Sermon July 27, 2008

INI

Text: St. Matthew 13:44-50
Theme: Lessons Regarding the Kingdom of Heaven.
Sentence: In Christ Jesus, who teaches us about the Kingdom of Heaven, fellow redeemed:

St. Matthew 13:44-50
44 ¶ "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.
45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
46 "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,
48 "which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.
49 "So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,
50 "and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

INTRODUCTION
In this text our LORD teaches three parables. They are: (1) The par-able of the treasure hidden in a field; (2) The parable of the pearl of great price; and (3) The parable of the dragnet. The common theme of all three parables is the Kingdom of Heaven, also called the Kingdom of God in Scripture. As with any parable, there is only one point of com-parison; there is only one truth which is taught. It is a mistake to press each and every detail of a parable so as to “discover” a pet teaching which you want to be there. A parable presents a plausible real-life situ-ation with a narrow application. It so happens that the first two parables of the text go together, for they both teach the same truth about the King-dom of Heaven, while the third parable teaches a different truth about the Kingdom of Heaven. So it is this morning, based upon this text from God’s Holy Word, we consider:

Two Lessons Regarding the Kingdom of Heaven.
I. The Kingdom of Heaven is a Valuable Treasure Worth Possessing.
II. Not All in the Visible Form of the Kingdom of Heaven Possess this Valuable Treasure.

I. The Kingdom of Heaven is a Valuable Treasure Worth Possessing.
     In verse 44 Jesus likens the Kingdom of Heaven to finding treasure hidden in a field and in verses 45-46 He likens the Kingdom of Heaven to finding one pearl of great price. Concerning the treasure hidden in a field, Jesus is here not concerned about the moral aspect of this act...why didn’t the person who found the treasure in the field return it to the right-ful owner instead of burying it, buying the field, and in this way gaining the treasure for himself? In those days it was common for a wealthy per-son to divide his assets into three parts. One third was used in the busi-ness, one third was converted into precious stones with which to flee, if necessary, and one third was buried in a safe place. In the case of the parable, it is a given that the man who originally buried the treasure in the field is now dead; that nobody can locate the rightful heirs; and that the treasure is irretrievably lost to the original owners. It was common for such a thing as this to happen in those days, so this parable is not far fetched; it is real to life for that particular time.
     The point of the parable is the value which the finder attaches to the field because of the treasure which it contains. He knows that by the pur-chase of the field all that is in it becomes his own, including the treasure which he discovered there! The man liquidates all his assets, takes the money to the current owner, and buys the field, and hence gains possess-ion of the valuable treasure. Evidently, in those days there were no “re-served” mineral rights, timber rights, etc. clauses in a contract of ex-change of property. Also, take special note of the zeal; the burning de-sire; the complete determination of the man to purchase and own the field and hence to gain possession of the treasure buried there.
     In verses 45-46 we have a similar parable. A certain unnamed man is a merchant. As in the previous parable, it could be anybody; it could be you. The Greek word suggests that he is not a retail merchant; he is not a shop owner; but he is a wholesale merchant; his business is to travel the world in search of pearls to buy in wholesale quantities and resale them to shop owners. This man has seen many, many pearls in his day. He knows the value of pearls. He can view the shape, color, clarity, etc., and gauge the value of any pearl on sight. In his travels, the man discovers “one pearl of great price,” verse 46. Upon making this discovery the verse says he “went and sold all that he had and bought it.” As with the man who accidentally discovered the treasure in the field, so with the merchant, he recognized the great value of his find and set about to ac-quire this one great treasure at all costs. Also, as with the parable of the discovery of the treasure, so with the merchant, both the treasure and the one pearl of great price is the Gospel, which confers eternal life. This parable, as with the other, emphasizes the great value of this possession above all else.
     Notice quite carefully that in the first parable we have a common per-son. He is a worker; a common laborer. On the other hand, the second character is a well-to-do man. He is upper class. This difference betwe-en the two parables, which teach the same truth, is no accident. Our LORD wants it known that the Gospel is for all people, regardless of who they are, what is their station in life, where they come from, etc.
     Take special note that both the worker of the first parable and the merchant of the second parable did not intuitively know the tremendous value of their respective discoveries. The man in the field had to do a certain amount of excavation to determine that there was treasure hidden beneath the earth...otherwise it would have been discovered by another long ago. The merchant had to first of all examine the pearl before he could determine that it was a one in a lifetime find. Likewise, many people do not, at first, recognize the great value of the Gospel. For some, it takes time. The LORD must work on their hearts and open their blind eyes to see the vast treasure which lies before them. But, once having seen it, joyously they receive it with thanksgiving.
     Also, take note of the absolute zeal and determination with which each man acquired his respective possession. Nothing; but nothing; would prevent its acquisition. All else in this world was as nothing. They each “sold all that he had and bought it.” Imagine one day that you come home from work and announce to your spouse that you want to sell the house; take all your money out of savings; liquidate all your IRA’s; borrow the maximum amount from every bank credit card; all to pur-chase one item. This would be the modern-day equivalent to the zeal of the two men in the parables. They were willing to exchange everything in this world for the Kingdom of Heaven. Everything...including fame, fun, fortune, pleasure you name it!
     My friend, this is the great value of the Kingdom of Heaven, which is yours through the Gospel. You must acquire it at all cost, for there is nothing more important than eternal life. It is the most valuable asset that you will ever possess. It goes with you forever! As Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.”

