Church Fathers 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)

St. John Chrysostom: The preceding parables of the leaven and the mustard seed refer to the power of the Gospel's preaching, which has subdued the whole world. To show its value and splendor, He now presents parables about a pearl and a treasure, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.

For the preaching of the Gospel is hidden in this world; if you do not sell all that you have, you will not purchase it, and you should do this with joy.

Therefore, it follows, which when a man has found, he hides it.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: This treasure is indeed found without cost, for the preaching of the Gospel is open to all. But to use and possess the treasure with its field is not without a price, for heavenly riches are not obtained without the loss of this world.

St. Jerome: His hiding it does not come from envy toward others, but as someone who treasures what he does not want to lose, he hides in his heart that which he prizes more than his former possessions.

St. Gregory the Great: Alternatively, the treasure hidden in the field is the desire for heaven, and the field in which the treasure is hidden is the discipline of heavenly learning. When a man finds this, he hides it in order to preserve it. For it is not enough to protect our zeal and heavenly affections from evil spirits if we do not also protect them from human praise. In this present life, we are on the path that leads to our homeland, and evil spirits attack us on our journey like robbers.¹

Therefore, those who carry their treasure openly are the ones robbers seek to plunder on the way. When I say this, I do not mean that our neighbors should not see our works, but that in what we do, we should not seek praise from others.

The kingdom of heaven is therefore compared to earthly things so that the mind may rise from the familiar to the unknown, and learn to love the unknown through what it already knows and loves.

It follows, And for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. The one who sells all he has and buys the field is the one who, renouncing fleshly delights, tramples on all his worldly desires in his eagerness for the heavenly discipline.ⁱ

St. Jerome: Or, that treasure in which are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, is either God the Word, who seems hidden in Christ's flesh, or the Holy Scriptures, in which the knowledge of the Savior is stored.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, he speaks of the two Testaments in the Church. When anyone attains even a partial understanding of them, he perceives what great things lie hidden there. He then goes and sells all that he has, and buys that; that is, by despising temporal things, he purchases for himself peace, so that he may be rich in the knowledge of God.²

1. Hom. in Ev., xi, 1
2. Quaest. in Ev., i, 13