The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like...
By Mike Taylor
[Jesus said,]
“Again, the kingdom
of heaven is like
unto a merchant man,
seeking goodly
pearls: Who, when he
had found one pearl
of great price, went
and sold all that he
had, and bought it”
(Matthew 13:45-46).
Many within God’s
church read the
parables spoken by
Jesus in this
chapter, which are
parables pertaining
to the kingdom of
God. In this chapter
of Matthew, Jesus
gave several
examples pertaining
to the kingdom of
God. The prior
parable before the
title of this
message is about a
man who finds
treasure in a field
hidden:
“Again, the kingdom
of heaven is like
unto treasure hid in
a field; the which
when a man hath
found, he hideth,
and for joy thereof
goeth and selleth
all that he hath,
and buyeth that
field” (Matthew
13:44).
The traditional view
of most believing
Christians is that
Jesus is speaking of
the newly converted
Christian, that when
he believes in Jesus
Christ as his
personal Savior, he
or she gives up
everything to obtain
salvation from the
Lord Jesus.
Understandably, we
do give up much of
the life we were
living to become new
creatures in Christ
Jesus. We are
commanded to turn
away from the evil
of this world and
follow Him taking up
our cross daily. But
is that what Jesus
was talking about
when He was talking
about the treasure
in the field, or the
pearl of great
price? Let’s see.
Ephesians 2:8-9:
“For by grace are ye
saved through faith;
and that not of
yourselves: it is
the gift of God: Not
of works, lest any
man should boast.”
We know that it is
not anything that we
have done or could
ever do that
deserves forgiveness
of sin. No amount of
tithing, church
attendance or
charity to the poor
can rid us of the
stain of human sin.
Only Jesus can do
that.
Titus 3:4-7: “But
after that the
kindness and love of
God our Saviour
toward man appeared,
not by works of
righteousness which
we have done, but
according to his
mercy he saved us,
by the washing of
regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy
Spirit; which he
shed on us
abundantly through
Jesus Christ our
Saviour; that being
justified by his
grace, we should be
made heirs according
to the hope of
eternal life.”
Jesus taught in
parables and to a
lot of folks, they
are hard to
understand. Parables
are an analogy. They
are messages in
story form and they
illustrate truths
drawn from the
natural, material
world to testify of
a spiritual and
eternal truth. They
can teach eternal
truths only because
a unity exists
between the material
and spiritual. If
the material world
had no similarities
with the spiritual,
it could not convey
truth about the
spiritual realities.
Remember, a parable
suggests
side-by-side
comparison. An
earthly truth is the
similitude of a
heavenly one.
Biblical parables
thus show that the
external, visible
material world is a
mirror through which
we may understand
the internal,
invisible spiritual
realm.
Many times, the
disciples came to
Jesus to ask for the
interpretation of
the meaning of the
parable He had just
spoken to the
people.
Matthew 13:10-13:
“And the disciples
came and said to
Him, "Why do you
speak to them in
parables?" He
answered and said to
them, “Because it
has been given to
you to know the
mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven,
but to them it has
not been given.
For whoever has, to
him more will be
given, and he will
have abundance; but
whoever does not
have, even what he
has will be taken
away from him.
Therefore I speak to
them in parables,
because seeing they
do not see, and
hearing they do not
hear, nor do they
understand.”
But do we as
Christians
understand what
Jesus was talking
about? Only the Holy
Spirit can reveal
truths to you, not
the traditions of
men, as traditions
can, even in good
intentions lead a
person to believe in
something that is
not true. (Like good
works can save the
sinner) not so, my
reader. Remember
what Jesus told the
Pharisees.
Mark 7:9, 13: “And
he said unto them,
‘Full well ye reject
the commandment of
God, that ye may
keep your own
tradition.’ ‘Making
the word of God of
none effect through
your tradition,
which ye have
delivered: and many
such like things do
ye.’”
We as Christians
must look to the
deeper meaning of
Jesus was talking
about in the
parables He spoke
of….This is an
example of the
traditions of men
concerning the pearl
of great price and
not discerning what
the Lord was driving
at.
Isaiah 64:6-7:
But we are
all as an unclean
thing, and all our
righteousnesses are
as filthy rags; and
we all do fade as a
leaf; and our
iniquities, like the
wind, have taken us
away. And there is
none that calleth
upon thy name that
stirreth up himself
to take hold of
thee: for thou hast
hid thy face from
us, and hast
consumed us, because
of our iniquities.”
Romans 3:11: “There
is none who
understands; there
is none who seeks
after God.”
Paul wrote that we
are at enmity with
God:
Romans 8:7-8:
“Because the carnal
mind is enmity
against God: for it
is not subject to
the law of God,
neither indeed can
be.
So then they
that are in the
flesh cannot please
God.”
We do not search for
God. He searches for
us….not the other
way around.
So how can we buy
this “pearl of great
price” if we have
nothing to purchase
it with? Did you
purchase your
salvation through
your many good deeds
and charitable
giving? Of course,
we did not! We have
nothing to offer our
God that would allow
Him to pardon us for
sins committed
against His Holy
Name.
Then who does the
merchant represent?
