Matthew 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
This passage of scriptures teaches us that Christ, who is the Pearl of great price should be valued as our most prized and sacred treasure, and whatever we may have to give up in order to have Him first in our affections, is well worth the sacrifice. In the passage, we observe that the merchant went and sold everything he possessed, in order to purchase the pearl, and he obviously would not have done so if he did not rightly esteem its value. Just so, when we see in Jesus, not only a Savior, but our Creator and king, we too, like the merchant in the parable, should understand that He is of infinite value to us, and we also should in like manner be willing to make whatever sacrifices become necessary, in order to have a meaningful, savingrelationship with Him.
While it is good to be saved in God's kingdom, and to be forgiven of our sins, there is much more to Christ than these, for He represents the zenith of our aspirations, both spiritually, and intellectually, and also in the most literal, physical sense. As we behold His infinite perfection of character, we ourselves are brought higher and higher in our development and progress, for by beholding Him we become changed from one stage of development to another. But the infinite perfection of Christ is not to be restricted to the spiritual realm only, as is often the case in many Christian minds, for He is also the greatest in the productions of the literal and physical, as is evidenced by the testimonies of the Psalmist David. Let's read:
Psalm 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
It is because of a one-sided view of the perfection of Jesus, why many of us as Christians restrict Him to the spiritual realm only, and therefore His genius, and unsearchable wisdom and understanding is not consulted in the everyday problems we face in the temporal realm. If He were asked, Christ could give us the solutions to our most pressing concerns, ranging from how to fix the economy, to how to deal with the many social problems with which we are afflicted. For example, in one instance, two women had a quarrel over their newborns, one of which was found dead after being birthed.
One woman accused the other of stealing her baby during the night, whilst the other claimed that the living child was hers, and this back and forth took place in the presence of king Solomon, to whom the case was brought for redress. Christ then gave him wisdom that is not born of this world, to resolve the matter, and also to find out who the real mother of the living child was, and this singular judgment that was given him by Christ, went a very long way in establishing him as the most wise king that has ever lived. Let's read:
1st Kings 3:23 Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. 24 And the king said, Bring me a sword".... 25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. 26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. 27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. 28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.
The Pearl of great price desires, that as Christians, we ask for His wisdom and guidance, not only in spiritual things, but also in resolving the most difficult issues in our lives, and also in the temporal realm. As a matter of fact, the bulk of our experience with God does not take place during church services, but rather in the everyday experiences we go through, as He is consistently brought into the equation, for this is what it means to "Walk and talk" with God.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to seek Christ everyday, and also to invite Him into all of life's experiences, for we will find then that He is much more personal and involved than many realize, and that He is able to bring to the table, solutions and insights that are not found with mortal man. Let's read:
Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
May the Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!