GODLY PEARLS

1. What is a pearl?

a) The pearl is the oldest known gem, and for many centuries it was considered the most valuable. A hard, lustrous spherical mass, typically white or bluish-gray, formed within the shell of a pearl oyster or other bivalve mollusk and...

b) Historic meaning of the various pearl colors:

i) White (Symbol of purity).

ii) Rose, Pink (Symbol of love).

iii) Golden (Symbol of wealth).

iv) Peacock Green (Symbol of romance).

v) Sapphire Blue (Symbol of eternity).

vi) Black (Symbol of dignity).

2. Are pearls mentioned in the Bible?

a) Yes.

i) 45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. (Matthew 13:45, 46 KJV)

3. Why did Jesus use 'godly pearls' in relation to the kingdom of heaven?

a) The Lord Jesus says that the kingdom of God can be compared to a merchant. This businessman was in search of pearls, of fine pearls. One day, in the course of normal business, he spots one particular pearl. It is the finest pearl he has ever seen! He knows that this is a chance of a lifetime. He has to get that pearl. After evaluating his assets and making all kinds of calculations, he decides to sell all his belongings in order to buy that one perfect pearl.

b) In the times of Jesus, pearls were highly valued, perhaps even more so than gold. It was a status symbol of rich people. When Paul wanted the women of his day to dress modestly, he wrote, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing (1Timothy 2:9).

c) What does Jesus want us to understand in this parable? What does this pearl represent in the Lord’s teaching? Jesus uses this word ‘pearl’ twice. This is the second time here in Matthew 13: 45, 46. The first time, we find it in Matthew 7:6: " Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." (Matthew 7:6 NASB)

i) There are three things in this passage.

#1) Firstly, the word ‘pearl’ stands in relation, in parallel, to the words ‘what is holy.’ Do not give what is holy to dogs. Do not cast your pearls before swine. So, ‘what is holy’ and ‘pearls’ stand in parallel; ‘dogs’ and ‘swine’ stand in parallel.

#2) The second thing is that what is holy has to be discerned. The same thing applies to a pearl. The value of a pearl has to be discerned. You see, dogs don’t discern the difference between something that is holy and something that is not holy. That is why Jesus says, ‘Don’t give what is holy to dogs.’ Dogs don’t understand what is holy. Similarly, we should not give pearls to swine because pigs don’t understand the value of pearls. They are only interested in food. If you give them something they can’t eat, they might trample it under their feet and they might even attack you. Therefore the pearl, like what is holy, has to be discerned. Its value has to be recognized. From this, we begin to understand that in the Lord’s teaching, the pearl is a picture of something that is holy and spiritual. And only somebody who has a certain amount of spiritual discernment will be able to value it.

#3) Thirdly, notice that Jesus speaks of ‘your pearls’. Do not throw your pearls before swine. These pearls are actually something that we can possess. This holy thing is something that we can make our  own.

ii) But is it wise to lose everything for this pearl? Perhaps it is better for him to have a collection of cheaper pearls and still be able to keep some of his assets. In fact, from a business point of view, it is rather unlikely that a merchant would sell everything he has to acquire one single pearl. It is not advisable, we are told, to put all that we own in the same basket. But this is not the point of the story. We have to understand it as a matter of priorities. The action of the dealer should lead us to reflect on the value of the kingdom of heaven in relation to all the other competing things in this world. Focus on that one pearl. ‘One thing is needful.' 

iii) The significance of this story lies in 2 obvious reasons:

@1. The idea of finding something tremendously valuable,

@2. The necessity of selling everything in order to get it.

4. What does Jesus mean to us? Is He just an ordinary pearl? Or is He worth more than all that we possess?

a) In fact, if we can truly appreciate His value, selling everything to acquire that pearl will not be seen as a sacrifice. For what we have is nothing compared to the value of Jesus. We are not talking about some religious teacher. We are talking about God manifest in the flesh. We are talking about One whose value is without price.

b) The apostle Paul makes a similar point in Philippians 3:7-8 where he speaks of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ. For Paul, this pearl of great price is worth everything. All the valuables that he could ever have, he counts them as valueless when he compares them to Jesus.

5. Prayer focus

a) Can we think of Jesus as that beautiful pearl that is worth more than everything we have?

b) Pray that we will always have this attitude towards the Lord Jesus.