By Kerry Knight, Emerald Beach Church of Christ
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it (Matthew 13:45-46).
At lunch one day in a hotel with her son, Reggie, and his new wife, Gloria, Alice Vanderbilt asked whether Gloria had received her pearls. Reggie replied that he had not yet bought any because the only pearls worthy of his bride were beyond his price range. His mother then calmly ordered that a pair of scissors be brought to her. When the scissors arrived, Mrs. Vanderbilt promptly cut off about one-third of her own $70,000 pearl necklace and handed it to her new daughter-in-law.
“There you are, Gloria,” she said. “All Vanderbilt women have pearls.”
Now for the real lesson. All faithful Christians wear a pearl of great price. In the Bible, it is a reference to the kingdom of God. The true searcher for the Kingdom will stop at nothing to seek and find that one pearl. The parable of the pearl of great price is a short story that Jesus tells about His kingdom. It can be read in two ways. One, as saying that the kingdom of heaven is worth giving up everything that you have to possess it. Second, it is saying that God
Himself gives up everything to rescue and redeem fallen man. The “everything” was His only begotten Son. The Christian is loved and valued by God. He pursues us, and the kingdom of heaven is worth more than anything we have here on planet earth. If you are seeking God, that is a great beginning. The Lord is seeking you too. It all comes together when you meet with God in an obedient faith. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). And now, Jesus speaks to all of us, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16).
At that point you have found and received the Pearl of Great Price.
Book Excerpt from God Wants to Bless Your Life, So What Are You Waiting For? By Dr. Kerry Knight
Chapter 8: Hear His Word and Keep It
To the people of ancient Israel, God made it crystal clear that He wanted to bless their lives. In the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 28, our heavenly Father spoke of lavishing His people with every blessing imaginable. Let me list a few:
- Bless shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country
- Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks
- Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
- Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
- The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face.
- The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
This is just a sample of what is promised by God to His faithful people of old. I love the statement made in verse 12 of that chapter, “The Lord will open to you His good treasure…”.
Now God expects something of us. Again in chapter 28 of Deuteronomy and verse one beginning, it is written:
“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God.”
Do you remember how God or His prophets would refer to Israel as Stiffnecked? I believe the words “stiff” or “hard” are found some 19 times in the Torah. It describes someone who is stubborn and obstinate. That described Israel perfectly.
Is it so strange that God would expect us to take heed to His Word and follow it in order to be blessed in such a generous fashion? We need to remember the loving image of a Father. How much heartache and pain we could avoid in life if we only listened to Him and followed his loving overtures. As children, we make many mistakes in growing up. When our mother or father insists that we stay away from an open flame even though we are captivated by the sparkle, or a snake that seems to be something to toy with like a puppy, they are not being austere or mean. Our parents were far wiser and more experienced than we were. Although we cried when they slapped our hands when we were inviting danger, it all makes sense now. They loved us, pure and simple.
God continues to warn us today. He doesn’t want to harm or hurt us. He wants to express His love and keep us away from our tragic mistakes.
Once, while Jesus was teaching among a crowd of people, a woman spoke out abruptly and said, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed you” (Luke 11:27). Then Jesus responded, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
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