Shalom, dear child of God. Welcome to today’s teaching from the Word of God. By the grace of the Lord, we will explore a divine revelation hidden within the parables of the Kingdom of Heaven. Our foundation comes from the Gospel of Matthew:
Matthew 13:45–46 (ESV) “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
This parable was spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ as He taught the crowds about the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven. If we study carefully, we will see how Jesus often used earthly illustrations familiar to His audience to convey the profound truths of the Kingdom. This tells us that many earthly activities, whether righteous or even corrupt, can contain spiritual principles and hidden wisdom of God.
That’s why, for instance:
Of course, this does not mean God approves of sin, but that divine wisdom can be gleaned from even the most unlikely scenarios.
A pearl is a precious gem. Unlike gold or diamonds that are mined from the earth, pearls originate from the sea. They are formed inside certain marine creatures known as oysters. Oysters are not fish in the usual sense they do not swim, they have no fins, tails, or eyes. They sit still at the bottom of the sea, resembling lifeless stones. Because of this, they are hard to detect.
A pearl starts forming as a tiny grain of sand or irritant inside the oyster. Over time, the oyster secretes a substance around this grain, gradually forming a pearl. The bigger the pearl grows, the greater its value.
Harvesting pearls is a labor-intensive and costly process. Pearl divers go deep into the ocean, risking their lives, spending hours or even days searching for oysters. And even when found, it takes skill to open the oyster and retrieve the pearl inside.
Because of their rarity and beauty, pearls are extremely valuable. A single, large, high quality pearl can be worth up to 250 million Tanzanian shillings that’s just one pearl!
In Jesus’ parable, a merchant discovers a pearl of great value. Upon recognizing its worth, he sells everything he owns to buy it.
Jesus wasn’t simply telling a story; He was revealing a powerful spiritual truth. The merchant represents a person who is actively searching for something valuable truth, meaning, salvation. When he finds the Pearl representing Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God he realizes it’s worth everything he has. He willingly gives up all to obtain it.
Notice: the merchant was a businessman a person seeking profit. He didn’t give up everything out of foolishness, but because he saw the eternal value of what he was gaining. He understood that even though he was selling all he had, he would gain much more in return.
Similarly, Jesus is the Pearl of great value. He is freely offered to all, but He is not found or possessed cheaply.
Luke 14:33 (ESV) “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”
Though salvation is a gift, accepting it comes with a cost: total surrender. That means turning away from all sin and worldly attachments that separate us from God.
Like the merchant, we must “sell” everything. This doesn’t mean physical possessions necessarily, but everything that competes with Christ in our hearts. That includes:
To “sell all” means to repent truly turn away from sin and fully embrace Christ as Lord and Savior.
Luke 14:26–27 (ESV) “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”
These are hard words but Jesus is making it clear: following Him is costly, but the reward is far greater.
If you’ve never surrendered your life to Christ, or if you’re living with one foot in the world and one foot in the church, this is a wake-up call. You cannot have both the pleasures of this world and the eternal life of the next.
There are no shortcuts to the Kingdom. The way of the cross is the only way to eternal life.
Mark 10:28–30 (ESV) “Peter began to say to him, ‘See, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.’”
Yes, following Jesus may cost you friends, opportunities, popularity, or wealth but you gain eternal life and true joy, starting now.
1.Repent sincerely. Turn away from all sin. Stop doing what offends God. If you were involved in sexual sin, drunkenness, corruption, pride leave it all behind.
2.Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
Acts 2:38 (ESV) “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Baptism must be by full immersion in water and in Jesus’ name not just as a tradition, but for the washing away of sin.
3.Receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers you to live in victory over sin and teaches you the truth.
When you do this, you are born again, a new creation in Christ. You become a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven and a possessor of the Pearl of Great Price Jesus Himself.
Jesus is calling us to be wise spiritual merchants those who recognize the eternal worth of the Kingdom and are willing to give up everything to obtain it.
He is not calling us to misery but to a far greater reward. He calls us to give up the temporary so we may gain the eternal. He wants us to gain a treasure so valuable that nothing in this life can compare.
Philippians 3:8 (ESV) “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”
Dear reader, if you haven’t given your life fully to Jesus Christ, today is the day. He is worth far more than you can imagine.
May the Lord bless you richly as you pursue the Pearl of Great Value Jesus Christ.
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Prisca Yohana, known by her artist name "binti wa Mungu" born 24th december, 2000 in Dar es salaam Tanzania. Gospel artist with a deep passion for worship and spreading the message of God’s love through music.
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