“How Important Is the Pearl to You?â€
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like this. A merchant looking out for fine pearls found one of very special value; so he went and sold everything he had and bought it.â€
(Matthew 13:45,46 REB)
The parable of The Pearl of Great Price raises a profound question, “How important is the pearl to you?†Since the entire context of Matthew 13 is about the kingdom, not to mention the preface to 13:45,46 being “kingdom†content, we are to understand, therefore, that this pearl is also about the kingdom.
Now, we know that the kingdom has specific content:
1. The kingdom is about people (Matt. 13:2)……………………………. Church
2. The kingdom is about the word of God (Matt. 13:23)……………… Bible
3. The kingdom is about the harvest (Matt. 13:39)…………………….. Service
Now, regarding Matthew 13:45,46 – the pearls are concretions formed within the bodies of certain mollusks, especially, Avicula margaritifera, found in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. But, we must keep in mind that we are in parabolic territory, where the point is not about what’s being pointed out, but, rather, about what the Master meant. And, what did Jesus mean here? If the merchant is Christ, the pearl is the church (see Tenney, ZPBD, 632). If, however, the merchant is a disciple (as we tend to think), then what is meant here is nothing short of the disciples’ commitment to obtain what is truly valuable in this world, and in the next.
Two lessons appear significant in this parable: (1) There is a cost to be made to
acquire the pearl, and (2) According to Jesus, the pearl is worth every cost involved.
So, with Jesus, we say: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful
pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and
bought it†(NKJV).
How important is the pearl to you– Church, Bible, Serving?
-Robert M. Housby