“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
What it is worth? How much will you give for it? Well, it all depends on what we are talking about right? A gallon of milk or a gallon of gasoline is worth between 3 and 4 dollars. A nice dinner for two may be worth $60 or $200 depending on what one eats and where it is. A new Buick Regal lists for $27K. An Infinity M35 starts at $46K, and one can get into a Mercedes Benz S-Class for $91K. Are they worth it? What about Audi R8 that lists for $168K? Is it worth it; or the Rolls Royce Ghost for a quarter million and the Bentley for a bit over that? Are they worth it? Obviously to some they are. To a fewer number even the Maybachs are worth spending a half to a full million on. Some people are not interested in spending money on cars. They would rather have real estate. The average size home in the U.S. this year is about 21 hundred square feet. The cost for an average size home in Sarasota varies quite a bit. Prices range from 180K over 2 million for a home of about 21 hundred square feet; as our real estate professionals would say, “Location, location, location.” Well, is it worth it?
Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. This merchant is one who knows for what he is looking. He knows the fakes, he knows quality. One day he finds a good pearl. Not just a good pearl though. This pearl is an outstanding pearl. It is the best pearl he has ever seen. It is better than even he could imagine a pearl to be. So what does he do? He sells all that he has to buy it. He sells all the other pearls he has. He sells all his other jewels. He sells his store. He sells his donkey. He sells liquidates all his stocks. He empties his savings account. He even sells his house. He has sold everything he owns. But now he has just enough cash to buy the pearl, this one magnificent pearl. So he buys it.
Now clearly this is a parable, a story with a message for us, a story allowing us to see another reality, albeit somewhat dimly. All these parables, these stories give us a glimpse of this other world, this other world of heaven and hell, of God and his angels and the devil and his demons. Obviously if this was a real person in our world, this guy would have spent too much. After all a merchant buys stuff to resell it. Buy low—sell high. But we are not talking about life here in our world as we know it. We are talking about the kingdom of heaven. What is that worth? This guy may not have been a savvy businessman as we know business. But if we are talking about the kingdom of heaven, well, he was downright brilliant. As Jesus said in another place, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, but lose his soul?” What does it profit someone to have a beautiful house on the water worth several million and lose his or her soul? What does it profit to have a custom built Maybach Landaulet worth over a million, and lose one’s soul? What does it profit a person to have fame and popularity and lose his or her soul? The answer is, ‘it is no profit.’ The person has not gained, but has lost.
Your soul is eternal. The world’s goods are not eternal, they fade, they break, they rust, or they go out of style. Fame is not eternal. Most of us can remember 40- 50 years ago— because most of us were there! Granted we were much younger then. But we can remember those days. Also most of us know or knew people who were around 100 years ago. We remember our parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents. We can’t say with personal experience that we remember what went on in 1911 but we knew people that were there. But if we go back beyond that, well, it begins to get pretty murky doesn’t it? Most of us, at least don’t know people who lived 150 years ago. We may know of historical folks that lived in 1861 but unless we are interested in genealogy we don’t even know people in our own families from back then. And that is only 150 years ago. We don’t know or care who was fashionable, who was cool, who was a community leader or who was spiritual. Fame is certainly not eternal.
But, on the other hand, your soul is forever. How can we even come close to comprehending this? Perhaps in some rough way it can be compared to a drop of water with an ocean of water, or a grain of sand to all the sand on all the beaches of the world. The drop of water or the grain of sand has value, but compared to the ocean or to all the grains of sand in the world it is like nothing. Living for 70, 80, 90, or 100 years is a long time, but compared to the eternity of the kingdom of heaven those 70 to 100 years are like a drop of water compared to the ocean or a grain of sand compared to the beach. That’s why the merchant is a good example for us, not as a business person of our contemporary life, but as one who when he finds something of overwhelming value is willing to give everything he has to possess it.
Jesus gives this man as an example to us as one who is looking for the kingdom of heaven and when he finds it gives everything he has for it. The kingdom is the pearl of great price. So with this in mind, is working for the kingdom worth your time and effort? For us here at Redeemer is it worth spending your time being involved with VBS, Sunday School, Logos, or Resurrection House or Caritas, or Altar Guild or Needlepoint, or choir, usher, or greeter or being a LEM; being involved with Men of Redeemer or Women’s ministry or going to a Bible study or prayer group? Is it worth it to go to regular worship services or to the weekday services or being involved in morning or evening prayer? Is it worth your time? Is it worth giving your talents to help others in service in the kingdom of God? Is it worth spending your money to help the kingdom of God grow by giving your tithe (or 10 percent of your income) to the church? Is it worth it?
Jesus says to us, “the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” The merchant, who is our example here, sold all he had to possess the pearl of great price. How about us, what do we value; what do I value, what do you value? What is the kingdom of heaven worth to you?