Smoodock's Blog

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price seems so similar to the previous parable that it used to wonder me why Jesus put the two so close together. Wasn’t that redundant? Nevertheless, although there is a great similarity between the two, their meaning is not the same. There is a great difference between the two. In the Parable of the Hidden Treasure the man doesn’t seem to be “seeking” after the treasure, but he “found” (G2147) it and bought the field, where it was hidden. In the Parable of the Pearl of Great Value the ‘merchant’ was, indeed, searching for pearls, and, when he “found” (G2147) the one of great value, he sold all he had to purchase the pearl (Matthew 13:45-46). Thus, we see that the Greek word heurisko (G2147) doesn’t always imply a search was involved, but it may involve one. The Greek word means: to find, get, obtain, perceive, see.[1]

Just prior to the feeding of the 5000, the disciples told Jesus to dismiss the multitude so they could go into the nearby towns to “get” (G2147) food and lodging. The same Greek word is used there, and they knew the food was there. The people wouldn’t have to search for it, nor would they come upon it by accident. It simply meant that they would go to the place where they knew they could obtain food. According to the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, the man knew what he treasured was hidden in the field, and when he “saw” it (“found” it in the text) he purchased the field, allowing him to take possession of the hidden treasure (Matthew 13:44)!

The “merchants” in our present text (Matthew 13:45) are folks who are constantly searching for pearls of value, but Jesus offers us complete satisfaction, in that, if we partake of him, we’ll never hunger and thirst again (John 6:35), vis-à-vis once folks find Jesus, the search is over. In the text, when the merchant found the “one pearl of great price” he sold all he had to obtain the pearl.

Paul wrote to the Philippians, saying “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ, Jesus…” (Philippians 2:5). Then, he went on to describe how the One who became Jesus was rich, equal with God (Philippians 2:6), but he made himself ‘poor’ (sold all he had) and took upon himself the form of a man (Philippians 2:7), vis-à-vis he became flesh; he was spirit, but he laid aside the form of God in order to take on flesh, because in doing so permitted God, whom Jesus was prior to becoming man, to give up his life to obtain or purchase us (Philippians 2:8; cp. 1Corinthians 7:23). Paul’s point was to care for the needs of others (Philippians 2:2-4), just as Christ cared for what we needed (Philippians 2:5-8).

The idea is that, just as the One who became Jesus sold all he had to secure our salvation, so we need to count all we have as something at his disposal, spent, not only for our own physical necessities, but also for the physical needs of others. This is “selling” all we have (Matthew 13:46). We’re no longer seeking goodly pearls, because we’ve found the Pearl of Great Value, and are satisfied in him. While many still search for what they wish to possess, our search is over. We found the One who satisfied all our desires.          [EB1] 

[1] See Strongs Greek Dictionary.