45 Again,
the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who,
when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and
bought it. (Matt 13:45-46)
Trinity
Sunday.
The
Collect.
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LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace,
by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal
Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity; We
beseech thee that thou wouldest keep us stedfast in this faith, and evermore
defend us from all adversities, who livest and reignest, one God, world without
end. Amen.
It is interesting to note that the
Twelve Gates of the Holy City will be of Pearl: And the twelve gates were
twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city
was pure gold, as it was transparent glass (Rev 21:21). My wife,
Debbie, is in love with the beauty of God's Creation. One day as we were taking
our daily walk, she asked me what I thought of those Gates being made of Pearl –
why not ivory or jade, or some other valuable gem or substance? Not wanting, as
many clergy are likewise inclined, to show my ignorance, I blurted out some
nebulous response such as the gates must be opened just as the clams shell to
those seeking the pearl. Yes, I know – totally senseless! But my wife responded
with this explanation: "Pearls are formed by the tears of the clam
when a foreign object (sinner) comes into the heart of the clam. In the dark
depths of the sea (human heart), the beauty of the pearl gradually takes form and
assumes a nature that reflects a deep and inner beauty. It is the tears
of the clam (church) that forms the pearl. So God wishes to remind all who
enter in at the Gates of the City that He is mindful of the tears of the saints
that have formed the Gates' appearance." Perhaps God is also
reminding us to check our tears at the Gate since the Gate faces outward with
Pearl and not inward. Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into
thy bottle: are they not in thy book? (Psalms 56:8) Perhaps, as well,
God is telling us that our faithfulness through storm and fire is rewarded by
joy: They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. (Psalms
126:5)
Today's parable continues those of
Matthew 13 on the Kingdom of Heaven and its nature. In the Parable of the
Hidden Treasure in the field, the man who found that treasure may be the sinner
who has sought after and found Christ; however, it is more likely the Lord
Jesus Himself who gave His all on the cross to purchase us. Salvation
comes by grace and not by our own sacrifice. Of course, if it has some
application to the sinner, the selling of all that the sinner has to purchase
the field, could reflect the liquidation of all personal possessions that might
separate us from God and taking up our cross and following Him (as in the case
of the rich young ruler). The Parable of the Pearl has some similarity to the
Hidden Treasure in the Field as it relates to a possession of great value;
however, there is a great difference as well. In the Parable of the Hidden Treasure,
the farmer finds, quite by accident, the treasure that is hidden in the field;
but in the Parable of the Pearl of Great price, the merchant does not find the
Pearl by accident, but is in the business of knowing, and finding, pearls. The
farmer was not seeking treasure, but found it. The merchant is seeking pearls,
and finds one of greater value than any he has ever before seen. Being a lover
of pearls, this great pearl has won his heart and he MUST have it regardless
the price.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man,
seeking goodly pearls. This
is a merchant man who deals in pearls, and KNOWS pearls. His obsession is
pearls! Unlike gold and silver, pearls have unique qualities in size,
appearance, and beauty. Each one is made by the life (and tears) of the clam.
Such creation requires time and investment of natural life. The pearl is not a
gem of gleaming characteristic, but of translucent and deep beauty. Its beauty
is not reflected beauty from without (as in the case of a diamond), but a
quiet, humble inner beauty that reveals its very heart and nature. Gold and
silver needs refinement, but not the pearl. It is valuable as it is when it is
wrought from the clam.
Rt. Rev. Morgan Dix, former
Bishop of New York, writes: "No gem, in the estimation of the ancients,
surpassed the pearl in value. The old writers speak of it as altogether
wonderful, and to be honored above all jewels that the eyes of man have beheld.
Nothing else was so pure, so rare, so exquisite. As for its origin, they
thought it was at first a drop of dew from heaven, condensed within the sea
shell, and doubling there its native perfections. They thought, moreover, that
though born beneath the waves of the azure sea, it retained some unknown
connection with its home in the sky, taking its beauty from the aspect of the
heavens, and drawing virtue from them, limpid and clear when they were serene,
turbid and cloudy when they were overcast. Its iridescence seemed the result of
sympathy with the seven colors of the sunbeam; even the shell which enclosed it
partook of its silvery beauty and many-hued reflections; while it was accounted
the very queen of gems, as that to which no graver's tools nor implement of man
can add charm."
46 Who, when
he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and
bought it The Merchant must, by definition, be the Lord Jesus
Christ. A sinner does not make the search of the Gospel the goal of his life.
If he knew the Gospel, as this Merchant knows the Pearl, he would not be
seeking at all – he would have found it and would be safely ensconced in the
arms of Christ and His Church. Did not Christ love the Church so that He gave
His life (all that He had) for it? Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or
any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (Eph
5:25-27) Christ would have the Church to be without spot or blemish as it is
the nature of the pearly, unlike the diamond, to be without spot or blemish. He
cherishes the Church, as the Merchant did the Pearl, as His most valuable
possession. It is at the center of His devotion and longing. Take heed
therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost
hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased
with his own blood. (Acts 20:28) Christ is not the common merchant man
of the bazaar. He is a Merchant man who does not claim a profit for Himself,
but cherishes His merchandise as the Apple of His Eye! He has purchased the
Church at the greatest cost Heaven can pay, and He has claimed it as His beloved
and will not sell for any price though Satan is a constant bidder. Christ came
into the world seeking that which was lost, and He has found it and paid the
price of His life for it. For the Son of man
is come to save that which was lost. (Matt 18:11) He came for
you while you were lost, and still are, if you have not found Christ. Wherefore
the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure.
(2 Peter 1:10) Have you presumed too much on your election? Have you made it
sure through study and devotion?
