Approach: Reading a short passage, Matthew 13:44-46, about Jesus' Parable of the Hidden Treasure and Costly Pearl.

Hermeneutic objective: Recognizing that the adverb "again" connects two consecutive parables and exploring what Jesus intended with the comparison.

Theological objective: Jesus emphasizes the desirable worth of the kingdom of heaven. The laborer who accidentally finds the hidden treasure sells all that he has to buy the land. The merchant, who is seeking beautiful pearls, finds one so exquisite that he sells all that he has to buy it.

The pairing of the two parable juxtaposes two different types of people. In the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, a man accidentally discovers something valuable. In the Parable of Costly Pearl, the man is searching for something valuable. In like manner, one may hear of the Good News when he least expects it or when he might be searching for the truth amidst the marketplace of ideas.