A Treasure and a Pearl

Author: Joseph

Date: September 13, 2020

What is the most precious thing you have ever owned? Was it an heirloom or antique given to you from your parents or grandparents? Was it an inheritance of wealth or property passed down to you? What about a body of knowledge or wisdom that was taught to you or written down for you? Or perhaps it was a memory of something or someone that you hold dear to your heart. Why did you consider these things precious? What gave them their value?

When we consider something precious or treasurable we hold onto it with all our might. We are eager to care for it and retain its value even after many years and we do so intentionally. Usually these treasurable things give us a sense of meaning or are even strong enough of an influence on our life so as to guide the direction we live. When something is treasured, we are willing to make sacrifices for it and to put it before other things in our life.

Yeshua uses this concept of treasuring something to describe how we, as believers in Him, should treat the kingdom of God. If you take a look back at all the things that we just described, do these match up with how you view the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God, Yeshua shows, is not only like something precious or treasurable, but it is more precious and treasurable than anything else we could ever own. He uses two parables to describe what He means.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44)

The man doesn’t just discover the hidden treasure, he takes great effort to ensure that he will keep it by hiding it again so that no thief will come to steal it. He then proceeds to sell everything he owns, considering all other things meaningless compared to the treasure he has found. All the while, he does this with great joy and gladness.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)

A merchant was always looking for ways to find valuable things so that he could trade and resell them. He often started with something simple and bargained with his customers in order to achieve great wealth simply through trading. In the parable, this merchant finds a pearl of great value, but instead of trying to bargain his way into attaining it, he does the exact opposite: the merchant sells all that he has in order to attain it. He sees the value in it and cannot help but to desperately attain it no matter what the cost. So it should be also with those who discover the kingdom of God and want to be a part of it. When someone discovers the kingdom of God and truly learns the value of it, they should be willing to let go of everything in order that they may attain it.

The kingdom of God is beyond any value that we can compare with on this earth. No heirloom, no amount of wealth or knowledge, no dearly held memory or anything we can possibly think of can compare to the value of the kingdom of God. When we truly understand the kingdom of God, it is impossible to want anything else in life. The kingdom of God is salvation, redemption, sanctification, wholeness, freedom from sin, relationship with God, and a guarantee of eternal life. What more could you possibly want?

"...don’t just be willing to give up everything for it, actually give up everything for it."

If you have not known what a great treasure the kingdom of God is, now you know. Hold fast to God’s kingdom and don’t just be willing to give up everything for it, actually give up everything for it. No one can take it away from you and it is the only thing that will last for eternity. Anything else we hold on to is in vain and we will never fully take joy in His kingdom until we let go of those other things.

If the kingdom of God is a treasure and a pearl, anything else you hold onto can rightly be compared to as dust, dead and worthless. Why do you hold onto things that will not last and will pass away when there is such a greater treasure in God’s kingdom? Let go of the dead and decaying treasures of the world and embrace the eternal treasure of God’s kingdom. You will find joy and fullness of life in it that will last for all eternity.

Matthew 13:24 – 43

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB). Copyright by The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org).