Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 13:44

"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." — Matthew 13:44 (ASV)

The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field — Probably no parable in the whole series captured the imagination of the disciples more than this. Every village had its story of men who had become suddenly rich by finding a hidden hoard that had been hastily concealed in a time of war or upheaval. Then, as now, some people lived in the expectation of finding such treasures, and any traveler seen searching in the ruins of an ancient town was assumed to be hunting for them. As far back as the days of Solomon, such a search had become a parable for the eager pursuit of wisdom (Proverbs 2:4). Now they were told to find its equivalent in their own experience.

The conduct of the man who finds the treasure—concealing his discovery from the owner of the field—hardly aligns with our modern ideas of integrity. However, parables do not concern themselves with such questions, as we see in the cases of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1) and the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:2). It is enough that they bring out the main points: in this case, the man's eagerness to obtain the treasure and the sacrifice he is willing to make for it. In such matters, Jewish casuistry applied the maxim Caveat emptor to the seller rather than the buyer, and the disciples' minds would hardly have been shocked at what seemed to them a natural bit of shrewdness.

In the interpretation of the parable, the case described is that of a man who has not set out to pursue holiness or truth. Instead, he is brought to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus—that is, to Christ Himself—by the seeming accidents of life, such as a chance meeting, a timely word, or the example of a holy person. Finding in Christ a peace and joy far greater than any earthly treasure, he is ready to sacrifice the lesser wealth to obtain the greater.

We may well believe this had been the experience of the publicans and fishermen who made up the company of the Twelve. The parable was fulfilled in them when, at their Lord's command, they forsook all and followed Him. Needless to say, this has been the story of thousands of God's saints in every age of the Church's life, from that day until now.