The Standard January 24, 2026
The gospel writer Matthew relays several parables of Jesus in what later was demarcated as chapter 13. Usually, parables are relatable stories that have one main point, but might have a few layers of meaning. In this chapter, Jesus uses the word “joy” to describe the reaction of two different people to the message about the kingdom of heaven. The first is part of the parable of the sower:
“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.”
“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.” Matthew 13:1-6, 18-21
The person in the rocky ground scenario initially receives the message of the kingdom of heaven with joy. Sadly, the joy is short-lived; their faith has no roots. The receiver allows trouble or persecution to put an end to a life of following God.
Towards the end of the chapter Jesus says, “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.” Matthew 13:44
Unlike the one on rocky ground, this man receives God’s message with such deep joy that he sells everything to follow. He understands the immeasurable value of the kingdom and that everything else in life dims in comparison. His commitment is complete; there are no half measures.
In the time of Jesus, people often buried valuables to keep them safe. If one bought a piece of land, they were entitled to anything underneath the ground. The parable has nothing to do with what we today might think of as a moral question of buying land after finding a buried treasure. Jesus is showing the total devotion that should be our reaction once presented with the kingdom of heaven. We obtain it by grace through faith, and our natural response should be one of joyful gratitude. It is worth giving up everything to follow Christ. If we rarely give up anything for our faith, we might wonder if we truly are following as closely as we should.
celiastone 