Parable of Pricey Kingdom

Matt 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.

the_pearl_from_parable

Anonymous, 1900

In the parable of valuable kingdom we saw that it costs the entire wealth of the man to buy the field to inherit the hidden kingdom of Heaven. Here too it costs the entire wealth to inherit the kingdom of Heaven. However, there are some significant differences where Christ is teaching something different.

Parable of Valuable Kingdom Parable of Pricey Kingdom
man of any profession merchant
accidental discovery of treasure deliberately seeking pearl
sell does not know the treasure seller knew the value of pearl
remains hidden visible to all
value was set for the field excluding treasure value was set for the pearl
costs entire wealth costs entire wealth
bought the field not the treasure bought the pearl

The pearl of great price represents the kingdom of Heaven. It costs the entire wealth to buy that pearl. Unlike the parable of valuable kingdom, the merchant was deliberately seeking for the kingdom of Heaven where the seller knew the great value of it and it was not hidden from anyone. So, who is that merchant in the parable?

The Merchant

Matt 3:1-2 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!

Mark 15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

The Jews were deliberately expecting the kingdom of Heaven where both God and the Jews knew the high value of it. It was not hidden from them but being foretold by several prophets before hundreds of years.

Unlike the man in the parable of valuable kingdom who had to buy the field to inherit the kingdom of Heaven indirectly, the merchant can inherit the kingdom of Heaven directly by purchasing it. In other words, the field costs a lot lesser than the pearl because, the cost of the field does not include the value of the hidden treasure into consideration but the merchant who is buying the great pearl is giving the full price of it.

Matt 4:8-10 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

Matt 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

The man in the parable of the valuable kingdom did not pay for the treasure but inherited through the field but the merchant paid the full price of the pearl. So, who is this merchant? It’s Jesus Christ.

Luke 19:12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.

Luke 22:29 “And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me,

As mentioned in another parable, Christ is that nobleman who went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. Similarly, Christ is that merchant, who gave everything He had, His own life as the price and received a Kingdom from the Father.

Because He knew that we would never be able to pay the true price of that Kingdom which He already paid with His own life, He hid it in a field so that we can buy the field and inherit this valuable Kingdom.

The parable ends here where Christ is the merchant who paid the full price of the great pearl with His own life to purchase the Kingdom from the Father. However, it is incomplete without knowing what is the field in the parable of the valueable kingdom since these two parables are closely related.

The Field

The field represents Jesus Christ and the hidden treasure is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Rev 3:20-21 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

If we invite Christ into our life and overcome this world, we inherit His kingdom by sitting on His throne which He received from the Father, just as He overcame and sat down with the Father on His throne.

Conclusion

Christ is the merchant who paid the full price of the great pearl with His own life to purchase the Kingdom from the Father.  If we invite Christ into our life and overcome this world, we inherit His kingdom by sitting on His throne which He received from the Father, just as He overcame and sat down with the Father on His throne.

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