Treasure, Pearl, & Net (An Exegetical Paper on Matthew 13:44-50)
Written for my Spring 2026 New Testament class.
Introduction
“The kingdom of heaven,” Jesus said, “is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” He continued, going on to say that this kingdom is also like “a merchant in search of great pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all he had and bought it.” While these parables may be familiar to the average churchgoer, it seems that the depth of these stories has been lost on many as church culture has changed in America. What began as a community of believers meeting in local homes has since turned into a series of individuals who temporarily get together once a week for a Sunday service. As America seeks to answer questions such as “what’s best for me” and “how can I be happiest,” the church needs to change the way it approaches reading Scripture. While personal application is one thing, what would happen if the church asked, “what does this passage reveal about God?”
Matthew thirteen holds many words of wisdom within its parables, and verses forty-four through fifty are no exception. While these verses may be few in number, Matthew packs three short parables into them. They might not be as frequently used in sermons as “The Parable of the Sower” is, but when they are, the interpretations of these parables often seem to misunderstand what Jesus is saying, or at the very least only offer a one-sided perspective on the parables. Studying these verses and looking at the parables surrounding them in Matthew thirteen offers a genuine look at their original intent, their true meaning, and grants a way for removing the self from the Scripture in order to see what the Scriptures actually say. Namely, they force the reader to wonder: Are these verses about humans finding God or God finding humans?
The Common Interpretation
Many sermons have been preached on these verses, particularly on “The Parable of the Hidden Treasure” in 13:44. A common way to understand this parable that the man represents the individual, and the treasure is the kingdom of God; that one must be willing to get rid of everything they have in order to gain the kingdom of God. With this understanding, a literal reading of these parables would read something like this:
“The kingdom of heaven lies out there in the world and when it is found by a person, they understand its value as great, so they go and rid themselves of everything in order to be a part of the kingdom.” (Author’s interpretation of Matthew 13:44).
For many readers, this is the interpretation they are familiar with. If asked, they would say that the Parable of the Hidden Treasure is about the cost of discipleship. Scripture seems to back up this belief with its proclamation that “any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33) and “if you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:21). This interpretation is thus fair since, “by seeking first the kingdom, other physical needs of the disciple will be provided for. Thus, selling everything in order to enter the sovereignty of God is worth the risk.” Following this interpretation, the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price would read as follows:
“Again, the kingdom of heaven was a man in search of fine pearls and, upon finding one, he sold all he had to purchase it.” (Author’s interpretation of Matthew 13:45).
This parable could be understood similarly: one must be willing to get rid of everything in order to obtain this kingdom. If this is how Jesus meant the parable to be understood, then the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price acts to double down on the message of the Parable of the Hidden Treasure. Yet there seems to be something missing from the message these parables tell in this interpretation. Is it true that “the point of these parables lies in the nature and actions of those who discover the great treasure, which is the gospel” or is there something more?
If the actions of these characters were meant to hold significance, which the elements of parables often do, there is something important to be found in the differences between these two parables. For example, whereas the merchant was specifically looking for valuable pearls, the man working the field wasn’t seeking treasure. This parallels the way some people will go seeking for God or truth and ultimately find it in YHWH or Christ, yet others will find Him while they are not actively looking for Him or seeking answers.
Yet, this interpretation fails to account for important elements in the parables. What is the significance of treasure versus Christ’s usage of pearl? The verses state that the man who uncovered the hidden treasure went and “covered it up.” Presumably, he covered up the treasure so others wouldn’t take it. But if the treasure is meant to be the kingdom, shouldn’t the kingdom be shared? Is this how these parables were meant to be understood? Or, perhaps, were these parables never about man finding God, but God choosing man?
The Uncommon Interpretation
Unlike the most-shared interpretation of the Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price, the lesser-heard interpretation focuses on God’s desire to bring us into His family. As one blogger said in regard to the Hidden Treasure, “In this parable, the man represents Jesus, the treasure represents the children of the kingdom, and the field represents the earth.” With this understanding, a clear version of the parables would read as follows:
“The children of the kingdom of God are so precious that when God found them, He not only protected them but went with joy and sold all He had (His Son) to bring them into His family. Again, God went searching for people to bring into the kingdom and upon finding one, He sold all He had (His Son) to purchase them.” (Author’s interpretation of Matthew 13:44&45)
In this understanding, what Christ is revealing is not the importance of self-sacrifice in order to gain entrance to the kingdom, but the lengths God went through out of His great love for us, in order to bring His children into the kingdom. As Church of God pastor Tony Vismor points out, “None of us are the reason by which we decided to turn to God in and of ourselves and then somewhere later God got involved. No, the Bible makes it clear that it is God who always initiated restoration and relationship.”
