Introduction
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like 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. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
Matthew 13:44–46
This past Lord’s Day we transitioned from considering the nature of the King to the nature of the Kingdom. That shift was vividly displayed through two simple illustrations—a buried treasure and a pearl of great price. Jesus’ primary purpose in telling these parables was to impress upon His hearers the incomparable value of the kingdom of God. It is a treasure so glorious and so satisfying that it is worth joyfully surrendering everything else in order to possess it.
Yet, as we linger over these twin parables, another truth emerges. While both men ultimately recognize the surpassing worth of their finds, they arrive at that discovery in remarkably different ways. What are those different paths, and how might they inform our understanding of the way God brings subjects into His kingdom? Let us take a few moments to consider them.
The Unexpected Discovery
One of the interesting things to note about the first man is that he was not looking for treasure. As Jesus tells the story, he simply comes across it while working in a field. What began as an ordinary day became the day that changed his life forever.
Many Christians can testify to a similar experience. Perhaps they attended church because a friend invited them. Maybe they reluctantly accompanied a spouse, wandered into a Bible study, picked up a Bible out of curiosity, or happened to hear a sermon while scrolling online. They were not consciously seeking Christ, yet Christ, in His sovereign grace, was seeking them.
The Scriptures provide many examples of this kind of gracious interruption. Moses was tending sheep when God appeared in the burning bush. Matthew was collecting taxes when Jesus called him to follow. Saul of Tarsus was on his way to persecute Christians when the risen Christ confronted him on the Damascus Road. None of these men expected their lives to be transformed that day, but God had ordained otherwise.
Sometimes the King brings people into His kingdom through unexpected providences that forever alter the course of their lives.
The Deliberate Search
The second man could hardly be more different. He is a merchant whose livelihood consists of searching for fine pearls. He has spent years evaluating what is valuable, always believing there might be something greater yet to be found. Then one day he discovers the pearl that surpasses every other treasure.
Many believers identify with this path. Some spend years wrestling with life’s deepest questions. They read philosophy, investigate other religions, study history, or carefully examine the claims of Christianity. Others diligently search the Scriptures, seeking answers until they finally discover that Christ is the One for whom they have been longing.
The Ethiopian eunuch searching Isaiah, Cornelius praying and seeking after God, Augustine’s restless pursuit of truth, and C. S. Lewis’s intellectual journey all remind us that God often works through seasons of earnest searching before bringing sinners to Himself.
Even then, it is not human wisdom that saves. Rather, God graciously reveals the treasure that had been there all along.
Different Paths, One Treasure
Although these two men arrive by different roads, their response is identical. Each recognizes the incomparable worth of what he has found. Each joyfully parts with everything else. Each gladly obtains the treasure.
That is true of every genuine conversion. Testimonies vary greatly, but Christ never does. Some can point to a dramatic moment when the Lord arrested their lives. Others cannot remember a day when they did not trust Christ because they were raised in covenant homes and gradually embraced the promises that had been held before them since infancy.
Some stumble into the field.
Others search for the pearl.
In the final analysis, all who enter the kingdom do so by God’s gracious initiative.
God Uses Means
These twin parables also remind us that God delights to use ordinary circumstances to accomplish His extraordinary purposes.
He uses faithful parents who teach their children the Scriptures from their earliest days.
He uses pastors who faithfully preach the gospel week after week.
He uses Christian friends who invite neighbors to worship.
He uses conversations over coffee, Bible studies, books, suffering, questions, acts of kindness, and countless providential encounters.
Yet behind all of these stands the ordinary ministry Christ has given to His Church. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 88, reminds us:
“The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption, are his ordinances, especially the Word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.”
None of these means possess saving power in themselves. Rather, the Holy Spirit is pleased to use them according to God’s sovereign will. That truth should encourage every believer. We never know how the Lord may use a simple invitation to worship, a faithful conversation, or the consistent ministry of His Word to draw someone into His kingdom.
Faithfully Scatter the Seed
Whether your testimony resembles the laborer who unexpectedly found the treasure or the merchant who spent years searching for the pearl, your story ultimately points to the same reality: God graciously brought you into His kingdom.
That reality should fill us with confidence in our own calling. The King continues to gather His subjects. He continues to send His servants into the highways and hedges. He continues to use ordinary people and the ordinary means He has appointed to accomplish extraordinary ends.
So keep inviting your neighbors.
Keep discipling your children.
Keep opening the Scriptures with family and friends.
Keep praying for those who seem uninterested and those who are earnestly searching.
Somewhere today, someone is unknowingly walking through the field.
Someone else is still searching for the pearl.
By God’s sovereign grace, both may soon discover the incomparable treasure of the kingdom.