45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45–46 ESV)
Matthew 13:1-50 contains seven parables concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. These include the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:3-23), the Parable of the Weeds (13:24-30), the Parable of the Mustard Seed (13:31-32), the Parable of the Leaven (13:33), the Parable of the Hidden Treasure (13:44), the Parable of the Pearl of Great Value (13:13:45-46), and the Parable of the Net (13:47-50). Today’s study concerns the Parable of the Pearl of Great Value.
Jesus indirectly compared the kingdom of heaven to a treasure (Matt. 13:44). He also compared the kingdom to a pearl of great worth.
Jesus tells a tale of a merchant. Merchant (ἔμπορος; emporos) means an individual involved in commerce and trade. In other words, this individual was a businessman perhaps involved in the shipping trade. This would be reasonable since he was searching for fine pearls.
“Pearl hunting, also known as pearling, is the activity of recovering pearls from wild mollusks, usually oysters or mussels, in the sea or freshwater. Pearl hunting was prevalent in the Persian Gulf region and Japan for thousands of years,” explains one scholar. “Historically the mollusks were retrieved by freediving, a technique where the diver descends to the bottom, collects what they can, and surfaces on a single breath.”
“Divers sought pearls in the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean, and some pearls could be worth the equivalent of millions of dollars. Jesus’ hearers were probably familiar with the basic story line; there seems to have been a folktale that ran similarly, although it did not make the same point about the kingdom,” explains commentator Craig Keener.
The merchant in Jesus’ parable was not just attempting to find any kind of pearls. Rather, he was actively searching for fine pearls. Fine (καλός; kalos) means beautiful and valuable.
“Before the beginning of the 20th century, the only means of obtaining pearls was by manually gathering very large numbers of pearl oysters or mussels from the ocean floor or lake or river bottom. The bivalves were then brought to the surface, opened, and the tissues searched. More than a ton were searched in order to find at least 3-4 quality beads,” states a scholar.
“In order to find enough pearl oysters, free-divers were often forced to descend to depths of over 100 feet on a single breath, exposing them to the dangers of hostile creatures, waves, eye damage, and drowning, often as a result of shallow water blackout on resurfacing. Because of the difficulty of diving and the unpredictable nature of natural pearl growth in pearl oysters, pearls of the time were extremely rare and of varying quality.”
In his search, the merchant discovered one pearl of great value. One can imagine that after his extensive searching, the man’s efforts were finally rewarded. However, Jesus gives no reason why the man would need to sell all he had to buy the pearl he found. It is sufficient to understand that the pearl was of greater value than all he previously possessed.
“Jesus uses illustrations to which His contemporaries can easily relate. Given the potential for political instability and invasions, as well as the non-existence of safety deposit boxes, ancient Jews often buried their valuables. Sometimes these treasures were abandoned, and finding one that had been left behind was a once-in-a-lifetime event. That such a treasure is found indicates the kingdom’s rarity and therefore, its preciousness. Pearls were more highly valued in first-century Palestine than diamonds are in our culture. Other biblical passages use pearls to illustrate all-surpassing worth (Rev. 21:21), and so Jesus likens the kingdom to a precious pearl,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.
“These parables teach us primarily how we must value Jesus’ kingdom. Yet they also tell us about the people our Redeemer saves. As with the man in the field, some “stumble upon” Christ when they are not looking for Him. Others travel various spiritual paths for years before “finding Jesus,” just as the merchant searches tirelessly for the costliest pearl. God’s grace calls the spiritually apathetic as well as those who believe themselves to be seeking Him.”
Do you personally possess the treasure of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the pearl of great value? It is only available by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.
Soli deo Gloria!
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