INTRODUCTION
Jesus sows the word, and it falls on different sorts of soil. The right response is to give up everything in order to gain the kingdom ( 13:44 -46), but those closest to Jesus scorn Him ( 13:53 -58).

THE TEXT
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it . . . .” (Matthew 13:44-58).

TREASURE AND PEARL
The two brief parables about the treasure and the pearl are obviously companions (vv. 44-46). Both describe the kingdom as something of great value, and show that one has to “sell all that he has” to gain the kingdom. But there are some differences between them. The kingdom comes to the man in the field as an unexpected surprise, while the merchant is already seeking pearls when he finds the big one. Also, the treasure is found on land, associated with Israel , and the pearl is found in the sea, associated with Gentiles. Jesus contrasts the way the kingdom will come to Jews and Gentiles.

DRAGNET
The parable of the dragnet repeats some of the themes of the parable of the wheat and tares. Both are allegories of Israel ’s history, and both speak of gathering, separating good and bad, the “end of the age” (vv. 39, 49), angels (vv. 41, 49), a “furnace of fire” (vv. 42, 50), and “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (vv. 42, 50). Yet the settings are different: The parable of the wheat is a land-based story, while the dragnet is on the sea. Again, the contrast is between Yahweh’s work with Israel (in the wheat and tare parable) and His work among the Gentiles (in the dragnet). Israel has been sown with false sons, Esaus, and as Israel has netted adherents among the sea of nations, she has gathered some good and some bad (v. 48). With Jesus, the time has arrived to separate the good and bad fish.

SCRIBE OF THE KINGDOM
The disciples profess to understand Jesus (v. 51), and Jesus commends them as Israel ’s new scribes who have become disciples of the kingdom. Unlike the Pharisees, they bring good things out of the treasure of their hearts (cf. 12:35 ). Because the Twelve are scribes, they can bring old things out of their treasure; because they have become disciples, they can bring new things. Jesus doesn’t envision any conflict between the new and the old. He’s not a traditionalist, but He doesn’t reject what’s old either.

HOMETOWN PROPHET
At the end of chapter 12, Matthew describes Jesus’ new family, made up of those who do the Father’s will ( 12:46 -5). After a series of parables, Matthew returns to this family theme and shows Jesus’ hometown rejecting Him. They are first astonished (v. 54), but eventually “stumble” at Him, because He’s too familiar (v. 57). The people of Nazareth enact Jesus’ parable of the sower; He comes to sow seed, but it takes no root in His hometown. This is the last time Jesus appears in one of “their synagogues” (v. 54) in Matthew’s gospel.