The Pearl Of Great Price

HE HAD IT ALL, AT LEAST ON THE SURFACE. A GOOD BUSINESS, A FINE FAMILY, STATUS IN THE COMMUNITY. HE HAD EVERYTHING IT WOULD APPEAR, BUT NOT QUITE ENOUGH. SOME MEN CRAVED AFTER GOLD OR SILVER OR JEWELS NOT THIS MAN. THOSE THINGS WERE ALL SO COLD AND INANIMATE, FORGED AND MOULDED DEEP INSIDE AN UNFEELING EARTH. INSTEAD HE SOUGHT AFTER PEARLS. THOSE BEAUTIFUL GEMS WHICH BEGAN THEIR EXISTENCE AS A SIMPLE IRRITANT, A PIECE OF GRIT OR SAND BURIED DEEP IN THE MANTLE OF AN OYSTER. AND THEN A MIRACLE, SLOWLY EVERY SO SLOWLY THE OYSTER BEGAN TO SECRETE NACRE, THE VERY SUBSTANCE THAT MADE UP IT’S SHELL. ONE LAYER WAS ADDED TO THE GRIT, AND THEN ANOTHER AND ANOTHER UNTIL FINALLY A LOWLY PIECE OF SAND HAD BECOME ONE OF THE WORLDS MOST BEAUTIFUL GEMS.

PEARLS, THEY WERE ALMOST A GIFT FROM GOD, WELL ALMOST, THEY STILL HAD TO BE PAID FOR. AND THEN ONE DAY HE FOUND IT, THE MOST INCREDIBLE PEARL HE HAD EVERY LAID EYES ON. EVERYTHING ABOUT IT WAS PERFECT, THE SIZE THE SHAPE THE COLOUR, EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT.

HE HAD TO HAVE IT, IT HAD TO BE HIS. AND SO HE SOLD EVERYTHING THAT HE HAD SO THAT HE COULD PURCHASE THIS ONE EXQUISITE PEARL. WAS HE HAPPY WE DON’T KNOW BUT THIS LITTLE STORY WAS TOLD BY JESUS IN Matthew 13:45-46 The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a shop owner is looking for fine pearls. 46 After finding a very valuable one, the owner goes and sells everything in order to buy that pearl.

THE FACT THAT JESUS USED A PEARL AS AN ILLUSTRATION FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD MIGHT BE LOST ON US IN 1992 BUT IT WAS AN ILLUSTRATION THAT WOULD HAVE STRUCK HOME WITH THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO MADE UP CHRIST’S WORLD.

YOU SEE PEARLS WERE VALUED NOT ONLY FOR THEIR MONETARY WORTH BUT ALSO FOR THEIR AESTHETIC QUALITIES. FOR THEIR BEAUTY AND BECAUSE OF THAT MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT AND COLLECTED PEARLS DID SO JUST TO HAVE THEM, NOT AS AN INVESTMENT, NOT AS SOMETHING TO BE BOUGHT AND SOLD. INSTEAD THEY WERE SEEN AS SOMETHING TO BE HELD AND ADMIRED.

AND SO FOR A FEW MOMENTS THIS MORNING I WANT TO LOOK AT THIS MERCHANT WHO WAS SO INTENT ON HAVING A PEARL LIKE NO OTHER PEARL THAT HE HAD EVER SEEN.

1) HE WAS DISSATISFIED WITH WHAT HE HAD

OFTEN TIMES WE THINK OF DISSATISFACTION AS A NEGATIVE, WE SEE SOMEONE WHO GRUMBLES ABOUT EVERYTHING THEY HAVE, ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO THEM AND WE THINK, THIS PERSON IS DISSATISFIED WITH LIFE.

BUT THINK ABOUT IT EVERY DISCOVERY, EVERY ADVANCEMENT, EVERY ACHIEVEMENT THAT MAN HAS MADE HAS BEEN BECAUSE HE WAS DISSATISFIED WITH THE STATUS QUO.

BECAUSE THOMAS EDISON WAS DISSATISFIED WITH READING BY CANDLE AND WE HAVE ELECTRIC LIGHTS, ALEXANDER WAS TIRED OF MRS. BELL YELLING AT HIM TO COME HOME SO WE HAVE TELEPHONES. BECAUSE JOHN WESLEY WAS DISSATISFIED WITH THE ANGLICAN CHURCHES ATTITUDES TO THE POOR WE HAVE THE WESLEYAN CHURCH. IF IT WASN’T FOR DISSATISFACTION WE’D STILL BE LIVING UNDER TREES, DRESSING IN FIG LEAVES AND EATING COLD FOOD. IT MUST HAVE BEEN DISSATISFACTION THAT DROVE PEOPLE TO TRY COOKING THEIR MEAT.

WAS IT THAT ROGER BANNISTER WAS DISSATISFIED WITH JUST BEING ANOTHER RUNNER THAT LEAD HIM TO BREAK THE FOUR MINUTE MILE? COULD IT BE THAT GORDY HOWE WAS DISSATISFIED WITH BEING JUST ANOTHER HOCKEY PLAYER AND THAT IS WHAT LEAD HIM TO PLAY FOR 40 SECONDS IN HIS SIXTH DECADE IN PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY?

THE HERO OF OUR STORY WAS NOT A SHOPKEEPER, THE GREEK WORD WOULD INDICATE THAT HE WAS A WHOLESALER, A TRADER ON A LARGE SCALE. IT WAS PROBABLY DISSATISFACTION THAT TOOK HIM FROM SELLING FRUIT DOOR TO DOOR, TO OWNING HIS OWN STALL, TO TRADING IN GOODS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AND NOW HE WAS SEEKING THE PERFECT PEARL. PERHAPS HE WAS SEEKING THE LARGEST PEARL IN THE WORLD, A RECORD THAT KNOW STANDS AT 4 LBS . OR PERHAPS HE WAS LOOKING FOR A PEARL THAT WAS SIMPLY PERFECT. WE DON’T KNOW BUT WE DO KNOW THAT HE WAS DISSATISFIED WITH WHATEVER OTHER PEARLS HE HAD.

EACH ONE OF US HAS TO PUSH ON. IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO MERELY EXIST. IF WE ARE GOING TO PLEASE GOD WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND STRETCH IN OUR PERSONAL WALK WITH HIM, IN OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE AND LIFE IN GENERAL.

BUT PREACHER PAUL SAID IN Philippians 4:11I am not complaining about having too little. I have learned to be satisfied with whatever I have. TRUE BUT IT WAS ALSO PAUL WHO IN 1 CORINTHIANS, 2 TIMOTHY, AND HEBREWS 12:1 CALLED OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE A RACE. AND IF YOU ARE GOING TO RACE EFFECTIVELY THEN YOU WON’T BE CONTENT TO COME IN LAST. IF THAT WAS THE IDEA THAT PAUL WAS TRYING TO CONVEY THEN HE WOULD HAVE CALLED OUR CHRISTIAN WALK A STROLL THROUGH THE PARK.