Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Jesus told plenty of parables as recorded throughout the gospels with each story meant to convey a particular truth. In this passage Jesus used the story of one great pearl which is salvation through Christ.

Salvation is a gift from God, not something that can be earned. Unlike other religions where adherents must try to earn their way to heaven, the cross of Jesus has done what no man can possibly do — remove our sins permanently. Believers are saved not by what they do, but what has been done for them.

Every living person is like a merchant going through life seeking something of great value. Some people erect skyscrapers, others build search engines, while the majority of us are simply seeking meaning through religions, philosophies, education, business, politics, etc. Each pursuit represents a pearl, but there is one pearl which is of much more value than all of the others combined — Jesus.

When a person finally finds that one pearl of great price, he sells everything else he owns and “buys in” to what Jesus has done for Him. Jesus provides the pearl and the means to buy that pearl — all that the seeker must do is to believe.

This particular parable immediately follows a similar parable (v.44) about a man finding a hidden treasure. Clearly, the greatest treasure available to us is what God has done for us and it is with joy that we invest everything we have in proclaiming that gift to others.

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