We hinted at it on Monday—today, let’s take it apart.

It’s easy to assume these three verses are two illustrations of the same

truth: the value of the Kingdom. In the first, a man finds a treasure, hides

it, then sells everything to buy the field. The Kingdom is shown as a

treasure of great worth.

But our friend Cecil May often reminded us, “Well-known verses should

be read more carefully.”

I imagine most of us have, at some point, dreamed of discovering a

treasure—a distant royal relative who leaves us a fortune, an old lottery

ticket we find on the ground that turns out to be the big jackpot, a dusty

painting in the attic revealed to be the work of a now-famous artist, or a

document hiding a mint-worthy Declaration of Independence, or a clever

invention that suddenly fills our pockets.

In Matthew 13:34-35, we read in part, “All these things Jesus said to the

crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable…”

Consider the strength of that statement! Sometimes preachers are criticized

for being “story-tellers.” While stories can sometimes distract from the main

message, we must never forget that Jesus used many of them. He knew—as

every good communicator knows—that people connect through stories. A

well-told parable can carry truth deeper than direct instruction. Stories

linger where facts may fade. They worked then, and they work now.