"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

Discovery is exciting—whether it’s a world-changing scientific breakthrough or finding a forgotten £5 note in your coat pocket. Sometimes it’s planned, sometimes it’s a happy accident, but the joy of finding something valuable is universal. In life, we search for houses, holidays, jobs, and relationships, and when we finally find the right one, the excitement is real.

Jesus used parables to explain the Kingdom of Heaven, comparing it to hidden treasure or a precious pearl. One man stumbles across treasure in a field; a merchant searches and finds a pearl more valuable than he imagined. Both react with joy, selling everything else to claim it. The Kingdom of Heaven works the same way—its value surpasses all worldly ambitions and possessions. Discovering it isn’t about improving your life or following rules; it’s about recognising something so supremely valuable that everything else fades into the background.

Following Jesus is a radical reordering of life priorities. Unlike destructive obsessions, giving everything for God is safe and life-giving, because He is loving, compassionate, and trustworthy. The Kingdom transforms, restores, and renews. Jesus has already given everything for us—our response is to discover, delight, and respond in joy.

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

- Matthew 13:31-33

Jesus says the Kingdom is like a mustard seed and like yeast. Both start small, both look unimpressive, and both work on a timeline that doesn’t match our impatience. The Kingdom often begins as something you can barely name, a cautious “maybe,” a tiny prayer, a fragile step, but it grows into something with real presence. And it grows for a purpose. Not just “bigger,” but shelter. Branches where others can rest.

Yeast, meanwhile, is the change you can’t track while it’s happening. It disappears into the dough and quietly works through the whole batch. That’s how God often reshapes us. With a slow, deep transformation that eventually shows up in steadiness, humility, repentance, mercy.

So don’t despise small beginnings. And don’t panic in slow seasons. The Kingdom is already here, and not yet finished like living in a house mid-renovation.

Keep trusting the builder, keep showing up, and ask simply: “Jesus, plant your Kingdom in me.”

Listening to the words of the King

Parables are given to make us wise — to shape how we live, to train our character, to form us spiritually. This parable gives us the message of the kingdom so that we might hear, respond, and be fruitful. “Hearing” is central to this parable. In the language Jesus was telling this story, the word translated to hear also means to obey. That is no coincidence.

It’s possible to be physically present, religiously active, and spiritually closed. You can come on Sunday. You can hear sermons. You can read Scripture and still not really hear. Not because the message is unclear — but because the heart is guarded. We fear that listening too hard will draw our hearts to places we don’t want to go.

The crowd would have known there was meaning beneath the surface of what they heard but exactly what Jesus meant would not have been obvious The key turning point is verse 10: “The disciples came to him and asked, ‘Why do you speak to the people in parables?’” “Disciples” here does not mean only the Twelve. Anyone who wanted could come closer and ask. This is not a closed group. This is about attitude.

Those who come and ask are given more. Those who stay at a distance hear the stories — but do not really listen.

Jesus says: “Whoever has will be given more… whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” These two groups are self-selected.

This is not about intellectual ability. It is about receptivity.

They are not smarter.
They are not more moral.
They are not more religious

They are not more deserving.

They are simply willing.

Willing to listen.
Willing to be taught.
Willing to admit they don’t fully understand.

When people responded by seeking Jesus and wanting to understand more, he turned towards them and invited them to come even closer. When people stayed superficial, no further explanation was given. Not because Jesus wanted to hide — but because lack of receptivity prevented further progress. These parables are the King graciously telling us what the kingdom is really like.