Obviously, it can’t
be us, as we
naturally do not
seek God or His
kingdom, so how can
we purchase
something so
valuable?
Jesus said in Luke
19:9-10: “Today
salvation has come
to this house,
because he also is a
son of Abraham; for
the Son of Man has
come to seek and to
save that which was
lost.”
And again in:
John 6:44: “No one
can come to Me
unless the Father
who sent Me draws
him; and I will
raise him up at the
last day.”
Have you figured it
out yet? Who is this
merchant who gave up
everything for this
“pearl of great
price”?
This merchant is
seriously and
deliberately
searching this world
to secure the best
and costliest gems.
It is his
livelihood, and he
is diligent to
travel extensively
because he knows his
efforts will be
rewarded when he
finds the best and
purchases them.
Since Christ is the
One who seeks the
sinner, noted in
Luke 19 and John 6
above, the merchant
cannot represent the
sinner giving up all
he has to follow
Jesus Christ.
The Shepherd
seeks the sheep, not
vice-versa.
Isaiah 53:6: “All we
like sheep have gone
astray; we have
turned everyone to
his own way; and the
LORD hath laid on
him the iniquity of
us all.”
JESUS IS THE
MERCHANT WHO SEEKS
THE PEARL OF GREAT
PRICE!
The use of the word
“seeking” quoted in
Matthew 13:45 helps
identify the
merchant as Christ,
as it means, “to
depart from one
place and arrive at
another.” Jesus did
this Himself to pay
the price for the
pearl. He departed
from heaven and
arrived on earth to
complete His mission
Philippians 2:6-8:
“Who, being in the
form of God, thought
it not robbery to be
equal with God:
But made
himself of no
reputation, and took
upon him the form of
a servant, and was
made in the likeness
of men: And being
found in fashion as
a man, he humbled
himself, and became
obedient unto death,
even the death of
the cross.”
And again in 2nd
Corinthians 8:9:
“For ye know the
grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that,
though he was rich,
yet for your sakes
he became poor, that
ye through his
poverty might be
rich.”
Jesus our Lord gave
up everything. He
sold all—to possess
us! He emptied
Himself of the glory
of heaven, His
position beside God
the Father, and took
on the form of a
servant, a human
like you and me. He
was born to die…for
you and for me!
John 3:16-18: “For
God so loved the
world, that he gave
his only begotten
Son, that whosoever
believeth in him
should not perish,
but have everlasting
life. For God sent
not his Son into the
world to condemn the
world; but that the
world through him
might be saved. He
that believeth on
him is not
condemned: but he
that believeth not
is condemned
already, because he
hath not believed in
the name of the only
begotten Son of
God.”
Can you understand
the depths of God’s
love that He would
give up the most
important thing in
all of eternity, His
only Son for
something so
unworthy, so
unrighteous, an
unclean thing in His
sight? How can this
be?
Romans 5:6-8: “For
when we were yet
without strength, in
due time Christ died
for the ungodly.
For scarcely
for a righteous man
will one die: yet
peradventure for a
good man some would
even dare to die.
But God commendeth
his love toward us,
in that, while we
were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.”
It comes down to one
complete description
of God’s
Love…AMAZING GRACE!
When John Newton
wrote that beloved
hymn, he summed it
up of why God came
seeking us and why
He loved us:
“Amazing Grace, how
sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch
like me.I once was
lost, but NOW I’m
found, was blind,
but now I see.”
My reader, Jesus
paid it all…gave up
all came from glory
in heaven to pay the
price for our
redemption. You and
I, and all who
believe are the
Pearl of Great
Price. He lived, He
died and rose again
that you might have
eternal life. Not
for anything you
did, but for His
unfathomable love
and AMAZING GRACE.
Won’t you accept His
free gift? It’s
already bought and
paid for. All you
have to do is say,
“Yes, Lord, I
believe.” Then
internalize this
great gift from God
by becoming a new
creature. Not
anything we can do,
but what He can in
us. Although we are
a lost and dying
creation, God loved
us even when we were
His enemies.
Romans 7:6-10: “For
when we were yet
without strength, in
due time Christ died
for the ungodly. For
scarcely for a
righteous man will
one die: yet
peradventure for a
good man some would
even dare to die.
But God commendeth
his love toward us,
in that, while we
were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.
Much more then,
being now justified
by his blood, we
shall be saved from
wrath through him.
For if, when we were
enemies, we were
reconciled to God by
the death of his
Son, much more,
being reconciled, we
shall be saved by
his life.”
You see, we didn't
deserve so great a
mercy that God would
give up everything
He possessed (even
His life), to redeem
a people so
unworthy. He came to
save all who would
follow Him by faith,
love and obedience
to become His Pearl
of Great Price. It
was solely for our
redemption and
according to His
unfathomable,
matchless love. That
love is for you, and
for me.
If there is anything
that I can help you
with, pray with you,
or just to listen,
drop me a line to:
realteam1999@sbcglobal.net
or visit
me online at:
www.churchofgod-usa.org.
This is
Pastor Mike Taylor,
praying you wellness
and health, until we
meet at Jesus’ feet.