The Pearl Of Great Price

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it" (Matt. 13:45-46). This is just one of the many parables Jesus used in teaching His disciples about the kingdom of heaven. Contained within this parable are two elements essential for anyone interested in obtaining God' kingdom.

Notice first that the merchant was actively seeking fine pearls. All too often we expect blessings to just fall on our laps. To the dismay of some, obtaining treasure requires work, dedication, time and energy. This is especially true when one is interested in obtaining the Lord's treasure. The psalmist David expressed his desire for the Lord by writing, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God" (Psalm 42:1). David recognized the Lord as the giver of life. Much like our physical body requires food and water as sustenance for life, our soul requires the Lord and his word for survival.

Are you actively seeking the Lord? To what are you dedicating your time and energy? We are so easily entangled in the affairs of our physical lives. We have so many distractions in today's world and society that the Lord can easily take a back seat to other interests. Maybe you dedicate all of your energy to your job and find it difficult to fit the Lord into your busy work schedule. Maybe school and homework take up all of your time. You might spend all of your time with friends, working on hobbies, or playing games or sports. Any of these distractions can keep you from seeking the real treasure of the Lord.

If you make the effort to find the Lord He will not hide from you. "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened" (Matt. 7:7-8).

Now take note of the second element of this parable. "And upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it" (v. 46). The merchant was willing to sacrifice everything in order to obtain the one pearl.

Consider the story of the rich young ruler found in Matthew 19. This young man was seeking the kingdom and asked Jesus, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?" Jesus responded by telling him, "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." The young ruler had been keeping the commandments all of his life. So he asked Jesus what else was required of him. Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." "But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved; for he was one who owned much property." What happened? The treasure that this man had been seeking all of his life was within his reach. The Lord Himself offered it to him. Why then would he walk away and leave it behind? The answer is that he was unwilling to make the needed sacrifice. This man obviously placed too much importance on his material possessions. Jesus knew this and challenged him to give them up. Unfortunately, he was unwilling. There was corruption in his heart that stood between him and his treasure. After telling this story Jesus then told his apostles that "everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, shall receive many times as much, and shall inherit eternal life" (v29).

I believe the key to sacrifice lies within the realm of priorities. It is simply a matter of what is most important to you. You will sacrifice the items on the bottom of your priority list in order to accommodate those on top. Where, then, does God appear on your list? Does He rank below entertainment, work, friends, wealth, family, or school? Does he show up on your list at all? I would suggest that if God is not permanently positioned on top of your list, He might as well not be on the list at all. Eventually He will just be bumped off in order to accommodate something else.

What is your pearl of great price? What are you doing in order to obtain it? Are you willing to make the appropriate sacrifices? I truly hope your top priority is the Lord. If not, I would strongly suggest making Him such. If you seek to do the Lord's will you will have treasure laid up for you in heaven. Don't allow yourself to be deterred by the temporary desires and distractions of this world. You can obtain a reward from the Lord far greater than anything found here on earth.