Matt.13:45,46 – 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.

This short parable about the pearl is quite telling, it speaks of what our soul values. Henry Scougal said that you can judge the excellency of a man’s soul when you discover the things he values. Jesus is describing a merchant who searched the world for what he considered the most valuable possession he could possess. He was searching for the proverbial pearl of great price. What is that pearl in your world? Jesus describes the converted soul as the one who is pursuing the greatest of all treasures, Christ Himself. Here is how Barclay describes this costly pearl.

“IN the ancient world, pearls had a very special place in people’s hearts. They desired to possess a lovely pearl, not only for its money value, but also for its beauty. They found a pleasure in simply handling it and contemplating it. They found an aesthetic joy simply in possessing and looking at a pearl. The main sources of pearls in those days were the shores of the Red Sea and far-off Britain itself; but a merchant would scour the markets of the world to find a pearl which was of surpassing beauty. There are certain most suggestive truths hidden in this parable. It is suggestive to find the kingdom of heaven compared to a pearl. To the ancient peoples, as we have just seen, a pearl was the loveliest of all possessions; that means that the kingdom of heaven is the loveliest thing in the world.”

What is your pearl that you are willing to forsake all other treasures in order to acquire? In this story Jesus is saying that He is that pearl of great price. To the average soul with no spiritual perception Christ and His kingdom may be part of their life but if they were to be honest something else holds the chief place. Our value system has been twisted by our fallen nature, we value temporal things over the eternal things because eternal treasures are just a concept, not a reality to the ordinary person. It is in conversion that this changes, Jesus becomes our treasure and we are willing to forsake everything else for the pleasure we find in the riches of Christ. It’s not a sacrifice to sell all that you have for the pearl, everything else will be gone soon but Christ endures forever.