Note 1 at Mt 13:44: The interpretation of this parable is this: the field is the world (Mt 13:38), the man buying the field is God, the treasure is the true believers in Christ, and the price that is paid is the very life of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus saw, through His foreknowledge (Ro 8:29 and Eph 1:4), a remnant of people who would receive Him as Lord. Therefore, "for the joy that was set before him," He endured the cross (Heb 12:2) and purchased us unto Himself with His own blood (Ac 20:28). He purchased the whole world (all mankind - 1Jo 2:2), but not everyone will receive what He did. Therefore, the church is hidden (scattered among the world) today. At the end of this world, the Lord will remove His treasure (1Th 4:16-17) out of the world, and then the world and those in it who chose not to become a part of His treasure will be burned up (2Pe 3:10).

Many people interpret this parable as representing us selling all that we have to purchase eternal life. It is certainly true that Bible salvation involves total commitment on our part (Mt 19:21; Lu 5:11, and 14:33), but that is not the point of this parable. It is important that we rightly divide the Word of truth (2Ti 2:15) and do not intentionally misapply Scripture regardless of how accurate the point is that we are trying to make.