|
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price. Matthew 13:45-46
13:45-46
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant man,
seeking fine pearls, Who, when he hath found one pearl
of great price, went and sold all that he had, and
bought it."
With all that has been said of the previous parable, it
only remains to identify more specifically the
distinctions of this parable. First, the merchant man
seeking fine pearls is Christ, the Son of Man Who has "come
to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).
As in the previous parable, He "sold all that he had"
to purchase the pearl.
Second, the "pearl of great price" represents all
the saved of all the ages, since He gave Himself, "not
for our sins only, but for the sins of the whole world"
(1 John 2:2). Third, the later revelation concerning the "mysteries"
of the Church and of Israel’s blindness would be part of
this parable also. The pearl, then, emphasizes that
the salvation provided for and intended for the whole
world, is efficient and effective only to those who
believe in Christ and accept His salvation. Fourth, this
interpretation of these two supplementary parables avoids
the contradiction of buying free salvation; it avoids the
error of going back to the Old Testament to compare the
treasure with God’s treasure, Israel (Exodus 19:5), since
that would not be a mystery; and it avoids making the
Church exclusively the pearl, which would not account for
any who were saved before Pentecost or after the Rapture
of the Church. At the same time, this interpretation
preserves the mystery aspects of both parables and
provides conformity and continuity of thought with the
other parables in the series.
The Parable of the Dragnet. Matthew 13:47-50
13:47-50
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net, that was
cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind, Which,
when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down and
gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
So shall it be at the end of the age; the angels shall
come forth, and separate the wicked from among the
righteous, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire;
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
In order to picture this parable in the proper manner, the
"net" must be defined. It is a sagene, a
very large dragnet, fastened between two boats, which
covered a considerable area, and required a team of
fishermen to drag it to shore when it was full. It would
trap "of every kind" including good and bad fish,
and any other sea creatures in its path.
Several commentators prefer to interpret this parable as
being restricted to the "end of the age" (verse
49); however, there is evidence of a time period, since
they only drew it to shore "when it was full"
(verse 48). This would correspond with the time period
required for the sowing and growing of the wheat and tares
in the second parable, and with the very fact of the
mixture of tares with the wheat (just as good and bad fish
were gathered into the net until it was full).
Jesus interprets the separation of the bad fish from the
good fish at the end of the age, just like the angels did
in the second parable. There is an emphasis in this
parable concerning what will happen to the wicked; verse
50 is identical with verse 42. Thus, the "mystery"
in this seventh parable is the same as in the second; that
is, the Age of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven
involves a time-frame during which there will be wicked
and righteous together in the kingdom of heaven until the
time when the angels come and separate the wicked from the
righteous. The wicked are cast into "the furnace of
fire," and the righteous will "shine as the sun in
the kingdom of their Father" (verse 41).
Conclusion of His Message to the Disciples. Matthew
13:51-52.
"Jesus saith
unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say
unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, therefore
every scribe who is instructed concerning the kingdom of
heaven is like a man that is an householder, who
bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old."
When Jesus asked His disciples whether they understood
"all these things" they replied, "Yea, Lord." Further, in
Mark 4:33-34: "And with many such parables spoke he the
word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without
a parable spoke he not unto them; and when they were
alone, he expounded all things unto his disciples." Up to
this point, therefore, they understood Jesus’ teaching. He
could then exhort them to teach others, as "scribes"
instructed in the doctrine of the "kingdom of heaven."
Some things will be "new" as "mysteries" newly revealed to
them, and other things will be "old" referring to Old
Testament prophecies concerning Messiah. This by no means
infers that the disciples had nothing more to learn. As
noted before, they would be perplexed when He repeatedly
predicted His death. They had much to learn from the
future revelation He would impart to them before His
death, such as the fact of the future Church in Matthew
16:18. Even after His resurrection they asked if He was
about to restore the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6), and in
Acts 10:15 and Ephesians 3, God revealed just how the
Gentiles would relate to the Jews in that Body of Christ,
the Church. All the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
would eventually be revealed to them (as listed in the
discussion of the parable of the wheat and tares), so that
their understanding would be expanded, "in the
fulness of time."
|