At first glance, this understanding of these verses seems just as plausible as the one shared above. Both have something missing, some pieces of interpretation that fail to give a one-to-one comparison of the parable. So, what makes this interpretation more plausible than the common understanding of these parables? Could it be any truer than the common interpretation? Is there a deeper significance to be found?
Digging deeper into the specific details of the texts seemingly offers a deeper understanding of these verses. For example, the difference between the significance of treasure compared to the significance of pearls in the ancient world. For the Jewish people, who were the primary audience of the parables in Matthew thirteen, being referred to as a treasure would have been something they were accustomed to. “One of the adjectives that is used throughout the Old Testament is used to describe the Jewish people to God is that they are His treasure. So, when those disciples are sitting there, and they’re listening to this parable and (Jesus) says there’s a man who went out in a field and he saw a treasure, they had no problem understanding that Christ was speaking of them.” If this is true, what then is the significance of Jesus’s use of a pearl in the following parable?
For the common interpretation, one must turn to Jewish scholarship. The Hebrew word peninim has been translated to mean “pearl,” but also has been rendered as “jewel,” leaving the original meaning of the word unclear in modern translations. Verses that use peninim often compare wisdom to a treasure (or pearl) one might gain. It is possible that this parable means to compare the pearl to a wise person joining God’s kingdom or speaks on the wisdom one finds when they enter God’s kingdom. However, none of the verses that use the word pearl this way appear in the Old Testament.
Turning to the uncommon interpretation, one finds that the Old Testament has one singular mention of pearl—not translated from the word peninim, but from dar. The reference takes place during Israel’s exile and speaks about a Gentile king’s belongings. Even this reference doesn’t necessarily mean a physical pearl, but rather “mother of pearl,” likely referring to the inside of an oyster. For early Israel, creatures such as oysters would have likely been considered unclean to eat (Leviticus 11:9 -11) and thus any part of them would be avoided, including the pearl inside. Likewise, there are many Old Testament references to jewels of different kinds, and pearls are never listed among them. It follows to reason that the pearl of great price isn’t Israel but is instead representative of the Gentile people. “What we see here is that Jesus is saying, ‘there is a pearl I have come to find also. I haven’t just come for my treasure, Israel, but I’ve also come for that which seems to have no value to the Jewish people.
If this meaning is the one which Christ originally intended for us to glean from these parables, there is deeper meaning that can be pulled from the actions of the characters of the parables as well. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure says that when the man found the treasure he covered it up. If the story is about the man finding the kingdom of God, then why didn’t he want to share this great find with others? However, if this parable tells us about God finding His children, then the action of highlights God’s protection of His people until the time had come when He would purchase them through the blood of Christ.
Similar to the common interpretation of these parables, there are gaps that remain in the interpretation. Whereas this understanding of the scriptures offers answers in some areas, there are now questions that had been answered by the previous interpretation. If God is the man in these parables, why does He stumble upon Israel in the field and is actively searching for the Gentiles? Why would God have to search since, being God, He is all-knowing? Perhaps He finds His children as they call Him or trust His Son. If that were the case, the meaning of these parables is best understood not as God finding people to bring into His kingdom but bringing in those who have accepted Him. Yet even this leaves the reader not wholly satisfied.
The Parable of the Net
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price are followed by a third parable. Although this last parable does not follow the same structure of the other two, nor can it be interpreted the same way, the three are connected by Matthew’s use of the word “again.” Whereas the other parables in Matthew thirteen are separated by the disciples' asking questions and Jesus’s interpretations, these three parables—the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price, and the Parable of the Net—are shared together, which means they must be interpreted together.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:47-50)
Unlike the other two parables in this trio, Jesus gives an interpretation of the Parable of the Net. Jesus’s interpretation explains that the men who draw in the net are angels. The kingdom itself is the net, which gathers both good and bad people until the end of the age, where they will be sorted. Unlike the previous parables, this one seems to say little about the role of the individual. Why then has Matthew made a point to group these three parables together? What message do they share when put together?
When breaking down the interpretation of the Parable of the Net in comparison to the other two parables, new questions emerge. If the men in the Parable of the Net are angels, does that mean the men in the earlier parables are heavenly beings and thus must represent God? Or does this mean these men are also created beings and must represent His children? Both seem plausible. And what about the sorting of the fish caught in the net? If it is humans who find the kingdom, why use the image of people being caught? Why are there bad people in this kingdom? If it’s God who finds people—so to speak—why is it that He chooses bad along with the good only to have to sort them later?
