With Jesus' most recent parables being that of the tares and the wheat, the mutated mustard bush, and the corrupted fellowship offering, we might begin to wonder why, since the kingdom is going to be so messed up, would God want to even deal with it? Fortunately, Jesus continues with His parables about the kingdom...
There have been many interpretations of this parable by Bible commentators. However, I believe the meaning is clear if we base our interpretation on the key (Mark 4:13) Jesus gave to us in the parable of the sower.
Using the principle of expositional constancy, we know that the field is the world (Matt. 13:38).
Since the field is the world, who then is the man who bought the treasure? To find out, all we need to do is ask, "Who has given everything to purchase the world for the treasure contained within it?" Clearly, it is the Lord, who gave everything for the treasure, which is those whom He purchased:
Deut. 26:18 "The LORD has today declared you to be His people, a treasured possession..."
It is clear that our purchase cost the Lord everything:
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Heb. 12:2 ...who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
That is why Paul told us that...
1Cor. 6:19-20 ...you are not your own - for you have been bought with a price...
But why does it say that the treasure was found and hidden again before being bought? To protect it from anyone that might try to steal it first.
Remember, God's purchase of the church through the sacrifice of His Son was not common knowledge before it happened. God had to keep it hidden for it to happen. Remember that Paul told the Corinthians that...
1Cor. 2:8 ...none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;
And so God's plan was kept a secret, a mystery, waiting to be revealed at the proper time. Paul told the Romans that the gospel was a...
Rom. 16:25 ...mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past
He told the Ephesians that the purpose for which he had been called to preach was...
Eph. 3:9-10 ...to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.
And so the devil didn't know about it, the angels didn't know about it, and the demons didn't know about it. God had kept hidden the treasure and His intentions to purchase it, to keep it safe.
Now, in the church age, we are well aware of...
Col. 1:26 ...the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints
Hints had been given in prophecy throughout the ages, but it has only now been made clear. The apostle Peter makes note of this. He said regarding salvation and the prophets who prophesied of grace (1Pet. 1:10),
1Pet. 1:12 ...in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things into which angels long to look.
When Gabriel told the virgin Mary, "The Lord God will give Him the throne of David," he didn't know how that was going to happen. I imagine that the angels were probably like children who are trying to figure out what they're getting for Christmas!
This parable is nearly identical to the previous one. The church is again represented as a treasure which God purchased with the price of everything He had. But the interesting thing to me here is that He considers the church to be as a fine pearl.
Where do pearls come from, and what makes them valuable? Pearls actually are formed in oysters as a result of irritation. When an irritant such as a piece of sand works its way into the shell, the oyster defends itself against the irritation by secreting a fluid called "nacre" to coat the irritant. Layer after layer of this fluid is produced to envelop the source of irritation, which results in a pearl.
Why then are pearls valuable? After all, when something irritates my skin, and I put lotion or a Band-Aid on it, neither the medication nor the Band-Aid become a prized commodity.
However, if it belonged to Elvis, we can imagine that it would sell for big bucks! Why would it have a high value? Simply because people are willing to pay a high price for them. They will pay for what they consider to be valuable.
This is how the Lord considers His church - as infinitely valuable. But what is valuable about us? We should be considered as an irritation - unrighteous people standing in direct opposition to a holy, righteous God. Because the Bible says,
Is. 59:2 ...your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
Rom. 3:23 ...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Eccl. 7:20 Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.
We should be an irritant to God, and yet, He considers us as something of infinite value. Not because of who we are, but because of Who He is.
Personally, I don't find pearls to be valuable. I can't see paying so much money for some shiny round things. But when I say that, I am told, "You are such a guy! Pearls are wonderful!" So the value depends upon the purchaser and the price that he or she is willing to pay.
And the price that God paid for us was the ultimate price - the price of His sinless Son, Jesus Christ. Paul told the Corinthians that...
2Cor. 5:20-21 ...we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Jesus died on the cross so that each of us wouldn't have to suffer that eternal death. It cost the Lord everything, but He offers salvation to us as a gift:
Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus died in our place, paying the ultimate price for our sin, to purchase us. He died so we could have eternal life.