In 1982, the makers of the iconic chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream treat called the Klondike bar came up with a clever advertising campaign. They went around the country and asked people what they would do to receive a Klondike bar. Folks responded by dancing, singing, jumping in a pool, and performing other acts of spontaneous fun for the prize of a Klondike bar. I remember one young boy claiming that he would sell his sister for a Klondike bar. Do you think some family counseling might be in order there? In any case, it was a catchy phrase that sticks with us.

As I read through today’s passage, I kept thinking that these three Kingdom parables answer the question of what Jesus would do for the Kingdom of God. It is easy to read these and assume that we are the ones being asked to perform some task in order to attain the Kingdom, but upon closer inspection, we see that Jesus is talking about himself and what he was willing to do and give up in order to preserve the Kingdom for us.

Rabbinical law did not appreciate the notion of  “finders, keepers” and so the field that yielded great treasure had to be purchased in order for the finder to keep the treasure. This alludes to the great purchase that was made by our Lord on the cross, as he paid the price of his life for our salvation. Jesus is also the purchaser of the pearl of great beauty who was willing to sell all that he had in order to possess this one great and lovely thing. In this instance, we understand how much Jesus treasures and values people. We are the pearl of great price, paid for in blood and breath.

Matthew 13 (Common English Bible)

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure that somebody hid in a field, which someone else found and covered up. Full of joy, the finder sold everything and bought that field.

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one very precious pearl, he went and sold all that he owned and bought it.

The last parable of the dragnet is a foretelling of the End Times, when angels will come and assist in the sorting of the fish, i.e. us, into the wicked and the just for the final judgment. All the fish are gathered, but not all the fish survive. The wicked will be sent into the furnace while the righteous will be put together into one community.

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that people threw into the lake and gathered all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸ When it was full, they pulled it to the shore, where they sat down and put the good fish together into containers. But the bad fish they threw away.⁴⁹ That’s the way it will be at the end of the present age. The angels will go out and separate the evil people from the righteous people, ⁵⁰ and will throw the evil ones into a burning furnace. People there will be weeping and grinding their teeth.

Unlike the previous parables that warned of corruption spreading through the Kingdom, these three stories focus on how much Jesus treasures us, and points to what he was about to do for the world at the crucifixion. Of course nobody had a clue about that yet, although the disciples pretended to understand.

⁵¹ “Have you understood all these things?”Jesus asked.

They said to him, “Yes.”

⁵² Then he said to them, “Therefore, every legal expert who has been trained as a disciple for the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings old and new things out of their treasure chest.”

Do we understand? Can we possibly comprehend the extent to which God would go to save us? God’s only son died so that we might live. God went to the ultimate extreme to save his children.

What would you do to save yours? Would you sing and dance and jump through a hoop? Today is a good day to teach them about what Jesus did. They are the real treasure.

Good Fish by Michelle Robertson