If one was to take these interpretations as a hundred percent one way or the other, perhaps none of these questions would find a satisfactory answer. If, however, one was to step away and take the text at face value, the truth can be found.
The Kingdom of Heaven
The kingdom of heaven is shown to be of great value. When the man in the field discovers the treasure, he is filled with joy and willing to sell everything he has for it. Likewise, the merchant, upon finding a pearl of great price, sells all he has to obtain it. Yet, this kingdom draws in both good and bad people, meaning they must be sorted out at the end of time. In short, the kingdom of heaven is the Church.
The kingdom of heaven isn’t a physical kingdom any more than the church is a physical building; both of these are defined as people aligned with God, not by a literal location. The kingdom of heaven and the Church are defined as those living under God’s sovereign rule. Yet, as the Parable of the Net acknowledges, there will be people who call themselves members of this kingdom, who don’t truly know the One they’re supposedly ruled by. What does this mean for these parables?
Focusing on the most prevalent interpretation of these parables, there’s a question that arises: Can someone truly buy their way into the kingdom of heaven by simply getting rid of everything they have to gain it? What does this mean for religions like Buddhism, where monks live without worldly positions “for God” yet don’t truly know the Lord? What of their sacrifice? While many Christians would argue that this isn’t the point the parables are making, that the parable isn’t meant to be understood as talking about works-based faiths. However, the presence of the Parable of the Net seems to disagree simply by answering the question. If someone tries to rid themselves of worldly possessions as a means to “get to heaven,” but doesn’t know God personally and hasn’t believed in His Son, they are “bad fish” and shall be sorted out at the end of days. The entirety of Matthew’s gospel makes this clear, especially in 7:15-23, where Jesus warns of false prophets, says that the trees that don’t bear fruit shall be cut down and thrown into fire—a clear analogy for hell— and states that not everyone who claims to know Him will enter into heaven.
What Is The Right Answer?
Looking back at the interpretations of these parables—both the one given in the text itself and the ones inferred—it is likely that these parables weren’t written to have a singular interpretation but instead were meant to have two interpretations that support one another. Just as there are many ways to define what “Church” or “kingdom of heaven” means, perhaps these parables were meant to hold multiple meanings. Looking at the way each parable begins, it appears that this understanding was the author’s intent.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure...” (Matthew 13:44)
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant...” (Matthew 13:45)
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net...” (Matthew 13:47)
In these three parables, there is only one which refers to the kingdom as a person (a merchant), while the other two refer to it as objects (a treasure and a net). Matthew, by writing in these differences, highlighted the different aspects of this kingdom. Speaking on the parable of The Prodigal Son in Luke 15, one author asked, “Must we choose only one of these [interpretations] as Jesus’s sole point? Interestingly, each of these perspectives of the themes (in the story of The Prodigal Son) emerges from reading the story from the perspectives of its three main characters—the prodigal, the older brother, and the father.”
In light of the common interpretation, the Parable of the Hidden Treasure now highlights the kingdom as the thing worth selling all one has for by sharing the story of someone who doesn’t know God finding Him unexpectedly. Likewise, the kingdom of heaven described in the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price shows someone who had knowledge of God—already being listed as being “the kingdom of heaven”—but may not have Christ in their heart. Upon going out and searching for something deeper than head knowledge, they find something worth sacrificing for, something like God’s presence or a personal relationship with their Creator. Lastly, the Parable of the Net highlights how not everyone in the kingdom (Church) truly knows God and lives according to His will. For some members of this kingdom, they choose more evil than good and thus must be sorted out at the end of days.
This understanding shows how there isn’t a clear, singular way to get into the kingdom of heaven. For those who find the kingdom, they can actively search for it, as the merchant did, or they can happen upon it, as the man in the field did. The one who finds the kingdom isn’t limited to one status either, for the merchant was likely wealthy to some extent—knowing he wanted to be able to purchase pearls of value, he likely had some sort of funds— whereas the man working the field, although not necessarily poor, clearly wasn’t rich since he didn’t own the field he worked in. According to some early interpretations, those who heard the parable may have understood the man who stumbled upon the treasure to be an everyman and the merchant to be a scholar of Torah.
In the uncommon interpretation, the Parable of the Hidden Treasure talks about the joy God has in finding those who love and obey Him and how great a price God was willing to pay in order to bring His children into His family. The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price, likewise, tells the story of God searching for those He will bring into His kingdom and highlights how He sacrificed all He had for just one. Both of these parables highlight the greatness of the cost that was paid by Jesus on the cross—a price that those who first heard this parable wouldn’t have yet understood, since Jesus had yet to die. The interpretation of the Parable of the Net isn’t much changed, since its interpretation is given in the scripture itself. The focus, however, does shift. While not everyone Christ died for will accept His gift of salvation, the price was paid regardless.
