Hidden treasure

A few random thoughts on the parable of the treasure in the field (Matthew 13:44)

1) The kingdom is like a man-finding-hidden-treasure-who-buys-the-field. The hiddenness of the treasure is crucial. In His parables, Jesus reveals things hidden from before the foundation of the world (13:35). Jesus is the new Solomon, the king who unties knots and reveals mysteries, the king who built a temple with hidden treasures. But Jesus is greater than Solomon, because He’s bringing the treasures out .

2) The man sells everything and purchases the field from an overflow of joy. There needs to be, and probably is, a study of joy as an economic factor. We think of buying and selling as a matter of rational self-interest, but our motivations in our economic actions are always complicated. How often do we buy out of desperation, or for comfort?

3) The man sells and buys from joy at finding a hidden treasure. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, the Proverb says, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12). The kingdom brings joy because the kingdom brings surprises, uncovering hidden things.

4) In the Greek, there’s a pun on “field” ( agron ) and “buy” ( agorazei ).