Our Worth to God

Revelation of my mistake:

While researching for my next blog, I came across someone who pointed out that the man in the parable of the hidden treasure (shared last blog) wasn't spoken of by Jesus as searching for the treasure --just that he found it.

My husband and I joked that maybe he was just walking across the field, stubbed his toe on something, looked down, and there it was!

As I thought about this, I realized that I had written in my blog all about searching, and the passage really didn't say this. Which reminded me of how we can read something into Scripture based on our preconceived ideas. I'd spent hours reading this parable, thinking about all the possibilities, and missed the fact that I had written something that was not actually stated in it!

I wonder how often I do this. So, I want to reiterate that anything I share in these blogs is my opinion. Learn from what I share but be careful to hold things lightly. We all “see through a glass darkly.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)

Today's parable:

The parable I am looking at today follows directly on the hidden treasure one. In fact, they seemed so similar at first glance that I had thought about combining them in the same blog! But, as usual, the longer you look at something, the more complex the wonderings become.

“Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” 

(Matthew13: 45,46)

Here the focus is on the man, and he is searching.

The choice for Jesus of using the pearl for this illustration is interesting. The way pearls are made is fascinating. A piece of grit or sand enters between the shells of an oyster—an irritant that cannot be ejected. So, the oyster secretes a special protective coating to help reduce the irritation. Over time, layers of microscopic crystals of calcium carbonate are added that eventually form the iridescent gem, a process that can take from six months to 4 years. What an amazing provision of God! In Jesus’ time, pearls had just been discovered, and they were considered the costliest of gems. Wealthy Roman women would ornately display them. It is likely Jesus’ listeners had never even seen one.

The Kingdom as a Seeking Merchant:

And here in Jesus’ tale is a merchant seeking pearls, as a picture of the Kingdom. There are two possibilities regarding the merchant: he is a person seeking good things, or he is God seeking us. In my research I came across an article quoting St Augustine, and I felt I could not better his explanation.

St Augustine points out that a man seeking good pearls could be someone seeking good men whose example he could follow, and he finds one man, Christ Jesus. He could be seeking precepts by which to live, and he finds one, love of his neighbor. Or he could be seeking good thoughts, and he finds the Word of God. All of which could be the pearl of great price.

And then Augustine goes on to say, and I quote:

“its preciousness is the possession of ourselves, who are not free to possess it unless we despise all things that can be possessed in this world. For having sold our possessions, we receive no other return greater than ourselves, (for while we were involved in such things we were not our own,) that we may again give ourselves for that pearl, not because we are of equal value to that, but because we cannot give anything more."

I invite you to sit with that.

What it Means to Give All:

It reminds me of Jesus’ words about our life:

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” 

(Matthew 16 :25, 26)

And I wonder if having given up everything in our choice to follow Jesus, the life we now live is in some measure our gift back to God—the whole of us wanting “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This is both sobering and exhilarating! I am wrestling with these ideas. I invite you to sit with them also. And let me know what insights the Spirit shares with you.

Add to this: if Jesus was talking of God giving all to purchase the pearl of great price, which then stands for all humankind, that also puts great value on who we are. God sent His Son to live among us and die for us.

Paul tells us in his letter to the Christians at Ephesus: “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world…” (Ephesians 1:4).

God's Plan Despite Us:

I marvel at this God. Even before they began the creation of our world, God--Father, Son and Spirit--had already known these humans they had in mind would need something closer than spirit presence from God.  God created humans and declared all he had made very good.  (Genesis 1:31) How much later was it that Eve listened to the serpent, and she and Adam made that choice to disobey God? (Genesis 3: 1-7) At our church over recent months, we have been following the steps of the Israelites out of Egypt and on their way to the promised land. Following the instructions God gave Moses for the people, they “responded with one voice ‘Everything the Lord has said we will do’.” (Exodus 24: 3 and again in verse 7). Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and the 70 elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. (Exodus 24:9,10) Moses then went up the mountain alone to receive the stone tablets with the 10 commandments. There he received extensive instructions about the tabernacle and the priesthood. He was there for 40 days, and the people missing him demanded of Aaron to make gods to go before them. (Exodus 32:1) Really, guys? Really, Aaron?

And then what of us? We have all the Scriptures to give us knowledge. We live in the times after Jesus’ death and resurrection. How faithful are we to the commandments of Jesus?  

Lots to ponder:

Allow God to show you what matters for you in all I have shared here and to let go of that which is not important for you.

Let his light shine in your life today.