Saying 109: The Treasure in the Field
A man had a treasure buried in his field and knew nothing about it. He died and left the field to his son, who knew nothing either and sold it. The buyer ploughed, found the treasure, and began lending money at interest.
Commentary
Matthew’s finder sells everything to buy the field; Thomas’s stumbles on the treasure by accident and then becomes a moneylender — the very thing saying 95 forbids. Whether that ending is ironic is one of the collection’s open questions.
Parallels
Matthew 13:44
Sayings on the same themes
- Saying 95 Saying 95: Do Not Lend at Interest If you have money, do not lend it at interest; give it to someone who will not pay you back.
- Saying 97 Saying 97: The Jar of Meal The kingdom is like a woman carrying a jar of meal. The handle broke on the road and the meal spilled out…
- Saying 64 Saying 64: The Great Banquet A man invited guests to dinner; every one of them had business to attend to — debts to collect, a house to…
- Saying 35 Saying 35: Binding the Strong Man You cannot get into a strong man's house and take it by force without tying his hands first; then you can loot…
- Saying 20 Saying 20: The Mustard Seed The kingdom is like a mustard seed: the smallest of all seeds, but when it falls on worked ground it puts out…
- Saying 78 Saying 78: Why Did You Go Out to the Countryside? Why did you come out to the country — to see a reed shaken by the wind, or a man in soft…