Thematic Selections from the Bible

Mt 13:52

52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

This Matthean parable in 13:52 is one key parable and personally the parable means a great deal to me in the ministry. First, there is a calling to be a scribe. Scribes in those days were men of letters and experts of the Law and the Scripture generally. In today’s term, a scribe is a biblical scholar. So there is still hope for scholars in God’s kingdom. Note that Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel says this, “I will send to you prophets, wise men and scribes… (Matt 23:34). This verse together with Matt 13:52 should warn us not to be anti-scholarship. There is a section in the Church today that is anti-intellectual and those who have advance degrees in the Bible have been subjected to unfair criticism. Matt 13:52 provides a corrective to that.

First, a scribe is one who is trained for the kingdom of God. If we are called to be scholars we must go through a process of learning not unlike Daniel who is said to be intelligent and knowledgeable in many branches of knowledge. Yet Daniel had to go through three years at “the University of Babylon” before he served the king.

Second, in the Matthean parable after the scribe is trained he will be like the master of a household who brings out his treasure what is new and what is old. Simply put, the scribe is someone experienced in Scripture, both the Old and the New Testaments and he is able to draw from the new as well as the old and use them correctly and appropriately as the situation demands. It also means I think a scribe must be an experienced person who is conversant with the traditions of the Church (the old) but yet remain open to what is new in the Word of God as there is still much treasure to gain from the Bible if we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. Our speech and preaching thus must be relevant to the modern world by taking what is new as well as what is old. For example, when we preach from the Bible, it is important not just to explain what the Scripture meant in its historical context but also what it means today and how we can apply it in our world’s today, always seeking to meet the needs of God’s people and providing them with wisdom and directions in life.