What is worth your whole life? Do you know anything so valuable that it’s worth giving up everything else for? How can you tell what’s truly precious in life?
Two of the shortest parables Jesus told are among the most powerful, and they address these very questions. Let’s take a peek at the very brief parables of the pearl and the hidden treasure.
What Is a Parable?
A parable is a simple story that uses everyday imagery to reveal deep spiritual truths. Jesus didn’t invent parables, but He was a master parable teller, using them to teach timeless lessons about God’s kingdom.
Parables invited listeners to lean in, reflect, and wrestle with what Jesus was really saying. For those with open hearts, these simple stories revealed deep spiritual truths. But for those who resisted, the meaning remained hidden.
Where Do the Parables of the Pearl and the Hidden Treasure Appear in Scripture?
The parables of the pearl and the hidden treasure appear in only one of the four gospels, in the New Testament of the Bible: Matthew 13:44-46.
A Parable of the Pearl and the Hidden Treasure Summary
Blink and you’d miss them—Jesus told these two short parables one after the other in just over 30 words each. So they don’t take long to summarize.
The parable of the hidden treasure: A person discovers some incredible treasure hidden in a field and decides to buy the whole piece of land just to secure the treasure.
The parable of the pearl: A merchant finds a really beautiful pearl—some translations call it a “pearl of great price”—and buys it.
Both people have to sell all they have in order to afford the goods.
Who’s Who in the Parables?
Every parable contains people, objects, or animals to which Jesus gives spiritual meaning. These two little parables are no different. So before we explore what these parables mean, we need to find out who and what each thing in these parables represents.
Jesus didn’t explain these two parables, so there are multiple ways to look at them, but here’s one way:
- Hidden treasure/pearl: These items represent the kingdom of heaven—knowing and following God.
- Man/merchant: The main characters represent people.
The Parables of the Pearl and the Hidden Treasure Explained
Coming to know and follow God is so valuable and life-changing that it’s worth giving up everything else for. The parables of the pearl and the hidden treasure illustrate that there’s nothing that can compare with the all-surpassing, inestimable value of being found in Christ and being a part of God’s family.
… Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2-3 NIV
The Context of the Parables of the Pearl and the Hidden Treasure
This parable wasn’t written to us, but it was spoken to real people in a real moment. Understanding that moment helps us see what Jesus meant more clearly.
7 Parables in a Row About the Kingdom of Heaven
We find the parables of the pearl and the hidden treasure in Matthew 13 near the end of a long string of other parables. First, Jesus told the parables of the sower, the weeds, the mustard seed, and the yeast. Then the parables of the pearl and the hidden treasure were followed up with the parable of the net.
In each of these seven parables in a row, Jesus tried to help His listeners understand this thing called “the kingdom of heaven.” Sounds like a nice long storytime, right?
Opposition to Jesus
But in the previous chapter, Matthew recounts serious opposition to Jesus and His mission: Religious leaders accused Jesus of breaking the law, looked for ways to bring a case against Him, asked Him insincere questions, spread rumors about Him being in league with the devil, and ultimately began plotting to kill Him.
Something Greater
Further on in Matthew 12, many people enjoyed miraculous physical and spiritual healing at the hands of Jesus, but then others immediately demanded more signs. Jesus responded that “something greater” was to be had. Something even “greater than Solomon,” which was really making a statement. Solomon had been king over the most splendid age of Israel:
All King Solomon’s goblets were gold … Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days. … King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 1 Kings 10:21-24 NIV
What a setup for talking about what makes for really valuable treasure!
The Value of Jesus’ Kingdom
By the end of chapter 12, even Jesus’ family seemed to misunderstand the value of His mission.
All of this leads straight into the seven parables describing “the kingdom of heaven” in Matthew 13. Jesus told the first four parables to crowds of people outside. The last three seem to have been spoken to His closer disciples in the more intimate environment inside a home.
The fact that Jesus invested so much time talking about the kingdom of heaven with different audiences shows how important it is. And the parables of the pearl and the hidden treasure explain the value most directly and succinctly.
At some point, Jesus’ disciples might have been wondering whether Jesus’ kingdom was worth all the troubles they could see coming. The religious leaders were very angry, to the point of breathing murderous threats. The crowds wanted more signs, and even Jesus’ family members weren’t confident in His mission.
