Matthew 13;45-46 Again the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who when he had found one pearl of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it.
As a business man I have always been intrigued and drawn to this story. While there are many different kinds of businesses the point is always to make money.
But Jesus isn't telling us a story to train us in business. Jesus is saying that in our spiritual life we could learn a lot from this merchant. Our pearl buyer had some values that Jesus wanted us to look at and follow.
The first thing Jesus tells us is that he was seeking pearls, and more he was seeking beautiful pearls. This merchant's customers were not at all interested in the more common or flawed pearls that he could easily find. So let me ask an uncomfortable question: are you looking for second best in spiritual things? Are you willing to settle for whatever seems easiest? When we buy cheap we get what we pay for, both in this world and in God's kingdom. In Christ we have an inheritance whose value is greater than we can imagine, but when we sell out for lesser things we will one day wish things were different.
Secondly we see this businessman take immediate action. He knew that just knowing where the pearl of great price was didn't give him any advantage. He looked at what he had, counted the cost and then sold everything to raise the capital he would need for his investment. Jesus wanted us to know that God's kingdom operates on those same principles. We can't have it all. We have to choose what to sell and what to buy. The dilemma is that this merchant had many pearls and he had to decide if selling all of them to buy just one would be worth the price. More than that he decided immediately. He recognized that this was the opportunity of a lifetime. He knew that he might never again have the same chance. He took action because he knew the value of pearls and he knew that even though he sold everything, the one pearl he could buy would still be of even greater value!
Last we see that the pearl of great price became his. He could bring it home and claim it as his own. It no longer was a goal to be pursued but a possession to be treasured. In the same way Jesus reassures us that the kingdom of heaven can be ours. That is why the gospel is good news. It is not just that the kingdom of God is real, but that it can be ours by faith. Faith is our own decision. No one can force us or do it for us. Faith in what God has given us in Christ is our own personal opportunity.When we choose to see and recognize the awesome value of Jesus Christ there can be no lesser pearl that will hold our hearts.
Jesus Christ himself is the treasure of heaven and all of life's riches pale in comparison to knowing him. Jesus is the pearl of greatest price that we can find when we look for him with all our hearts. Though we have nothing to offer that could purchase God's gift, it will mean leaving behind everything we have just to know Him... And knowing Christ and having Him as the treasure of our hearts means that just as we belong to Him so also He will belong to us!
Secondly we see this businessman take immediate action. He knew that just knowing where the pearl of great price was didn't give him any advantage. He looked at what he had, counted the cost and then sold everything to raise the capital he would need for his investment. Jesus wanted us to know that God's kingdom operates on those same principles. We can't have it all. We have to choose what to sell and what to buy. The dilemma is that this merchant had many pearls and he had to decide if selling all of them to buy just one would be worth the price. More than that he decided immediately. He recognized that this was the opportunity of a lifetime. He knew that he might never again have the same chance. He took action because he knew the value of pearls and he knew that even though he sold everything, the one pearl he could buy would still be of even greater value!
Hebrews 12:1 reminds us to run with patience the race that is marked out for us and to throw off everything that slows us down. There are moments when life seems confusing and we feel as if we are running aimlessly. It is at those times important to look for the landmarks that God has placed along our way. There are people in the crowd who God has put there to watch our race. There are the promises of God's word that tell us when we have gotten off track and there is the quiet voice of our own conscience that pulls us back from dark paths leading away from God.
God has marked our course, but when we allow confusion to rule. temptations to enter or weariness to make us turn aside we get in trouble. The distractions of life do not have to get us off course. If it seems today that you are overwhelmed with a thousand things then it is time to step back and see the bigger horizon of eternity that is the finish line of the race God has given us all. There across the far horizon our struggle seems much smaller and the twists and turns of our race straighten out. There at God's own throne we see Jesus standing waiting for us and encouraging us to go on. He is the one who fired off the starting gun at the beginning of our race and He is the one who is waiting to greet us at our finish line. Don't give up. Don't allow discouragement to rule your heart today. Don't allow circumstance or obstacles to make it seem that the race is lost. 
