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The parable of the hidden treasure

A man stumbles upon hidden treasure.
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The Parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matt. 13:44) depicts a scene that everyone listening to Jesus would likely have understood. We can picture a wealthy landowner in Galilee hearing the news of an invading army marching towards his estate. Scenes like this often happened during the days when Antiochus IV Epiphanes, king of the Seleucid Empire, persecuted the Jews in Judea and Samaria. And in the time of Jesus there were several revolts in Galilee and Judea led by Jewish Zealots that were brutally suppressed by the Romans. – Slide 1
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This wealthy landowner, fearing that his home would be raided and his wealth stolen, decides to bury his gold, silver, and treasure in the ground to hide them from the invading soldiers. He digs a hole and marks the location by noting nearby landmarks, such as trees and stone fences. – Slide 2
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The man hides his treasure in a terracotta jar and flees to a safer place, planning to return home when it is safe. Such burial of treasure was a common practice in the ancient Near East (cf. Matt. 25:25). Museums in the Middle East today often display these treasures and their jars, some of which remained buried for more than 2,500 years before they were discovered. – Slide 3
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After the landowner leaves home, we imagine enemy soldiers raiding it, unaware that his treasure is hidden in a nearby field. – Slide 4
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Years pass, and for whatever reason, the landowner never returns home. He may have been killed while fleeing, or he may have died in a foreign land while waiting for the enemy to leave. Either way, his treasure remains buried in the field. – Slide 5
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Years later, someone else owns the land. The new landowner hires a man to plough the fields. As he works, the hired servant hears the plough strike a clay jar and discovers the treasure inside. – Slide 6
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The hired servant had no legal obligation to inform the current landowner about what he found. Being an honest man, he does not steal the treasure. – Slide 7
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Knowing the immense worth of the treasure, he sells everything he has to buy the field. Under the law at that time, he was not required to tell the landowner what he had found. – Slide 8
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After lawfully buying the land, he rejoices in his newfound wealth. This parable depicts someone who ‘stumbled upon’ the gospel and, recognizing its immeasurable worth, does whatever it takes to obtain that treasure. – Slide 9
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Slide 10