‘Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant who was seeking goodly pearls…’ (Matthew 13:45-46)
As was the case with the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast, so this parable follows on nicely after the parable of the hidden treasure and in a sense augments that whilst adding another perspective.
In the ancient world pearls were highly sought after and prized, not just for their monetary value, but also for their sheer beauty and merchants would often travel and go to great lengths to acquire them. For many pearls were the most beautiful and loveliest thing that one could possess. Therefore, to compare the Kingdom of Heaven to a pearl is to effectively say that God’s Kingdom is the most beautiful thing that any of us could know. There may be other ‘pearls’ that we might come across as we journey through life – but none can compare to the Kingdom of Heaven. So much so that, as we saw in the previous parable, when the man found it he went off and sold everything he had so that he might possess it.
The difference here, of course, is that this man was actively searching for this pearl and the lesson for us is clear. Whether we discover the joy of God in our lives during our everyday lives or through actively seeking for something that we are aware is missing in our lives, the result is the same. There is nothing can compare to knowing the Lord in our life and taking our place in His Kingdom.