The Pearl of Great Price

Scripture

Matthew 13:45-46

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; ⁴⁶ on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Devotion

Matthew 13 is full of little similes for the King-dom of Heaven.  It is like a mustard seed, a woman leavening her bread, a man finding a hidden treasure in a field, and a net full of fish.  In today's passage, the Kin-dom of Heaven is like a merchant who gives up everything he has in order to buy the perfect pearl.

From a business perspective, this parable make no sense.  Merchants make a profit by buying low and selling high, but this one has put themselves out of business to buy a single, spectacular item.  There is also no indication that the merchant plans to resell this amazing pearl.  Instead, their entire focus is on acquiring it.  Everything else life has to offer pales in comparison to this one item that the merchant has been searching for and finally found.  They will give up anything and everything in order to obtain it. 

Like the merchant who eventually finds the pearl of great value, we spend our lives seeking the Kin-dom of Heaven.  When we finally find it, Christ calls us to sacrifice all the lesser things that this world has taught us to value in order to obtain it.  It is a hefty price tag.  Christ calls us to give up our money, privilege, and social standing in order to be friends to the poor, oppressed, and vulnerable.  Some of our long-held beliefs and biases have to change.  We may even find that some of our relationships and favorite pastimes cannot survive the transition.  Simply put, Christ requires our willingness to put everything we have and everything we understand ourselves to be on the line in hopes of receiving something greater.

So what do we get in return for our willingness to put it all on the line for the Kin-dom of God?  Only everything that really matters.  We don't need power and privilege, because in the Kin-dom of God each and every person is valued just as God made them.  Justice, mercy, and forgiveness flow in a never-ending stream.  Peace and love rule the day.  Those who find themselves there rejoice in the presence of the God of Heaven and Earth.

When we worry that the cost of the Kin-dom of Heaven may be too high, we can turn to Christ for our role model.  Jesus valued that Kin-dom so much that was willing to lay down his life for it.  His death and resurrection show us that when we commit to letting go of what the world tells us to value and instead seek to follow God's will, no power on Earth can stop the Kin-dom from coming. 

The cost of our commitment to Christ may be heavy at times, but what he gives us in return is of far greater value than our human minds can comprehend.  Through Christ, we experience God's grace and mercy at work in the world.  As we respond to that grace through our words and actions, we reflect the Kin-dom of Heaven, and God's presence in the world becomes more and more evident. 

Let us, then, be bold enough to pay the price that Jesus asks us to pay.    For it is when we are willing to give up anything that Christ offers us everything.  And on the great day when the Kin-dom of God is fully revealed, we will see that what we have received is of far greater value than all that we have sacrificed in order to obtain it.

Prayer

Jesus, there is no greater sacrifice than the one you made on our behalf.  We ask for your help in those moment when we cringe at what it costs us to help bring about the Kin-dom of Heaven.  May your example give us the wisdom, perseverance, and willingness to let go of the pursuit of worldy possessions and seek the priceless treasure that is found in following your way.  We look forward to the day when your Kin-dom is fully revealed.  Amen.