February 24 WHY SELL IT ALL?
The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Matt. 13:45, 46, R.S.V.
When Jesus tells a parable, even the little details of sequence and timing are important to the story. In this one-sentence parable Jesus speaks to that all-important issue of why one would choose to be a committed Christian. But notice when it is that a person makes such a choice.
More closely than we might recognize at first, we can identify with the merchant's insistence on obtaining only fine pearls; nothing less than the finest can satisfy the deepest longing of the heart. We who have sought satisfaction in the trinkets and plastic gems of this dusty planet know the emptiness they leave behind when they crumble. Though we stagger at the anticipated price, we know that were we to find the ultimate pearl we would give up every lesser gem to obtain it. Meanwhile, we hang on to what we have, for it seems to us better than nothing at all.
In Jesus' parable the merchant first finds the pearl and perceives its great worth. Then, with a knowledge of what he is about to gain in the transaction, he willingly sells everything that would divide his attention, every investment in something of lesser value, in order to obtain that which would ultimately satisfy. Were you to ask him if he is paying too costly a price, he would laugh and tell you he is getting the bargain of a lifetime.
Jesus is Himself the pearl. He is available immediately to all who will embrace Him as the center of their lives. But we must recognize that He does not ask us to give up all that we presently cling to until we recognize the value of His friendship. This really says something very practical about our Saviour. He does not urge us to step from our sinking iceberg until we know that what we are stepping onto is firm soil.
Jesus has nothing to gain by hiding from us the great value of the pearl, then urging a blind leap in the dark. Nor does He rebuke us as perversely selfish for clinging to the only securities we know. Instead, He persuasively shows us His great value as a friend. Then, on the basis of such evidence, we choose the security of obviously greater worth.
The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Matt. 13:45, 46, R.S.V.
When Jesus tells a parable, even the little details of sequence and timing are important to the story. In this one-sentence parable Jesus speaks to that all-important issue of why one would choose to be a committed Christian. But notice when it is that a person makes such a choice.
More closely than we might recognize at first, we can identify with the merchant's insistence on obtaining only fine pearls; nothing less than the finest can satisfy the deepest longing of the heart. We who have sought satisfaction in the trinkets and plastic gems of this dusty planet know the emptiness they leave behind when they crumble. Though we stagger at the anticipated price, we know that were we to find the ultimate pearl we would give up every lesser gem to obtain it. Meanwhile, we hang on to what we have, for it seems to us better than nothing at all.
In Jesus' parable the merchant first finds the pearl and perceives its great worth. Then, with a knowledge of what he is about to gain in the transaction, he willingly sells everything that would divide his attention, every investment in something of lesser value, in order to obtain that which would ultimately satisfy. Were you to ask him if he is paying too costly a price, he would laugh and tell you he is getting the bargain of a lifetime.
Jesus is Himself the pearl. He is available immediately to all who will embrace Him as the center of their lives. But we must recognize that He does not ask us to give up all that we presently cling to until we recognize the value of His friendship. This really says something very practical about our Saviour. He does not urge us to step from our sinking iceberg until we know that what we are stepping onto is firm soil.
Jesus has nothing to gain by hiding from us the great value of the pearl, then urging a blind leap in the dark. Nor does He rebuke us as perversely selfish for clinging to the only securities we know. Instead, He persuasively shows us His great value as a friend. Then, on the basis of such evidence, we choose the security of obviously greater worth.
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