Treasure Hid in a Field Matthew 13:44
44“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
A Priceless Pearl Matthew 13:45-46
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Counting the Cost Luke 14:25-33
25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26 “Whoever comes to me and does not hatefather and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (See Matt. 10:34-39)
28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’
31Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?
32 If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
One High Priced PearlMay I tell you a story. It is pure fiction. It never happened. It is true none the less.
Mr. James Gray had been a buyer and seller of precious stones for his entire adult life. He had entered the business many years ago for the romance of it all. As a child he had heard of precious cargoes in Spanish galleons, and hidden treasures in Central America. Gems of beauty of all sorts had fascinated him, and so he had apprenticed himself to a merchant of precious gems.
Over the years that followed he handled the buying and selling of diamonds and rubies and a hundred other stones. He crossed the continents in his buying and selling, and in the process made his employer wealthy.
He was well paid for his efforts, but large salaries were not crucial for Mr. James Gray. He kept in the business because he was a dreamer. A childhood fantasy kept recurring. He wanted to find one gem that exceeded all others in beauty.
Early in his career he knew what that precious gem would be. Of all precious stones, the pearlhad captured his imagination. A precious stone, not only produced in its rough form by nature, but finished and polished by nature. And its shape! A perfect orb of beauty. It didn’t need the crude tools of the artisan to make it beautiful. It wasn’t flashy like the diamond, but the pearl had a depth, a richness, an allure that other precious things did not hold for him. And so in his buying and selling he handled all the jewels of the market place, but when pearls became available, his pulse increased as he looked them over.
Truth to tell, he was not entirely looking for pearls to increase his master’s revenue. Oh, of course he sold all that he bought and turned the revenue over to his master. But he had one stone in mind that when he found it, he would buy it for himself, out of his own funds, whatever it cost him.
He looked for the ultimate pearl. In his imagination he could see it already. Large, of course. Perfectly spherical, flawless, translucent in its beauty.
But the years went by and the pearl had not been found. He had been at this search for more than 20 years. But the child in him would not die, though it had gotten weary.
It all changed on that fateful day in October.
The day had progressed like so many others. He had met with a variety of sellers throughout the day, and had one final call to make. Someone had referred him to a small store in a Palestinian bazaar. His appointment was for 10:l5 p.m. He made his way to the store that by this time of the evening would normally be closed.
A placard on the door advertised the hours of business. The sign simply said “Always Open”. He opened the door to hear the tinkling of the bell suspended just above his head. This was obviously intended to alert the owner that someone had come.
The small shop was an immediate disappointment. It looked like an antique shop with a wide variety of articles on the shelves that were for sale. But this was not a place where a thing of beauty and a joy forever would be discovered. It was obviously a blind lead that had been given to him. He was about to turn away and head back to his hotel when the owner came through the curtained doorway at the rear of the small shop.
The owner was of nondescript appearance. Graying hair, kindly face, but other than that he looked similar to most people one would meet. He asked Mr. Gray whether he could be of any help.
Mr. James Gray began to respond somewhat apologetically. “Oh. I was just looking for pearls, but I see I’ve come to the wrong place.”
The storekeeper answered back, “Pearls?”
“Well actually, a specific pearl. Thank you for your time.”
As he turned away again to leave, the owner said, “I do have onepearl.”
The oddity of that short phrase arrested Mr. James Gray, “You do?”
The next few moments were the most exhilarating moments in the life of Mr. James Gray. The owner reached below his counter to bring out a small leather box that was looking rather shabby from its frequent handling. The storekeeper opened the box, and there it was. THE PEARL.
There was very little light in that dingy store, but it seemed as though that pearl caught every strand of light and magnified it and cast it back to illuminate the entire room. It was more beautiful than even the mind of Mr. James Gray had imagined it to be. He had never seen anything that captured him so. He knew in that moment that his long search was over. He slowed down his breathing; he tried to gather his composure. He lifted the small container closer to his eyes to get a better look. Then he took the gem out of its box and turned it round and round between his trembling fingers.
He looked at it through his magnifying lens. It was unbelievable. His eyes filled with tears. It was exquisite. He was stunned by its beauty. It was too good to be true. He shook his head to clear his mind.
