This is the story of a merchant man who finds this one great precious pearl and sells all that he has to purchase this one pearl. One pearl has been found that is the size of a football that was found in a giant clam. It weighed 14 lbs and was worth £10,000,000.

The normal interpretation is that the merchant is a sinner who is looking for salvation. This is obviously not true as it is God who seeks man. Also how can a sinner sell anything to buy salvation? The goodness of the whole world could not buy salvation. Jesus Christ is not for sale. It is blasphemy to say that it is. See Romans 6:23

The pearl of great price is the Church. The merchant man is the Lord Jesus Christ who purchases the pearl.

1 – How this pearl is wrought

The formation of a pearl is a wonderful picture of the church. The best pearls come for the Persian gulf at about 150 feet. Some grit or irritation gets into the clam and the clam begins to cover that ugly or filthy thing until something beautiful is made. A pearl is unique as it made of something living and cannot be divided. An emerald or diamond can be divided but if a pearl is divided it is ruined.

A pearl is just like the church. It goes from guilt to glory. The grit or grime of our sin has been covered over with the righteousness of Christ. The church has been taken from darkness in to life. A pearl is taken from the ocean deep and extracted. The church is formed from start to finish. The church cannot be divided or carved. There is one universal church without spot or blemish. God knows those who belong.

2 – How this pearl is sought

See Psalm 45:11 We are beautiful in the eyes of Jesus. God seeks through so many different means to bring people to him. It may be at weddings or funerals. It may be when people are at their highest or lowest.

3 – How this pearl is bought

The merchant man sold all that he had to buy the pearl. See 2 Corinthians 8:9. Jesus became bankrupt. He left heaven to die for our sins. Jesus could have called 10,000 angels to rescue him. We cannot buy Jesus. He is not for all. Jesus took our sin and covered it with the glory of grace and made it beautiful. Jesus is the merchant man and he is seeking you. You need to understand that Jesus Christ is the only answer for your sin. He will cover it over and over to make you a precious pearl in his sight.

Categories: Matthew