The Pearl of Great Price

 

[Jesus said] “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:44-45 ESV).

 

Today we will return to the parables of Jesus. He was a master storyteller, and the parables He told were ingeniously simple word pictures with profound spiritual lessons. Understanding the parables is important for any believer. They reveal various aspects of what we have come to call “the kingdom of God.” This is a catch-phrase that is very broad. It is used when Jesus is teaching what life ought to look like for the believer. It details both behavior and belief. Today we will begin by looking at what has come to be known as “The Pearl of Great Price” which is also found in the reading today (v. 45).

 

Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a hidden treasure or a precious pearl. It’s ours, and we have done nothing to earn it. Salvation, eternal life, the overwhelming presence of Jesus in our life is a free treasure that we came upon without any effort on our part. It would be the definition of a “serendipity.”

 

Other rabbis told stories that sounded like these parables of Jesus, but the treasure was always a reward for doing a good work or keeping the laws like the Sabbath. One such parable found in the ancient writings told a story about a man named Abba Judah. He was a charitable man who sold half of his field and gave the money to the rabbis. In return, they prayed that he would be blessed. When he plowed the rest of the field, his ox fell and broke a leg. But when he bent down to help the ox, he discovered a treasure of jewels. He only found the treasure because he did an act of mercy and the rabbis prayed for him. In another story about a man named Joseph, it tells how he observed the Sabbath with utmost care. Near him lived an unbeliever who owned a pearl of exceptional value. While the unbeliever was traveling over a bridge, a great gust of wind knocked the pearl into the river where it was eaten by a fish. On the eve of the Sabbath Joseph bought this fish from a fisherman. When he prepared the Sabbath dinner, he discovered the pearl that would make him very wealthy.

 

The treasure that Jesus offers does not demand strict piety, good works, or acts of devotion. It’s free. Life in the kingdom of God is so valuable that it’s worth sacrificing anything for. That is the mystery of life with Jesus — free, but priceless. It is no wonder that the people were speechless in the hearing of these stories. We should be also!