The Pearl of Great Price

I attended the funeral today of a godly woman who served her church for decades. It was obvious she had touched many lives for the good. As I was listening to the service I kept noticing one of the stained glass windows in the church of a clam shell, perhaps it was symbolic of baptism, but I was reminded of Matthew 13: 45-46.

“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."

The Pearl Of Great Price

What is Jesus teaching us in this parable? Something the woman, who served her church and others, for so long knew well, that possessing heaven is worth whatever it takes. Heaven is more valuable than any material possession we could possibly own. The cost was high for us to attain Heaven. For God, the cost was the death of His Son on the cross. The cost was Jesus bearing the sins of the world for us so that we could one day live with Him in Heaven.

Seek The Kingdom Of God

The merchant in Matthew 13 was seeking, actively looking for valuable, beautiful pearls. Are we seeking God? When we cry out to God He will hear! When we seek God earnestly we will find Him according to Deuteronomy 4: 29.

In Luke 12: 31 Jesus tells us to "seek the kingdom of God". Acts 17: 27 it says that He is not far from each of us. That which we seek is not far. Sometimes we feel God is so far from us but He isn't. How earnestly do we seek to find Him? And when we find Him do we recognize His value? Sadly some don't seek Him at all. Psalm 10: 4 says the wicked don't seek him. It says in their pride they think there is no God.

Most people, even people who never attend church or practice Christianity, will say they are probably going to Heaven. People know it's the sort of place that you want to go to when you die. Few people would proudly proclaim that they are going to the "other" place. But have these people truly sought God? Have they really searched for the pearl of great price or are they just pursuing a hope, wishfully thinking?

The man who possessed the beautiful pearl of great price had something immeasurably valuable and he knew it. He had seriously searched for it. It was not to be taken for granted. It was something that few others had. Something that he would not want to lose. Something he had to give up a lot to obtain.

What Will We Give Up?

What would you and I be willing to give up to attain Heaven? Would we give up selfish seeking after our own will? Would we give up family or friends if God asked us to? Would we give up our lack of forgiveness? Would we give up our unloving spirit?

"Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ" Philippians 3: 8

Do we count all things loss to obtain the knowledge of Christ, to obtain Heaven? Paul says he counts the things he has lost as rubbish, garbage, in his eyes compared to the value and worth of Christ.

And when finally we come to the end of our journey, the end of our life, and we see our blessed Savior in Heaven, then will we praise God for what we gave up for the possession of Heaven. We know that whatever we had to give up, God's Son gave up much more. He paid the highest price. What, then, is our loss compared to our gain of eternal life through Christ?

Lift Your Eyes Toward Heaven

The dear soul whose funeral I was at today had a favorite hymn and a small part of it says this,

"Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity

And when you don't understand the purpose of His plan

In the presence of the King, bow the knee"

We all need to lift our eyes toward Heaven, toward the pearl of great price, and bow the knee.

The Pearl of Great Price

- Carol Plafcan

The pearl of great price

I so longed to see.

My Savior had promised

With Him I would be.

Worth more than gold,

Worth all t'was lost,

Was the beautiful pearl,

Bought with great cost.

With Him in Heaven,

My one true home.

I worship before

The one on the throne.

I bow the knee

And give Him praise,

Thanksgiving for

The One who saves!