23.9.11

THE PARABLES OF JESUS

Parable of the Hidden Treasure

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Rembrandt_Harmensz._van_Rijn_027.jpg/762px-Rembrandt_Harmensz._van_Rijn_027.jpg The parable illustrates the great value of the Kingdom of Heaven.

"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 

The setting here presupposes that someone has buried a treasure and later died. The current owner of the field is unaware of its existence. The finder, perhaps a farm labourer, is entitled to it, but is unable to conveniently extract it unless he buys the field. For a poor peasant, such a discovery of treasure represented the "ultimate dream."
This parable is generally interpreted as illustrating the great value of the Kingdom of Heaven, and thus has a similar theme to the Parable of the Pearl. The good fortune reflected in the "finding" reflects a "special privilege," 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.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

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