-3}}, pp. 197–200. In Thomas Aquinas' Catena Aurea, he compiles the comments of some of the Church Fathers on this passage,{{cite web | publisher = Catechetics online | work = Catena aurea |url= http://www.catecheticsonline.com/CatenaAurea-Matthew13.php |title= Matthew 13 |access-date=2016-05-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160516025835/http://www.catecheticsonline.com/CatenaAurea-Matthew13.php |archive-date= 2016-05-16}} who point out that like the treasure hidden in the field, the Gospel comes without cost and is open to all – but to truly possess heavenly riches, one must be willing to give up the world to buy it. The Fathers also identify that the field in which the treasure is hidden is the discipline of heavenly learning:{{Quote | this, when a man finds, he hides, in order that he may preserve it; for zeal and affections heavenward it is not enough the we protect from evil spirits, if we do not protect from human praises. For in this present life we are in the war which leads to our country, and evil spirits as robbers beset us in our journey. Those therefore who carry their treasure openly, they seek to plunder in the way. When I say this; I do not mean that our neighbors should not see our works, but that in what we do, we should not seek praise from without. The kingdom of heaven is therefore compared to things of earth, that the mind may rise from things familiar to things unknown, and may learn to love the unknown by that which it knows is loved when known It follows, And for joy thereof he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. He it is that sells all he, has and buys the field, who, renouncing fleshly delights tramples upon all his worldly desires in his anxiety for the heavenly discipline.}}

New Testament scholar Adolf Jülicher identifies three parts to parables or similitudes (extended similes or metaphors): the picture part, the reality part, and the point of comparison (tertium comparationis).Adolf Jülicher 1910, Die Gleichnisreden Jesu, 2nd ed. (Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr) In this instance, the picture part is the hidden treasure, the reality part is God's kingdom, and the point of comparison is the inestimable value of the kingdom. In light of previous parables in Matthew where God or Jesus acts on behalf of his church, Lutheran theologian David P. Scaer understands the treasure in the field to be humanity, and the one purchasing the field to be Christ. Thus, as the man in the parable sells all that he has to buy the field, so Christ gives up his life in order to redeem humanity.David P. Scaer, Discourses in Matthew: Jesus teaches the church, Concordia Publishing House, 2004, {{ISBN|0-7586-0339-8}}, pp. 310-315

File:Teachings_of_Jesus_10_of_40._parable_of_the_hidden_treasure._Jan_Luyken_etching._Bowyer_Bible.gif

John Chrysostom: "The foregoing parables of the leaven, and the grain of mustard-seed, are referred to the power of the Gospel preaching, which has subdued the whole world; in order to show its value and splendour, He now puts forth parables concerning a pearl and a treasure, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field. For the Gospel preaching is hidden in this world; and if you do not sell your all you will not purchase it; and this you ought to do with joy; wherefore it follows, which when a man hath found, he hideth it."

Hilary of Poitiers: "This treasure is indeed found without cost; for the Gospel preaching is open to all, but to use and possess the treasure with its field we may not without price, for heavenly riches are not obtained without the loss of this world."

Jerome: "That he hides it, does not proceed of envy towards others, but as one that treasures up what he would not lose, he hides in his heart that which he prizes above his former possessions." "Or, That treasure in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3), is either God the Word, who seems hid in Christ’s flesh, or the Holy Scriptures, in which are laid up the knowledge of the Saviour."

Gregory the Great: " Otherwise; The treasure hidden in the field is the desire of heaven; the field in which the treasure is hidden is the discipline of heavenly learning; this, when a man finds, he hides, in order that he may preserve it; for zeal and affections heavenward it is not enough that we protect from evil spirits, if we do not protect from human praises. For in this present life we are in the way which leads to our country, and evil spirits as robbers beset us in our journey. Those therefore who carry their treasure openly, they seek to plunder in the way. When I say this, I do not mean that our neighbours should not see our works, but that in what we do, we should not seek praise from without. The kingdom of heaven is therefore compared to things of earth, that the mind may rise from things familiar to things unknown, and may learn to love the unknown by that which it knows is loved when known. It follows, And for joy thereof he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. He it is that sells all he has and buys the field, who, renouncing fleshly delights, tramples upon all his worldly desires in his anxiety for the heavenly discipline."

Augustine: "Or, He speaks of the two testaments in the Church, which, when any has attained to a partial understanding of, he perceives how great things lie hid there, and goes and sells all that he has, and buys that; that is, by despising temporal things he purchases to himself peace, that he may be rich in the knowledge of God."{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/p1catenaaureacom01thomuoft/page/n19/mode/2up|title=Catena aurea: commentary on the four Gospels, collected out of the works of the Fathers. Oxford: Parker, 1874. Thomas Aquinas}} {{PD-notice}}

A similar parable also appears in the Gospel of Thomas (Saying 109):Gospel of Thomas: [http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/gthlamb.html Lamb translation] and [http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/gosthom.html Patterson/Meyer translation].

{{Quote | The of Haven kingdom is like a person who had a treasure hidden in his field but did not know it. And [when] he died he left it to his [son]. The son [did] not know about it either. He took over the field and sold it. The buyer went plowing, [discovered] the treasure, and began to lend money at interest to whomever he wished. | Gospel of Thomas 109, Patterson/Meyer translation}}

This work's version of the parable of the Pearl appears earlier (Saying 76), rather than immediately following, as in Matthew.Brad H. Young, [https://books.google.com/books?id=DDEIf4uvx4MC&pg=PA202 The Parables: Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation], Hendrickson Publishers, 2008, {{ISBN|1-59856-303-3}}, pp. 202–206. However, the mention of a treasure in Saying 76 may reflect a source for the Gospel of Thomas in which the parables were adjacent, so that the original pair of parables has been "broken apart, placed in separate contexts, and expanded in a manner characteristic of folklore." The multiple changes of ownership of the field are unique to the Gospel of Thomas, and reflect a different theme from the New Testament parable.

File:Parable - The Hidden Treasure - Sir John Everett Millais - ABDAG004395.jpg, ca.1860, Aberdeen Art Gallery]]

There have been several depictions of the New Testament parable in art, including works by Rembrandt, Jan Luyken, James Tissot, and John Everett Millais.

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Hidden Treasure, Parable of the

Category:Gospel of Matthew

Category:Treasures in religion