The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

Matthew 13:45-46 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

What does a pearl signify?
Pearl is mentioned in the Bible as something valuable like ruby, gold, diamond, etc. However pearl has other meaning, as in the following verse.

Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

The verse is written in synonymous parallelism and from this we can deduce that "pearl" means something that is "holy".

We also see that "dogs" and "swine" are equivalent in their character in this parallelism.

2 Peter 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

"The dog is turned to his own vomit again" What does this exactly mean?

Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

Elaborating the meaning of "fool" under this context.. Connecting to Proverbs 1:7

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

We arrive to a logical deduction that "pearl" is wisdom and instruction (knowledge). Knowledge of the Word of God.

Now that we understand the meaning of the "pearl", let us go back to the parable and find out the meaning of the "Pearl of Great Price".

The merchant man is you, who is seeking the pearls (knowledge of the word of God). "See and ye shall find"; he has the desire to find the deeper things of God.

It is not a literal meaning that you can buy this pearl with money. But it is obtained with sacrifice. IT is forsaking material wealth for spiritual wealth. It is pulling down the barn and seeking the treasures in heaven. It is losing the world to save the soul. It is serving God and ignoring the mammon. It is losing one's life for the Lord's sake, to find it. Indeed it is a "great price" but yet very small compared to the value of the pearl. Our life on earth is just a fleeting moment in eternity...

Why did Jesus choose the pearl for this parable? Let us see some features of the pearl.

In order for the pearl to be formed, it must be seeded. As in the parable of the sower, this is the word of God which takes root on a fertile ground. As the seed which grows to a plant and bears fruit, the seed in the oyster becomes a beautiful pearl. The pearl is pearlescent white and shines with luster, denoting the purity and knowledge.

Let us remember who the word of God is.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.

Psalm 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

Although this parable is about the pearl we must not neglect how this pearl is grown. It is grown inside the shell, hidden from view and it is grown with affliction (irritation) of the mantle. It is a metaphor for the refining fire and the purification thereof. The pearl is in you, the pearl is the inner man.

In performing the communion we eat the bread (unleavened) and drink the wine. The bread symbolizes the word of God, and the wine, the Holy Spirit. His Spirit and our spirit becomes one. As if you pour milk into a glass of water and mix.