"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath
found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls; who when he
had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it" (Matthew 13:44-
46).

In the first of these parables we read of a treasure hid in a field, which a man finds and hides, and
for joy thereof sells all that he has and buys the field. I am aware that many persons apply this to
a soul finding Christ. But what does the man in the parable do? He sells all that he has to buy the
field. Is this the way for a man to be saved? If so, salvation is a question not of faith, but of giving
up everything to gain Christ, which is not grace, but works carried to the utmost. When a man
has Christ, he would doubtless give up everything for Him. But these are not the terms on which
a man first receives Christ for his soul’s need. But this is not all:"The field is the world." Am I
to buy the world in order to obtain Christ? This only shows the difficulties into which we fall
whenever we depart from the simplicity of Scripture. The Lord Himself disproves such an
interpretation. He shows that there is one Man, one only, who saw this treasure in the midst of
the confusion. It is Himself, who gave up all His rights in order that He might have sinners
washed in His blood and redeemed to God; it was He who bought the world, in order to acquire
the treasure He valued. The two things are distinctly presented in John 17:2, "As Thou hast given
Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him."
There is the treasure:"As many as Thou hast given Him." He buys the whole, the outside world,
in order to possess this hidden treasure. (Ed. note:Some commentators identify the hidden
treasure with Israel.)

But moreover, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls; who,
when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." The
parable of the hid treasure did not sufficiently convey what the saints are to Christ. For the
treasure might consist of a hundred thousand pieces of gold and silver; how would this mark the
blessedness and beauty of the Church? The merchant finds "one pearl of great price." The Lord
does not see merely the preciousness of the saints, but the unity and heavenly beauty of the
Church. Every saint is precious to Christ; but "He loved the Church, and gave Himself for it."
That is what is seen here:"One pearl of great price." I do not in the least doubt that its spirit may
be applied to every Christian; but I believe it is intended to set forth the loveliness of the Church
in the eyes of Christ. It could not be fully said of a man awaking to believe the gospel, that he is
seeking goodly pearls. If we consider a sinner before he has received Christ, is he not rather
feeding on husks with the swine? Here it is one who seeks "goodly pearls," which no unconverted
man ever really sought. There is no possibility of applying these parables except to the Lord
Himself. How blessed it is that, in the midst of all the confusion which the devil has wrought,
Christ sees in His saints a treasure and the beauty of His Church, in spite of all infirmities and
failure!

(From Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew.)