Matthew 13:44-52 constitutes the last section of the Parables of the Kingdom. Here, the kingdom is compared to a treasure in the field (v. 44), a pearl of great price (vv. 45-46) and a dragnet that catches a great number of fish (vv. 47-50). The last part, vv. 51-52 concludes the section proper with a congratulary note to those who understand the parables. Verse 53 (excluded from the Sunday reading selection) is the narrative conclusion.
The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like...
Jesus, like a good teacher explains two parables out of seven and leaves the students to discern the meaning of the rest. The parables about the wheat and the tares, and these three later parables belong to Matthew's tradition, as well as the saying about the scribe (vv. 51-52). This indicates a certain consistency among these parables. While the parable of the wheat and the tares speaks of the mixture of sinners and saints within the community of faith and their final separation on the day of judgment (the harvest), the parable of the dragnet speaks of the Kingdom being opened to all indiscrimintely (the varieties of fish). It is on judgment day when the bad and good fish are once separated. If these two parables are taken as outer frames that contain the parables of the treasure and the pearl then we get a central portion that explains the way one gets included among the good fish, in much the same way as in the previous section of the wheat and the tares, the yeast and the mustard seed show how the kingdom works while hidden.
The Parables of the Kingdom: Discovered and Purchased
The parables about the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price indicate a kingdom that is discovered. The man who digs in a field discovers the treasure while working in a field; the merchant finds the pearl of great price as he goes about looking for pearls to buy and sell afterwards. The way the kingdom is discovered can be by chance (the man digging in a field) or by intent (the merchant seeking pearls). In both cases, the men who discover the kingdom gave "up all they had" so that they can purchase their discovery.
The theme of giving up something for the kingdom is echoed in Jesus' pronouncements specifically in the story of the rich young man, in the call of the disciples ("they left everything they had"). It is also alluded to in his statements about not getting anxious about food and clothes. But more strongly, Jesus emphasizes that those who wish to follow him must give up father, mother, brothers and sisters for his sake and that of the gospel. The parables of the treasure and the field and that of the pearl of great price, therefore, encapsulates Jesus' teaching on the cost of discipleship. The disciples give up something so that they can acquire something of greater price: the kingdom of heaven.
The Parable of the Dragnet
We have already mentioned that the last parable in the series is similar to the one about the wheat and the tares because of the elements of the mixture of good and bad, and their separation at the end of time. Perhaps this is also the wheat and the tares re-expressed for the fishing folk in towns like Caphernaum. When fishermen bring in the haul, they lay the fish out onto the beach where those to be sold (the good ones) are separated from those which can be used at home or discarded (if not suitable for use, the bad ones). Between the end of the catch and the return of the fishing boats to the beach, there is a time when all the fish are together. Following the idea in the previous parable on the wheat and the tares, this would characterize the time of the Church, when both sinners and saints are mixed up, so to speak, in a boat. It is also the time when fishes become stale. Unlike in the parable of the wheat and the tares where the weeds come from seeds planted by the Enemy, here, time itself becomes the factor. Fishes die during the trip back to the beach and become unfit either for the market or the home. They are like Christians who "in time" prove themselves unfit because of their refusal to give up something for the sake of the Kingdom.
Finally, the expression "weeping and gnashing of teeth" is found 4 other times outside Matthew 13. In Matthew 8:12, it is found in the context of Jesus' wonderment over a centurion's faith. In this statement, Jesus mentions the sons of the kingdom -- perhaps an allussion to Christians who have lost their faith -- who will not take part in the banquet of the kingdom and will be included among those weeping and gnashing their teeth. In Matthew 22:13, the context is the parable about a banquet where a king finds a man who is not dressed for the occassion and who would not speak when addressed by the king. He is thrown outside of the banquet and included among those who weep and gnash their teeth. In 24:51, the saying is applied to the servants whom their master finds not doing what they are supposed to do. Finally, in 25:30, the statement is applied to those who have not treated the "little ones" as they should. These occurences shed light on the meaning of the same phrase as they appear in the Parable of the Kingdom. The tares and the bad fish will take their place among the sons of the kingdom who do not have the faith of the centurion, with the one who did not wear the proper clothes for the banquet, the irresponsible servants and those who have not loved Christ in the members of His Body, the Church.
The Scribe
The last part of the selection (Matthew 13:51-52) is a concluding dialogue between Jesus and his disciples. It is similar to the conclusion of the day's class. Here, Jesus, in the manner of a wise man, gives his congratulary note in a parable. In effect, he is saying that those who "understand' should now, like the good scribe, hand on what they have heard.
Scribes are writers. They have been trained to hand on the tradition of the Rabbis to future generations. Scribes were to be found in the circles of the Pharisees who interpreted the Torah. The scribes recorded these interpretations meticulously for future reference. They were known for their memory and their fidelity to what was heard. That scribes are compared to the father of the household who is able to get both new and old from his stockroom. Both these images are combined for the disciple who must now be able to hand on to future generations what they have learned from their Master and Teacher.
