44 “The Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man happens to find a treasure hidden in a field. He covers it up again, and is so happy that he goes and sells everything he has, and then goes back and buys that field.
45 “Also, the Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man is looking for fine pearls, 46 and when he finds one that is unusually fine, he goes and sells everything he has, and buys that pearl.
47 “Also, the Kingdom of heaven is like this. Some fishermen throw their net out in the lake and catch all kinds of fish. 48 When the net is full, they pull it to shore and sit down to divide the fish: the good ones go into the buckets, the worthless ones are thrown away. 49 It will be like this at the end of the age: the angels will go out and gather up the evil people from among the good 50 and will throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will cry and gnash their teeth.
51 “Do you understand these things?” Jesus asked them.
“Yes,” they answered.
52 So he replied, “This means, then, that every teacher of the Law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who takes new and old things out of his storage room.”
Read Matthew 13:44-52 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!
The last parable to focus on the Kingdom of heaven in Matthew 13 is a very unique one. In some ways, it is more like a simple comparison rather than a parable in the typical sense. Matthew records Jesus wrapping up the conversation by saying, “This means, then, that every teacher of the Law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who takes new and old things out of his storage room.” (v. 52)
The final verse to describe God’s kingdom in this passage contains a few interesting features. First, it distinguishes a difference between a disciple in the Kingdom of heaven and a teacher of the Law. Jesus says a single person can be both, but by making the distinction, He tells us there is a clear difference, which makes it possible for someone to be only a disciple or only a teacher.
The way Jesus says this statement implies that while both roles are valuable, being a disciple in the Kingdom of heaven may be more important. It is possible Jesus is saying both roles are ideal to have, but if we could only have one, then a disciple of God’s kingdom is a better first focus.
But Jesus was living in a culture full of Law teachers, so instead of telling them to ignore what they know, Jesus invites them to expand what they know by joining His Kingdom. The “teacher of the Law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of heaven” is able to draw out connections between what God has said and done in the past with what He is currently doing in the present. The whole Old Testament record includes the theme of a coming Messiah; the entire Old Testament timeline ultimately points towards Jesus.
In this statement, Jesus does not tell those who have embraced Judaism to reject their past. Instead, He invites them to expand their knowledge. In a similar way, when God calls us, He doesn’t expect us to completely reject our past. When God calls us, it is an invitation to expand our knowledge and to grow closer to Him.
I believe that everyone’s past has some redeemable qualities, and only when we begin moving forward with God will we be able to better see the places in our history that God wants to use to help us reach and relate with others.
God invites us to become disciples in His Kingdom. When we do, He will teach us new things, and He will reveal new perspectives on old things. God mixes the new with the old and He is continually building on the truths He has revealed to us through the record and history of the Bible.
This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!
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