Hidden Treasure parable.

This is how I take it.

“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.

The "Kingdom of heaven" is here on earth already (Luke 11:20, but it is hidden to most and it will remain hidden until Jesus comes in the last days. It is an invisible spiritual kingdom upon the physical earth. Those who become a Christian find it, join it, and become part of the hidden kingdom.

JackRT said:

I find this saying very problematic and troubling. The man was snooping around on property that did not belong to him.

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How do you know he had no business on the property?

JackRT said:

After finding the treasure he conceals it and to cap it off he buys the field without disclosing his knowledge of the treasure.

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Why was he obligated to tell anyone?

JackRT said:

I been a Xian for a very long time and have never heard a satisfactory interpretation. Would you mind sharing yours?

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Do you trust that your average person will not attempt to defraud you in order to gain some material thing they greatly desire?

Remember, most of the people Jesus spoke to were average people, prostitutes, tax collectors, drinkers and the like. He spoke to the average person, but even so there is a point here..

What would you sell and do to legally (if not morally) get your hands on a productive gold mine that you could obtain for far, far less than it's worth is the scenarios hypothetical question being posed. And its being posed to the guy you run into at Walmart, not the local Rabbi or the CEO of Amazon (although the CEO of Amazon would have a ready answer too) Then it posits that you should be more willing to do anything to obtain the Kingdom of Heaven, than earthly things, because it's value exceeds even that gold mine.

W2L said:

What is your interpretation of this parable?

Matthew 13:44 “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.

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Christ, in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden (Colossians 2:3), is ultimately the treasure hidden (or planted), in the field of our heart through faith (Ephesians 3:17). We find it, or rather Him, through the study of the scriptures, when we seek God in prayer and in many other ways as there are commandments. We actually buy this field, that is to say, we finally own our heart and Christ who dwells in it, when we uproot from it all the passions and distractions for material concerns (the selling of all that we have), as if thorns and thistles.

W2L said:

What is your interpretation of this parable? Its taught alongside the parable of the sower. I wonder if this parable refers to the good soil, i.e without the thorns (thorns refer to thew deceitfulness of wealth) Also, does this parable refer to Jesus teaching about selling everything we own and following Him?


Matthew 13:44 “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.

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I have it, even though I do not deserve it. Take every thing that you are, everything you have, hold back nothing, and hand it to Him. And then you will understand.

Sam91 said:

It is unfortunate that these superfluous details distract you from the meaning, which you surely understand.

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I would understand the meaning completely if there was not fraud involved. Fraud is a detail that cannot be ignored --- it is not superfluous.

I was waiting to pick up my little boy from school one day reading this... I just said..lord what is this that he sells all... the lord said.. I am the tresure.

JackRT said:

I would understand the meaning completely if there was not fraud involved. Fraud is a detail that cannot be ignored --- it is not superfluous.

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But it is metaphorical. This is one of Christ's teachings. I appeal to you on that front to set aside your misgivings.

It is not saying to find the kindom of Heaven one needs to commit fraud. The metaphor is about its worth, to not delay etc.

However, we do enter it due to someone else's sacrifice and deed.

That parable is very much like when I chose to follow Christ. Everything I had I gave to Jesus.

JackRT said:

I find this saying very problematic and troubling. The man was snooping around on property that did not belong to him. After finding the treasure he conceals it and to cap it off he buys the field without disclosing his knowledge of the treasure. The treasure rightfully belongs to the original owner of the field whether he knows it or not. By acting in this way he has defrauded the owner.

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There was one, defrauded out of a the wife he rightly worked for in the OT.....(Racheal).....there was also one who was tricked out of His birthright.......One was also betrayed and crucified..... I believe these are not things to take lightly.... I say we go find this treasure and buy the land from the one who temporarily owns it........

Mat 13:52 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.


In this parable, Christ is talking about the teachings of the old testament and the new testament. Consequently, the treasure is also Christ, being that Christ is the word of God. I've seen people argue about the word of God either being, the Bible, or Christ, but actually, it's both. Also, just because you have riches, doesn't mean that they are good riches. There a plenty of examples of riches being used negatively, in scripture.



Jas 5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
Jas 5:2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
Jas 5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
Jas 5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
Jas 5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
Jas 5:6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.


In this context, it's clearly talking about doctrine that is contrary to the teaching of Christ. A lot of people have what they believe to be the truths of God, when in reality, all they have, are the teachings of men. Imagine thinking that you have a lot of knowledge of God, only one day find out, that you don't know a thing. You though you were rich, but really, you are dirt poor, and desperately in debt.



Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

W2L said:

What is your interpretation of this parable? Its taught alongside the parable of the sower. I wonder if this parable refers to the good soil, i.e without the thorns (thorns refer to thew deceitfulness of wealth) Also, does this parable refer to Jesus teaching about selling everything we own and following Him?


Matthew 13:44 “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.

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Well let me ask a question, what would happen to you in this day and age if you sold all that you owned and gave to the poor? The police often arrest homeless people in my area just for trespassing in the middle of the night in the city areas. I was homeless once and got arrested for taking refuge under a business eve that wasn't far from the street sidewalk when it was snowing and I was freezing cold. I do thank God that those days are over.

But I remember a guy some years back in the city center that carried a large Jesus sized wooden cross and yelled gospel preaching as he walked up and down the sidewalk near the court house. I was feeling more like "OK that guy is just weird and taking it too far".

The cross carrying guy had little to no effect on my eventual conversion to Christianity.

But then our current society is nothing like the killings of Jesus time in the city centers. Thieves on the cross and such things, stoning adulterers to death etc. Maybe the guy that carried his cross up the city center would end up a martyr in Jesus' time as they might have put him to death

I think some people take religion too far and end up looking crazy for it maybe. Sorry BTW if I'm raining on anyone's parade.

I just take care of the less fortunate when I can. I have a couple people I help like that. And I think that's the general message of that scripture

martymonster said:

Mat 13:52 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.

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Matthew left us with an autobiographical clue in this rather puzzling statement that gives the gentile reader (that's us!) a clue as to how the Jewish scriptures were written. First, what was a scribe? In the Jewish communities of the first century, the scribe filled two important offices. In synagogue services, he acted as the "sophar" or worship leader. He also was the school teacher to the Jewish children in the community. There is a very strong possibility that Matthew himself was such a scribe.