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. Matt 13:45-46 (ESV)

Bought the Pearl of Great Value – Part 4

Go to  PART 1  |  PART 2  |  PART 3

The Merchant embarked on a quest. He dreamt of trading in pearls… strands of them! He could make a lot of money and live an extravagant life if he became the merchant known for exquisite pearls. They would take his business to the next level. He made a plan, set things in order and searched the world to find them.

Then something unexpected happened… he came across something he had never even dreamed of, and it captured not just his attention, but his soul. What he found overtook his desire for trade; buying and selling. One magnificent pearl with beauty that effortlessly exceeded all others.

Everything changed.

He wanted this pearl. It became more valuable to him than anything he already had in his possession. So, he sold it ALL. Not just his wares, not just his business… EVERYTHING. He liquidated and bought the pearl, that to him, was of supreme value. He walked away from this final transaction, a changed man. He was no longer a trader of wares or a seeker of treasures. For he had found his treasure and had bought it with all that he had and walked away a man transformed.

The merchant found what he wanted. The funny thing is, he didn’t really know that he wanted it until he found it. And the finding, selling, and purchasing; this act reframed everything. Both his past and what he used to hold dear, and his plans for the future. You can't be a merchant without having anything to sell. And he had no intention of parting ways with his pearl. When he bought that, he said goodbye to his old life and embraced a new one. The magnitude of this transformation is crucial; the merchant had a complete inward and outward identity change.

This is what being in the Kingdom of Heaven is like.

BUT WAIT – before we get all warm and fuzzy, let’s think about the practicalities of this parable.

It's not like Jesus was telling a parable that set up the challenge for his audience to pursue whatever was helpful or needed or acceptable in the community. This parable is not like “The Good Samaritan, ” or the “Lost Son.”

We have a man in a questionable profession, seeking an excessive luxury item that could feed all the poor in his town for a long time. AND in his quest, he didn’t find what he set out to look for. But, when he found the one pearl that changed everything for him, he risked everything he had for it; an item of no practical worth, to him or anyone else. A pearl, for goodness sake!

At this point, the merchant becomes counter culture. He has determined his own treasure. His value of the pearl hasn't been impressed upon him by anyone else; not the government, his peers, or even his religious community.

Perhaps it was a resurrected desire – planted within him long ago and buried deep by years of going through the motions. Or, perhaps it was a heavenly whisper, a spiritual resonance the moment his eyes caught sight of the pearl. Whatever it was, something changed in the heart of that man when he saw that pearl.

The merchant was able to recognise what was truly valuable to him, and then, he had the courage to do what he needed to do to obtain it. As EE Cummings said, “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”

Will we know what we truly desire when we see it?

Are we willing to step aside from all that we already have to gain what we really want?

Go to Part 5 – Dream Come True »
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