Which is Better, Old Treasure or New Treasure? Matthew 13:52.

Which is more valuable–old treasure or new treasure?

Imagine a visit to a wealthy couple we will call Mr. and Mrs. Howell. They live in a three-story mansion with Greek columns and dormer windows. Once inside, a remark about an autographed baseball jersey leads to stories about favorite possessions, and suddenly our hosts decide to show off a few things.

Mrs. Howell begins with her latest acquisition, a re-designed wedding ring with a larger diamond and rubies for each grandchild. Then the two point out a wall of framed photos of family. Next is new china and a silver service.

Then Mr. Howell remembers some heirloom silver packed away on the third floor. The Howells call the huge room the “attic,” but it has windows and a sparkling wood floor. There are cardboard boxes holding decades of quality. Before Mr. Howell can find the inherited silver, he spots a bag of old hickory golf clubs designed by the great Ben Hogan. That leads to a box of vinyl albums from the 1960s. Across the room someone spots a pair of Jordans in an acrylic display case. Mr. H. tries to explain, “there’s quite a story there—” but he is interrupted.

Soon, it’s a cascade of one amazing item after another. Some of the treasures are old, some new, but the torrent of treasures keeps flowing.

So, which is more valuable? The old stuff or the new stuff? What if you had to pick: the new diamond ring and the Jordans, or the antique golf clubs and the silver service?

Fortunately, you do not have to pick. Old treasures are amazing, and the story—the “provenance”—behind each adds to the value. But new treasures can be also be priceless. There’s no reason to prefer one to the other when you can have BOTH.

My friend C.J. loves the New Testament. He says, “I’m not really an Old Testament guy….” The trouble is, C.J. takes his emphasis on freedom and grace pretty far, arguing—for example—that “Jesus never told anyone to memorize scripture.” My response is that Jesus never told anyone to cover up when it starts raining either, because some things go without saying.

But C.J. is not alone. Many Christians consider the Old Testament optional. They may sit through a sermon on Nehemiah, but never read the book on their own. That is a mistake. Jesus encouraged us to master the old and the new:

“Every expert in the law who has been trained as a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings out of storage treasures both new and old” Matthew 13:52. 

What is an “expert in the law”? It is an expert on the Old Testament. What is a “disciple in the kingdom of Heaven”? That is a disciple of Jesus, one who will  live under the New Testament.

Jesus is saying if an expert on the Old Testament (such as Saul of Tarsus) were to become a disciple in the kingdom of Heaven (as when Saul became Paul), then he would possess the treasures of both the Old and the New, of both law and grace. Clearly, Jesus is encouraging that. The Living Bible puts it more plainly:

“Those experts in Jewish law who are now my disciples have double treasures—from the Old Testament as well as the New!” Matthew 13:52.

Read, study, and master the New Testament.  But master the Old Testament as well. There are treasures in both. God gave us the whole Bible. Make it your goal to understand and benefit from all of it.

ΑΩ

• Pictured is my idea of “the perfect house,” the plantation home facing the Mississippi River and known as Oak Alley, in Vacherie, Louisiana.