The parable our Lord gives in Matthew 13:45-46, some say the Pearl is Jesus and we sell all to obtain Him, some say it is the Church (Christ's bride) and He gave all to obtain her.
Who do you think is the Pearl and what is your reason?
I'm not asking because I have some clever answer, I can see truth in both views, but which did our Lord mean?
Ha! My wife and I just discussed this last night.... she can see where both can be true- I on the other hand am squarely in the "it's all about Jesus" camp.
Interestingly I've noticed that the group who consistently see it the other way have a different understanding/definition of grace than I do and while that doesn't make them wrong, (for me) it seems to shift the focus to us and creates a "man centered" gospel rather than "Christ centered".
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.
I think it simply means that the KOH is so valuable that you should take any step necessary to attain to it.
I once heard a teaching on this which described the merchant trying to buy the pearl; the seller asked what cash he had and the merchant gave that. Then the seller required the merchant's donkey. Then the seller asked if he owned a home; yes he did. That too must be liquidated and the proceeds turned over to the seller. After several more inquiries and liquidations, the merchant said "I have given you all I have," to which the seller responded, "yes, but there is still one thing I require- you. You must give your life to me and serve me from this day forward. Then, and only then, can the pearl be yours."
Since He bought us with His own blood, I always see Jesus as the buyer here. I can't think of anything I have to sell that wasn't given to me by Him anyway. He desired us. We did not desire Him.
Thanks Dave for a precious post.
Rusty
So far we have three posts and three different views. :)
I/ Pearl is Jesus
2/ Pearl is the Kingdom of God
3/ Pearl is the believer or church
Fletcher, Yes I lean toward how you think on this, particularly when the pearl is considered as individual believers. However if the pearl is the 'church' (Christ's bride) that would be different, not man centred. I know we are included if we are part of the 'church', but the church is a much bigger thing than me. It is His bride that He bought with His own blood (as Rusty said).
But Christ is certainly seen as a Pearl of great price (or beyond price?).
Todd, Yes I can see that as well and that's a good application teaching.
Rusty, yes based on what I said above to Fletcher, I can see Jesus as the buyer of the Church.
So my thoughts so far, but I'm not any clearer if one view is correct or if maybe they can all be correct. It is not past possibility that the Lord spoke these words deliberately to apply in different ways. It would not be the first time!
I did want to clarify that when I say the KOH s the pearl, it is implicit that the only way to enter this is through Jesus. If you have Jesus, you have the kingdom of heaven. One must give up everything to truly follow him, just as the merchant must sell everything he has to obtain the pearl.
I think we are the pearl of great price. It is God who has determined our true value and worth. After Adam sinned it was Christ who gave up His position in heaven to come to earth and RESCUE us. He payed the ultimate price to purchase us and reconcile us back to the father.
WE are only saved by what Jesus Christ has done. He has redeemed us and gives us HIS life.
Phi 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Phi 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Phi 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Phi 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
What our my part in this? Simple faith in what he has accomplished for us and in us.
We do not have anything to sell to somehow gain Christ. That is impossible.
From a quick reading of the Matthew passage, in context, most of the parables seem to indicate God the Father as the One seeking, or sowing, or fishing. It is also in line with the other parables like The Lost Sheep and The Lost Coin.
So, yes, the pearl of great price could very well be indicating human beings as treasured by God.
Blessings,
There are some problems with identifying the Pearl as human beings.
If it is true that each human is treasured that Christ gave up His life for, then He has given everything to not get what he purchased as the vast majority of humans will not be His. Unless you take the Calvinist limited atonement view that He only gave everything for those He previously selected as being precious. Also there is only ONE pearl, not many.
It makes more sense to say the Pearl is the church and we are precious as part of the church. If we think of the bride bridegroom relationship and the scriptures that describe Christ as our bridegroom it is much clearer. Individually we are not Christ's bride, but the church corporate is.
That is quite plausible Dave. Cannot disagree
You wrote
"If it is true that each human is treasured that Christ gave up His life for, then He has given everything to not get what he purchased as the vast majority of humans will not be His."
If Christ would have not purchased us the whole human race would be totally lost.
Even the sinner who rejects Christ is truly treasured. We are the pearl even if some of us refuse Him.
Hi tuc,
The parable that follows on from the pearl is the dragnet, which I think speaks into this issue, see below........
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,
"which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.
"So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,
"and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
If we take what the Lord says here about seperation of wicked from just (righteous), you would have conclude that if the pearl refers to every individual human, then He will be casting many pearls into the fire.
I think the pearl refers to just one and it makes more sense that it is His church, His bride.'He purchased His church with His own blood'. It could also easily apply to Himself who is so precious it will cost us everything, as has been said by others. "He who loses (gives up) his life will find life". The scriptures seem to back up these two options in my understanding.
I do believe all people are valuable to God and understand that "God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son" to save them, but I just don't think this pararble about the pearl is about that.
If I am allowed to mix metaphors (and parables, etc.) then the pearl of great price is heavenly treasure which we should not cast before swine (Matthew 7:6), and furthermore it is the gateway to heaven, looking like the eye of the needle to a sinner (Matthew 19:24), but appearing as a huge pearly gate to a redeemed believer (Revelation 21:21).
Hey Alec,
That's good! If I may add a thought...
'The heavenly city comes down as a bride adorned for her husband, Christ' (Rev. 21), so the bride (church) and the Heavenly city ( New Jerusalem) are considered as inseparably one and the same. Is this the pearl that is so precious to the Lord?
This discussion is locked.
