Theophylact Bulgarian. Interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 13:44. The Kingdom of Heaven is also like a treasure hidden in the field, which, having found, a person hid, and out of joy goes about it and sells everything that he has, and buys that field.
The field is the world, the treasure is the preaching and knowledge of Christ. It is hidden in the world. “We preach wisdom,” says the Apostle Paul, “hidden” (1 Cor. 2: 7). The seeker of knowledge about God finds him and everything that he has - whether Hellenic teachings, or bad manners, or riches, immediately throws and buys a field, that is peace. For he who knows Christ has peace for his own: having nothing, he possesses everything. The elements are his slaves, and he commands them, like Jesus or Moses.
Matthew 13:45. The Kingdom of Heaven is also like a merchant seeking good pearls,
Matthew 13:46. who, finding one pearl of great value, went out and sold everything he had and bought it.
The sea is real life, merchants are those who carry through this sea and seek to acquire some knowledge. Many pearls are the opinions of many sages, but of them only one is of great value - one truth, which is Christ. It is said about pearls that it is born in a shell, which opens the tiles, and lightning falls into it, and when it closes them again, pearls are born in them from lightning and from dew, and therefore it happens very white - so Christ was conceived in the Virgin from above from lightning - the Holy Spirit. And just as the one who possesses pearls and often holds it in his hand, one only knows what kind of wealth he owns, while others do not know, so preaching is hidden in the unknown and the simpletons. So, one must acquire this pearl, giving everything for it.
Matthew 13:47. The Kingdom of Heaven is also like a net cast into the sea and capturing all kinds of fish,
Matthew 13:48. which, when it was full, they dragged ashore and sat down, gathered the good in vessels, but threw the bad away.
Matthew 13:49. So it will be at the end of the age: angels will go forth and separate the wicked from among the righteous,
Matthew 13:50. and they will cast them into a fiery furnace: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
This parable is terrible, because it shows that if we believe, but do not have a good life, then we will be thrown into the fire. The seine is the teaching of the fishermen-apostles, which is woven from signs and prophetic testimonies, for whatever the apostles taught, they backed it up with miracles and the words of the prophets. So, this net gathered from all kinds of people - barbarians, Greeks, Jews, fornicators, tax collectors, robbers. When it is full, that is, when the world has finished its existence, then those in the net are divided. For even though we believed, if we prove to be bad, we will be thrown out. Not the same will be stacked in vessels, I mean, eternal dwellings. Every action, good or evil, they say, is the food of the soul, for the soul also has mental teeth. So, the soul will gnash with them then, crushing its active forces for doing this.
Matthew 13:51. And Jesus asked them: Have you understood all this? They say to Him: so, Lord!
Matthew 13:52. He said to them: therefore, every scribe who has been taught the Kingdom of Heaven is like a master who brings out the new and the old from his treasury.
See how parables have made them more thoughtful. Those who in other respects are not understanding and not taught, understood what was said unclear. Praising them for this, the Savior says: 'therefore every scribe' and so on. He calls them scribes, as taught by the law. But although they were taught the law, they did not remain with the law, but they learned the kingdom, that is, the knowledge of Christ, and received the opportunity to wear out the treasures of both the Old and the New law. The owner is Christ, as the rich one, for in Him are the treasures of wisdom. He, teaching new things, then brought in this way testimonies from the Old Testament. So, He said: 'You will answer for an idle word' - this is new; Then he gave a testimony: 'With your words you will be justified and condemned' - this is the old, the apostles are like Him, for example, Paul, who says: 'Imitate me as I am Christ' (1 Cor. 4:16).
Matthew 13:53. And when Jesus finished these parables, went from there.
Matthew 13:54. And when he came to his fatherland, he taught them in their synagogue,
“These parables” he said, because the Lord was going to speak after a while and others. He passes over in order to benefit others by His presence. Under His fatherland, mind Nazareth, for in it He was nourished. In the synagogue, however, he teaches in a public place and freely for the purpose that later they would not be able to say that He taught something illegal.