II. Not All in the Visible Form of the Kingdom of Heaven Possess this Valuable Treasure.
     In verses 47-50 our LORD presents the parable of the dragnet, along with its application. This parable offers a picture with which the dis-ciples were familiar, for many of them were commercial fishermen on the Sea of Galilee, and the rest lived in that area and were quite familiar with that trade. In the parable a large net is cast into the sea and gathers a great number of fish. This particular kind of net might stretch for up to ½ mile. It was weighted on the bottom and the top floated, having cork attached to it for buoyancy. There were draw-strings on either side; top and bottom. The net was anchored on land at one end; swept through the sea by means of a boat, and brought to shore farther down the beach. Both ends were then drawn together on land and various kinds of fish, both good and bad, both edible and inedible, were caught in the net. The net did not discriminate between good and bad fish...it caught everything in its path. Although the entire netful is drawn to shore, the value of the catch rests with the good fish, the rest separated by a careful sorting and thrown away. The bad are not really counted as belonging to the catch.
     Jesus applies the parable. The kingdom of heaven, in the form in which it appears here on earth, is like such a net and catch. Gospel preaching results in an outward collection of such as are really members of the kingdom and also of such as merely bear a semblance of such membership, but who do not really and truly believe in Jesus. These are the good and the bad fish in the parable. The latter add to the bulk, but do not belong to the essence. One day there will be a separation of the two. On the Last Day; at “the end of the world,” verse 49, the LORD Himself will send forth His holy angels to separate the good from the bad. A sorting will take place; a sorting that will result in the eternal condemnation of those who merely feign membership, who care nothing for faith and salvation.
     I now pause for a moment at this point. I remember the first time or two that I heard this parable and its explanation, and it terrified me. It may also terrify you, so I want to remove any fears that you may have. I wondered, “What if I was a bad fish and not a good one? What if my faith was hypocritical? What if I had deceived myself all along?” The implications were enormous. The result was unthinkable. Eternity hung in the balance.

Well the simple fact is, Jesus promised that if you hunger and thirst after righteousness, you will be filled, Matt. 5:6. He promised, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” Matt. 5:8. He will not turn you away. He will take you unto Himself. Those who are gravely con-cerned about salvation are the good fish of the parable. Good fish crave for and long for the Kingdom of Heaven. Those who are terrified over their sins and desire salvation will be gathered to the LORD by the holy angels. If the issues of eternal life concern you, this is indisputable evi-dence that you are part of the good catch.
On the other hand, if things eternal don’t concern you; if you are a worldling; then you have every reason to beware. If you think this “relig-ion business” is only for old women and the feeble-minded, then do you ever have a jolt waiting for you! If you have attached yourself to the visible church merely for personal gain; only for what you can get out of it; just because it was the path of least resistence, then you have every reason in the world to be concerned! If you have no concern for your soul’s eternal welfare, then you are a bad fish and will be separated from the good fish on Judgment Day and thrown away by the holy angels.

CONCLUSION
A leopard cannot change its spots, but the LORD can take a bad fish and turn it into a good one. He can change a sucker into a trout; a chub into a bass; a carp into a perch. By the grace of God in Christ Jesus a sinner becomes a saint. Through the application of the merit earned by Christ, the one who is presently conformed to this world can be trans-formed into that which is taken by the holy angels to glory! By trusting in the blood and righteousness of Jesus, your Savior, the Kingdom of Heaven is yours! Trust in Him and be saved, in His Name, Amen.

SOLI DEO GLORIA Preached on the Tenth Sunday after Trinity; July 27, 2008 by:
David P. Baker, Pastor
Ascension Lutheran Church
0S850 Wenmoth Road
Batavia, Illinois
Worship Service - 9:00 am
Sunday School & Bible Class - 10:15 am
1-630-879-9455
elpan@juno.com