Welcome to the excitement parables where Jesus wants to tell us of His Divine love, His Mercy and His Justice.
In the first one we are going to priceless of redeeming love. It’s about Jesus in search of sinners; and sinners seeking for salvation.
Jesus taught this encouraging parable during His second Galilean tour at Capernaum, next to Sea of Galilee.
PART ONE
Matthew 13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
Matthew 13:46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The blessings of redeeming love our Saviour compared to a precious pearl.
Have seen a pearl. At the city of Eilat in Israel they exhibit these special gems.
Jesus illustrated His lesson by the parable of the merchantman seeking goodly pearls
“who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.“
Christ Himself is the pearl of great price. In Him is gathered all the glory of the Father, the fullness of the Godhead. He is the brightness of the Father’s glory and the express image of His person.
The glory of the attributes of God is expressed in His character. Every page of the Holy Scriptures shines with His light. The righteousness of Christ, as a pure, white pearl, has no defect, no stain.
No work of man can improve the great and precious gift of God. It is without a flaw. In Christ are “hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:3.
He is “made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:30.
All that can satisfy the needs and longings of the human soul, for this world and for the world to come, is found in Christ. Our Redeemer is the pearl so precious that in comparison all things else may be accounted loss.
Listen to the following tragic words:
John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
The light of God shone into the darkness of the world, and “the darkness comprehended it not.” John 1:5.
But not all were indifferent to the gift of heaven. The merchantman in the parable represents a class who were sincerely desiring truth. In different nations there were earnest and thoughtful men who had sought in literature and science and the religions of the heathen world for that which they could receive as the soul’s treasure.
Among the Jews there were those who were seeking for that which they had not. Dissatisfied with a formal religion, they longed for that which was spiritual and uplifting. Christ’s chosen disciples belonged to the latter class, Cornelius, and the Ethiopian eunuch to the former. They had been longing and praying for light from heaven; and when Christ was revealed to them, they received Him with gladness.
In the parable the pearl is not represented as a gift. The merchantman bought it at the price of all that he had.
Many question the meaning of this, since Christ is represented in the Scriptures as a gift. He is a gift, but only to those who give themselves, soul, body, and spirit, to Him without reserve.
We are to give ourselves to Christ, to live a life of willing obedience to all His requirements. All that we are, all the talents and capabilities we possess, are the Lord’s, to be consecrated to His service. When we thus give ourselves wholly to Him, Christ, with all the treasures of heaven, gives Himself to us. We obtain the pearl of great price.
Salvation is a free gift, and yet it is to be bought and sold.
In the market of which divine mercy has the management, the precious pearl is represented as being bought without money and without price. In this market all may obtain the goods of heaven.
Have you heard the good news? The treasury of the jewels of truth is open to all.
Revelation 3:8 ” I have set before you an open door,’’ Jesus says, ‘’and no one can shut it.’’
Irrespective of your spiritual condition or social standing. Please visit the treasure house of God’s riches.
No security guards at the entrance. You don’t have to show your id or where a mask. The staff at the door will give to the greatest welcome smile you have ever experienced. They will invite you to come buy the greatest gifts you have ever seen. No credit cards will be expected. Every thing is free of charge.
Listen to the melodious, loving, gracious voice of CEO of the treasure house:
Revelation 3:18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
If you decide to visit God’s treasure house, you will become a spiritual billionaire in a second.
The precious gospel of Christ is a blessing that all may possess. The poorest and the richest can purchase His salvation. No amount of worldly wealth can secure it.
It is obtained by willing obedience, by giving ourselves to Christ as His own purchased possession. Education, even of the highest class, cannot of itself bring a man nearer to God.
The Pharisees were favoured with every temporal and every spiritual advantage, and they said with boastful pride, we are ‘’rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
We are “rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing”; yet they were “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Revelation 3:17.
Christ offered them the pearl of great price; but they did not accept it. Listen to what Jesus said to them,
“”Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.” Matthew 21:31.
We cannot earn salvation, but we are to seek for it with as much interest and perseverance as though we would abandon everything in the world for it.