So Jesus’ explanation of the surpassing value of the kingdom of heaven would have been acutely relevant to His disciples’ immediate situation, in which they had given up their former professions and homes to literally follow Jesus around, learn from Him, and wholeheartedly serve His purposes.
What the Parables of the Pearl and the Hidden Treasure Mean Now
What is Jesus saying to us today through the parables of the pearl and the hidden treasure?
The Motivation for the Exchange
Take a look at the motivation of the man who sold “all he had” to buy the field with the hidden treasure: He did it because of “his joy”! Likewise, why did the merchant sell “everything he had” to buy the fine pearl? It was the “great value” of the pearl that propelled him to do whatever was necessary to get it.
Knowing and following Jesus is the best thing that can ever happen to a person. It’s true treasure.
Is the Treasure Worth It All?
So is it worth giving up our ambitions, preferences, comfort, ego, status, wealth, time, and maybe even the respect of family members—or our very lives—in order to follow Jesus and be part of His kingdom? Yes! Knowing and following Jesus is the best thing that can ever happen to a person. It’s true treasure. Living for the kingdom of heaven is better than owning the biggest, most incredible pearl or a whole treasure chest full of jewels.
But perceiving the value of the treasure is key. Whether you’re looking for it (like the merchant searching for pearls) or happen upon it (like the guy in the field), this kind of treasure, when recognized, changes everything. And the only appropriate response is decisively giving up all lesser things in your excitement over the value of the discovery. The reward is way more than worth the cost.
Jesus: Our Treasure
Jesus is the King who gives us heavenly, eternal treasure: deep joy, perfect peace, full forgiveness, lasting hope, unending love, and passionate purpose. Jesus’ kingdom will never end, and it starts in your life as soon as you choose to surrender to Him. He offers eternal life. No one else can even come close to providing what Jesus can, now and forever. He is worth our all—our full commitment and devotion.
Here’s something else Jesus said about true treasure and where it can be found:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth ... But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven ... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 NIV
Another Interpretation: Jesus Bought the Field
Some scholars interpret these parables differently. Instead of the man and the merchant representing us giving up everything to follow Jesus, they could be an illustration of Jesus giving up everything for us! In that case, here’s what the objects in these parables would represent:
- Hidden treasure/pearl: These items would represent people—you and me.
- Man/merchant: The main characters would represent Jesus.
- Field: The setting would represent the world.
This would be consistent with how much God values us. He loves us enough to give up His own Son, paying for us with His life.
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32 NIV
… You are not your own; you were bought at a price. … 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV
It also makes sense to think of these parables this way because the main characters in the other parables in Matthew 13 also represent God: the various farmers sowing seeds and the fishermen sorting the fish. God is the protagonist of all the stories. And He calls His people “his treasured possession” (Deuteronomy 7:6).
Either way, these two particular parables show how priceless our salvation and our relationship with God are—to be treasured and not taken for granted.
3 Truths to Hold On to From the Parables of the Pearl and the Hidden Treasure
- The most valuable thing in the world is truly connecting with God, our Maker.
- Jesus is worth giving up our whole lives for—it makes sense to orient our lives around Him. And He gave up everything for us first.
- True joy is found in seeking and following Jesus.
Next Steps
- Consider this: Have you “bought the field”? Are you all in as you follow Jesus? What’s holding you back from prioritizing God in more areas of your life?
- Talk with God:
Jesus, thank You that You gave it all for me. You laid down Your life for my sake, to set me free from my sins and bring me close to Yourself. Fill me with the joy of knowing You! Help me see the incomparable value of being Yours. Show me which parts of my life You want me to reorient more fully toward You. Thank You for Your boundless love. - Take action: Are you investing more in the kingdom of heaven or your own kingdom? The goal is not perfection, but strengthening your focus on Jesus and His priorities, one day at a time. In what area of your life could you redirect some of your time, money, or attention so that it goes where it matters most? Is God prompting you to take a step toward serving, generosity, or loving others more?
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:18-19 NIV
Read the Parables for Yourself 📖
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:44-46 NIV