The Pearl of Great Price

Mea e 'ai e tatau ma le aso

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

In continuing with more lessons from Jesus parables, the blessings of the redeeming love of our Savior is compared to a precious pearl.
He 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 all the attributes of God the Father is expressed in His character. Every page of the Holy Scriptures shines with His light.

The righteousness of Christ, depicted as a pure white pearl, has no defect, no stain, it is perfect in its form. 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." Col. 2:3. He is "made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." 1 Cor. 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 Him. Our Redeemer is the pearl so precious that in comparison, everything else may be counted loss.

Christ "came unto His own, and His own received Him not." John 1:11. The light of God shined bright into the darkness of the world, and "the darkness comprehended it not." John 1:5.

But not all were found to neglect the light of heaven. The merchantman in the parable represents a class of people who were sincerely desiring and searching for truth. A class of people who will sell all that they possess, to obtain this pearl

In different nations there were earnest and faithful people who had sought earnestly in books and science and the religions of the heathen world, that which they longed to receive, as the soul's divine treasure.

Among the Jews there were those who were seeking for that which they had not.  Dissatisfied with stagnant hypocritical formal religion of the time, they yearned and hungered for that which was spiritual and uplifting.

Christ's chosen disciples belonged to that class, Cornelius and the Ethiopian eunuch to the first class. They had been longing and praying for light from heaven; and when Christ was revealed to them, they received Him with gladness and open arms.

In the parable the pearl is not represented as a gift. The merchantman bought it at the price of all that he had. Many bible scholars of today 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, total surrender to Him without reservations.

To freely receive the gift, the parable suggest we are to give ourselves to Christ, to live a life of faithful obedience to all His commands and requirements. All that we are, all the talents and gifts we possess, are the Lord's, to be consecrated and used for His service.  "...You are not your own, for you are bought with a price... 1 Cor 6:19,20

When we then give ourselves all to Him, Christ, with all the treasures and provision of heaven, gives Himself to us. We then obtain, the pearl of great price.

Ia manuia,

failauga p. anoa'i
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