The parables of the treasure and the pearl warn us that the Kingdom is so important and so valuable that everybody must give it absolute priority. Discoveries of treasure were a favourite theme of ancient stories. The emphasis or the point is rather the joy which a disciple experiences in finding the Kingdom of God. This involves a willingness to give up everything else for it. To surrender some self interest in order to buy something much greater. A similar message is found in the parable of the pearl. Pearls were highly valuable in the ancient world, and could achieve fantastic prices. Again the main feature is joy, a passion to seek something of great value!

The parable of the dragnet is not unlike that of the darnel or the weeds which was found in Matthew alone. It emphasizes that membership of the Church here on earth is not a guarantee that we will reach the goal of God's Kingdom. Matthew who loves warning his community seems to have placed this parable last because of his worry and fear that the new scribes of his community might prove as superficial as Solomon or many of the wise people of the Jewish community. He has Jesus ask his community 'Have you understood all this?'