Taking this lens and turning to other parables, one learns that many of the parables refer to “a man” but are talking about God. The father in the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) represents God and His forgiveness and grace. The master in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) is the clearest stand-in for God, as is the shepherd in the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:4-7). Regarding the Parable of the Weeds, Matthew 13:37 states that “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.” Jesus also says in the following verse that the field in the Parable of the Weeds is the world. The same can be said for the Parable of the Hidden Treasure; it’s not simply that for man the kingdom of heaven is out there for them to find, but also that “in the world there is a treasure that Christ has to find.”
Application
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure, the Pearl of Great Price, and the Net have multiple interpretations; One that focuses on the individual’s commitment to Christ and one that highlights God’s love for us. But if both interpretations of these parables are technically correct, why do many scholars, pastors, and congregation members tend to stick to the one that focuses on the work of the individual?
Individualism, an issue which many know the name of, but few acknowledge as the source of problems, has continued to grow in practice in the lives of Americans. “Perhaps more than any country in the west, (Americans) also became immersed in the 1970s in psychological talk and a self-help culture that, for all of its benefits, occupied many Americans with their inner lives and caused them to wade into themselves—not their communities—to find meaning and vitality.”
This shift towards focusing on oneself has affected the church. Sermons in the First Great Awakening focused on the Church or community as a whole. While they did address the individual, the aim of sermons wasn’t to change the heart of a single man, but to shift the culture of the community at large. The gospel, as it was understood then, was meant to cast man’s eyes upward towards his Creator, then turn them towards the world around him in order to spread the good news of God’s great love. Yet the focus of many modern church services has become finding ways to make Scripture comfort, aid, and—if needed—convict the individual. “The people who continue to attend church do so because they believe the church can help them find and express themselves. Religiosity doesn’t disappear; it morphs into something adaptable, something you embrace on your own terms. Faith is no longer focused on reality or something true; it’s a therapeutic choice intended to aid you in your pursuit of self-exaltation and self-fulfillment.”
While finding personal application in what one reads from the Bible isn’t inherently a sin, making this one’s sole approach to reading Scripture causes some problems. In sections that don’t apply to us (the Old Testament books of the law being a great example), it becomes easy to skip those in one’s reread of the Bible. And if nitpicking is already happening, it would be easier to skip the confusing books of the prophets, the gory tales in Judges, and the book of Revelation in the New Testament. Clearly, the books of the Bible weren’t chosen just to give people the option of skipping certain stories that don’t have a clear application, yet this practice remains common among the average churchgoers. What gets left on the cutting room floor, however, are stories that show God’s character, highlight His love for His people even when they go astray, and reveal His end game plan for the redemption of creation.
Similarly, by focusing on the importance of the individual being willing to get rid of everything they have in order to obtain the kingdom of heaven, the picture of God’s great love for His chosen people gets overlooked. It is, after all, Jesus’ willingness to suffer on the cross on behalf of humanity’s sins which should inspire the believer to lay down their all to follow Christ. Forgetting this part of the story—forsaking the vastness of Christ’s sacrifice—only paints half of a picture and leaves the parables half empty.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Blomberg, Craig. “Introduction to the Parables.” The Gospel Coalition. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/introduction-to-the-parables/
Donahue, Joshua. “The Actual True Meaning of the Hidden Treasure & Pearl Parable.” Jesus Believer JD. https://www.jesusbelieverjd.com/the-actual-true-meaning-of-the-hidden-treasure-pearl-parable/
Hirsch, Nowack, & Seligshon. “PEARL.” Jewish Encyclopedia. https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11971-pearl
Kallas, J. Ellsworth. Parables of Jesus. Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1997
Mendel, Nissan. “Pearls - Nature’s Wonderland.” Chabad.org. https://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/114856/jewish/Pearls.htm
Murphy & Weissbourd. “We Have Put Individualism Ahead of the Common Good for Too Long.” Time (April 2023). https://time.com/6269091/individualism-ahead-of-the-common-good-for-too-long/
Vismor, Tony. “The Parables: The Hidden Treasure.” Uploaded by Grace Fellowship Church. July 2024. https://youtu.be/Sb4yA0jJSqg?si=YX-GWIjNkOVh0mtf
Wax, Trevin. “Why Is Expressive Individualism a Challenge for the Church?” The Gospel Coalition, (October 2018). https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/expressive-individualism-challenge-church/
Young, Brad. The Parables: Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation. Michigan: Baker Publishing Group, 1995.
