The Valuable Pearl:
Matthew 13:45-46Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Thoughts about serving others
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Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.
Jesus switches from agricultural references to speak to the business people in the audience, the merchants. We have an expectation for those who are successful in business, we expect they know a good thing when they see it, either by intuition or experience. Whatever the case, we tend to listen to their advice because of their success. Here Jesus points to a merchant who apparently knows a good thing and goes after it with everything he has. This isn’t surprising, it’s what they do.
What is surprising is that we have something more valuable than any pearl, more than any jewel or simply any thing–we have the gift of hope in Jesus Christ. The question is this, do we act like we have something so valuable? Something worth selling everything to get? The age of skepticism keeps us from jumping in completely. We know the wise saying, “only a fool tests the depth of water with both feed.” But is this the right approach when it comes to salvation?
Perhaps the key is this: the merchant is looking for pearls. We can preach until we’re old and tired, but if no one is looking for spiritual healing, we won’t find much success. Â Fortunately, the Holy Spirit is there to move the hearts and minds of the most stubborn so we don’t have to. We must have faith that God’s word will not return void, that someone is looking, someone is seeking. We must remain faithful and follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit wherever it leads.