After some considerable time of being caught up into the 3rd heaven, his eyes drifted from the pearl to meet the eyes of the storeowner. This was one precious gem that he would not bargain for. The shrewd buyer died in him right there. Whatever price was asked for it; he would pay it.
“I must have it! How much is it?”
“A great amount,” came back the cryptic response.
“How much?”
“It is very expensive.”
“Well, Can I buy it?”
“Anyone can buy it.”
“But can I afford it?” Mr. Gray enquired with tones of doubt and fear entering his voice.
The answer came back, “Anyone can afford it.”
“But I thought you said that it was very expensive
“It is, but anyone can afford it.”
He was puzzled by this strange conundrum. “Well I must have it. How much do you want? I’ll pay anything.”
“It will cost you whatever you have,” came back the response to the eager and desperate questioner.
It was then that the storeowner took out a pad of paper and the stub of a pencil. “What do you have?” he asked.
“I have only $45,000.”
The shop owner wrote the amount down on the pad.
“Do you have anything else?” he enquired.
“No, that’s all my life’s savings.”
“Well do you have anything in your pockets?”
Reaching into his wallet, somewhat confused, Mr. Gray said, “Well, I have $29.00 but….” and at those words the man added $29.00 to the former amount.
“Anything else?”
“No, that’s it all.”
The older man responded, “Where do you live?”
“Oh, in Calgary. I have a nice little home in the North West….” and before he was finished he heard the question,
“Oh, you have a home?” and he began to write that on the pad.
“But, if you take my home, I’ll have to live in my camper.”
“Ah, you have a camper too.” and that also went on the list.
Mr. Gray protested, “But if you take that I’ll end up sleeping in my car. I need a place to live!” He was cut off with the words, “The car also goes on the list.”
“You can’t do that, where will my wife and children live.” and again he was cut off with the enquiry, “Oh, you have a family? They too go on the list.”
Mr. James Gray was stunned.
The storekeeper spoke, “One thing more. I said it would cost you everything. It will cost you everything you have, everything you are, and anything and everything you will ever have in the future. You and all you have must be added to the list. If you want the pearl, I must have everything.”
In that moment, Mr. James Gray faced the biggest crisis of his life. The prize was so great. But the price was so high. His mind reeled with the implications. He didn’t know what to say.
It was then that the storeowner spoke up. “It will cost you everything, as I have said. However, you will be allowed the use of it in the meantime. You will become the steward of all that you formerly possessed, but remember, if you take the Pearl, they are all mine. If I ask you at any time, for any part of them, or all of them, you must surrender them to me.”
In the next few moments a transaction was carried out and Mr. James Gray walked through that door, not into the twilight zone, but into the Kingdom of God.
Further teachings of Jesus on the very same theme.
- Luke 14:25-33 The high cost
25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (See Matt. 10:34-39)
28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’
31Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
- Matthew 10:34-39
34“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
- Luke 9:23-25
23Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. 25 What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?
- Luke 18:29-30
8Then Peter said, “Look, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not get back very much more in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.
Conclusions
O why do I narrate that story to us today?
When you and I became Christians we entered into a great transaction. We made an agreement. Christ would give Himself to us, and we would give ourselves to Him. He, the ultimate Pearl of Great Price, would give Himself and all that he had, to us. In exchange we would give him all that we were and all that we had.
When we gave ourselves to him we gave him our sins and our guilt, we gave him our sordid pasts and rather dismal hopes for the future. We gave him our shame, our hurts, and our damaged relationships. And in exchange he gave us forgiveness and healing, and liberation. He gave us peace and joy. He gave us Himself and His Holy Spirit, and a family to belong to.
But we also gave to him on that day, not only the things that were damaged, but we also gave him all that was valuable in us. Perhaps you did not read the fine print of the contract, but it was there. In some way each of us said “All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give.” And that meant not only the damaged parts of our lives, but also every asset, every possession, and every ability.
The marvelous thing about God is that though he demands all, he takes so little. He asks us to surrender everything to him, and then gives it all back with interest.
But can I advance the application a bit. Some of us have sensed God calling us to give ourselves in ministry for His sake. We have been called to be His Servants as well as his Sons and Daughters! What a pearl of great price is that calling! Those who wish to be servants of God, however, are often called upon to give more of themselves than may be asked of others. But, though the price is high, the gift is glorious! Worth every penny!
prodigalprof 