Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 13:52

"And he said unto them, Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old." — Matthew 13:52 (ASV)

Interpretations of this difficult verse are legion. The problem in this parable is to discern the point of the comparison. There seem to be two comparisons. The emphasis in the first part is not that the teacher of the law has been instructed about the kingdom and therefore understands, but that he has become a disciple of the kingdom and therefore his allegiance has been transformed. Such a discipled person brings out of his storeroom (i.e., out of his heart, his very being) new things and old. We must not understand this saying to read (NIV) “new treasures as well as old,” suggesting that new kingdom things have been added to the old Jewish ways. Rather, the Gospel of the kingdom, though new, takes precedence over the old revelation and is its fulfillment (cf. comments on 5:17–20). The new is not added to the old, but has renewed the old, which has thereby become new. Thus the OT promises of the Messiah and kingdom, as well as OT law and piety, have found their fulfillment in Jesus’ person, teaching, and kingdom; and the teacher of the law who has become a disciple of the kingdom now brings out of himself deep understanding of these things and their transformed perspective affecting all life.

But there is a second point of comparison in the parable. The one who brings out these treasures is a “teacher of the law” (GK 1208). He is not bringing forth things new and old for purely personal reasons but in his capacity as teacher. Jesus’ disciples claim to have understood what he has been teaching. “Therefore,” he responds, discipled teachers of the Scriptures must themselves bring out of their storeroom the treasures now theirs so as to teach others (cf. ch.10; 28:18–20).