Parable of the Hidden Treasure and Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

    • Matthew 13:44-46, Sproul - 5, Mohler - 15, MacArthur - 3

  • Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

  • Matthew 13:45–46 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, [46] who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

    • Parable of the Mustard Seed - Matt 13:31-32, Mk 4:30-32, Lk 13:18-19 - Mohler 15

Matthew 13:31–32 “He put another parable before them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. [32] It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’”

    • Parable of the Leven - Matthew 13:33, Luke 13:20-21 - Mohler - 15

Matthew 13:33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”

    • Parable of the Net - Matthew 13:47-50 - Mohler - 15

Matthew 13:47–50 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. [48] When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. [49] So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous [50] and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Discussion Questions:

  • Why do you think Jesus shares these specific parables together in Matthew 13?

  • How was Jesus’ coming initially small and less noticeable like a mustard seed? How was this different than what the Jewish people and leaders were looking for?

  • How does Jesus’ kingdom grow and expand in amazing ways? Serve as a place of rest and protection?

  • How is the growth of Jesus’ kingdom also a long process of spreading?

  • What are some of the ways God describes the fulfillment of his Kingdom? What gets you excited about Heaven? How do the ends of these parables encourage you? Challenge you?

  • What sort of major purchases do we make? What kind of thoughts do we process as we make such a purchase?

  • How did you experience “joy” when you first understood and received the Gospel of Jesus? How did your priorities change when you first became a Christian? Why do we need to regularly reevaluate our priorities?

Helpful Resources:

  • Rightnow Media: The Parables of Jesus by R.C. Sproul

  • What Do Jesus’ Parables Mean? By R.C. Sproul

  • Tell Me the Stories of Jesus: The Explosive Power of Jesus’ Parables by R. Albert Mohler Jr.

  • Parables: The Mysteries of God’s Kingdom Revealed through the Stories Jesus Told by John MacArthur