We are to seek for the pearl of great price, but not in worldly ways. The price we are required to pay is not gold or silver, for this belongs to God.
Abandon the idea that temporal or spiritual advantages will win for you salvation. God calls for your willing obedience. He asks you to give up your sins. “To him who overcomes’’ Jesus says, “I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Revelation 3:21.
There are some who seem to be always seeking for the heavenly pearl. But they do not make an entire surrender of their wrong habits. They do not die to self that Christ may live in them.
Therefore they do not find the precious pearl. They have not overcome unholy ambition and their love for worldly attractions. They do not take up the cross and follow Christ in the path of self-denial and sacrifice.
Almost Christians, yet not fully Christians, they seem near the kingdom of heaven, but they cannot enter there. Almost but not wholly saved, means to be not almost but wholly lost.
The parable of the merchantman seeking goodly pearls has a double significance: it applies not only to men as seeking the kingdom of heaven, but to Christ as seeking His lost inheritance.
Christ, the heavenly merchantman seeking goodly pearls, saw in lost humanity the pearl of price. In man, defiled and ruined by sin, He saw the possibilities of redemption. Hearts that have been the battleground of the conflict with Satan, and that have been rescued by the power of love, are more precious to the Redeemer than are those who have never fallen.
God looked upon humanity, not as vile and worthless; He looked upon it in Christ, saw it as it might become through redeeming love. He collected all the riches of the universe, and laid them down in order to buy the pearl.
And Jesus, having found it, resets it in His own diadem. “For they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon His land.” Zechariah 9:16. “They shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels.” Malachi 3:17.
But Christ as the precious pearl, and our privilege of possessing this heavenly treasure, is the theme on which we most need to dwell. It is the Holy Spirit that reveals to men the preciousness of the goodly pearl.
The time of the Holy Spirit’s power is the time when in a special sense the heavenly gift is sought and found. In Christ’s day many heard the gospel, but their minds were darkened by false teaching, and they did not recognize in the humble Teacher of Galilee the Sent of God.
But after Christ’s ascension His enthronement in His mediatorial kingdom was signalized by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost the Spirit was given. Christ’s witnesses proclaimed the power of the risen Saviour.
The light of heaven penetrated the darkened minds of those who had been deceived by the enemies of Christ. They now saw Him exalted to be “a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Acts 5:31.
They saw Him encircled with the glory of heaven, with infinite treasures in His hands to bestow upon all who would turn from their rebellion. As the apostles set forth the glory of the Only-Begotten of the Father, three thousand souls were convicted.
They were made to see themselves as they were, sinful and polluted, and Christ as their friend and Redeemer. Christ was lifted, Christ was glorified, through the power of the Holy Spirit resting upon men.
By faith these believers saw Him as the One who had borne humiliation, suffering, and death that they might not perish but have everlasting life. The revelation of Christ by the Spirit brought to them a realizing sense of His power and majesty, and they stretched forth their hands to Him by faith, saying, “I believe.”
Then the glad tidings of a risen Saviour were carried to the uttermost bounds of the inhabited world. The church beheld converts flocking to her from all directions. Believers were reconverted. Sinners united with Christians in seeking the pearl of great price.
The prophecy was fulfilled, The weak shall be “as David,” and the house of David “as the angel of the Lord.” Zechariah 12:8.
Every Christian saw in his brother the divine similitude of benevolence and love. One interest prevailed. One object swallowed up all others. All hearts beat in harmony.
The only ambition of the believers was to reveal the likeness of Christ’s character, and to labour for the enlargement of His kingdom. “The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul…. With great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:32, 33.
“And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Acts 2:47. The Spirit of Christ animated the whole congregation; for they had found the pearl of great price.
These scenes are to be repeated, and with greater power. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was the former rain, but the latter rain will be more abundant. The Spirit awaits our demand and reception.
Christ is again to be revealed in His fulness by the Holy Spirit’s power. Men will discern the value of the precious pearl, and with the apostle Paul they will say, “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” Philippians 3:7, 8.
NEXT TIME
The lost sheep