SUNDAY- 17^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME –A

I Reading: 1 Kings 3:5.7-12: You have asked for a discerning judgement for yourself.

II Reading: Romans 8:228-30: God intended us to become true images of his Son.

Gospel: Matthew 13:44-46: He sells everything he owns and buys the field.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure: Giving up all for Christ, 13:44

There are two interpretations of this parable.

1. Some say that Jesus Christ is the man (cp.24,37-38) and the treasure in the field represents potential believers who are in the world. In this interpretation, Jesus sees the treasure of people in the world, and seeing them he does four things:

a. He hides the Treasure (Jn 10:14-16,27-30)

b. He goes: He comes to the world (Lk 19:10, Jn 316-17; 10:10;18:37,1Tim1:15)

c. He sells all: He gives up heaven in all its glory and splendour (Lk 2:7;22:37; 2Cor 8:9; Phil 2:7-8)

d. He buys: He pays the ultimate price. He gives his life for the life of people (Rom 5:8; 1Cor 15:3-4; Gal 1:4; 1 Pet 2:24; 3:18)

e. He joys: He envisions the glorious day when all his treasure shall be possessed by him (Heb 12:2).

2. Others say the treasure is the gospel of Christ, the gospel of the Messiah who is ever so precious. A man sees the gospel, the saving message of Christ, as never before; that is, he understands the immense treasure of salvation.

a. He hides the treasure: he tucks it away in his heart, protecting it, not letting it loose. He seeks and continues to seek the truth of Christ.

b. He goes: approaches Jesus Christ and makes a decision.

c. He sells all: repents and turns from his former life to God.

d. He buys: commits all and gives all to possess the treasure of salvation.

e. He joys: experiences the completeness and satisfaction of the treasure and envisions and hopes for more and more, eternally.

Either interpretation fits what is said, and we are probably safe in saying that neither one exhausts the meaning.

The Parable of the Merchant Man and the Pearl of Great Price:

Giving up all for Christ, Mt 13:45-46

The point of this parable is the same as the Parable of the Hidden Treasure. Some say the merchant man is Jesus Christ. Some say the merchant man represents people who seek after truth (pearls).

1. He seeks pearls (v.45)

a. Seeks many pears

b. Seeks fine pearls

2. He finds a priceless pearl (v.46)

a. He goes

b. He sells all he has

c. He buys the pearls

Thought: People seek truth and life in such things as philosophy, science, technology, wealth, fame, sensation, art, music, literature and religion. But there is only one pearl that is priceless and worth more than the world itself-the pearl of Jesus Christ Himself (1Cor 2:3; 2:8-10). Acts 4:12; 1Cor 3:11; Phil 3:8; Col 1:19;2:3,10

Matthew 13:47-53: They collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use.

The Parable of the Dragnet: Separating the Bad from the Good, 13:47-50

The net is the kingdom of Heaven and the gospel is the message of the kingdom. The sea is the world in all the depth of its darkness and its unknown. The fishermen represent Christ and His followers.

1. The parable describes the kingdom (v.47)

2. A net is cast into the sea (v.47-48)

a. It generates every kind

b. It is drawn when it is full

c. The good are gathered into containers

d. The bad are cast out

3. The parable is a symbol of the world’s end (v.49-50)

a. Angels come forth

b. Purpose: Separate the wicket from the righteous

          1) To cast into fire

          2) Result: Weeping and gnashing

The Parable of the Householder: Devotion, Study and Sharing, 13:51-52

This parable teaches a strong truth: the true disciples of Christ had the same privilege and responsibility as teachers and householders. They were unusually blessed. Throughout their lives, they had been instructed in the old counsel, but now they had been taught by Jesus Christ, the Messiah himself. They now knew the new counsel of God. Thus, they were to be responsible disciples and share the whole counsel of God, both the old and the new.

Jesus was charging the disciples to share what they had learned from old Truth (OT) and the new Truth (NT).

Thought: God invites everyone to enter into his kingdom, but not everyone accepts the invitation.

Jesus is the perfect copy of the Father. So let us enter as God’s children into God’s Kingdom by sharing God’s love and Jesus’ life, the life in the Spirit.

The disciple is like the head of a household. The disciple possess an enormous treasure: the Old Testament and the New Testament (Rom 15:4; 1Cor 10:11; Jn 1:17-18; 14:6; Ps 119:142; Rom 8:3; Heb 8:6, 9:14-15; Mt 5:17)

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