A Cherished Pearl

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There is a recurring reference in the New Testament to the value of pearls. This seems weird to us today because in our world pearls are far more common than in ancient times. When Jesus speaks of a pearl, he speaks of something exorbitantly luxurious and expensive. It's with this context that we hear Jesus speak about the Kingdom of Heaven being like a pearl for which we would sacrifice anything to attain. This begs the question: do I value the kingdom of heaven as Jesus describes? Do I see the glory of God as something worth any sacrifice or are there still cheaper goods I'd rather keep from my worldly life? Sacrifice is a key element of our walk with Christ because it prepares our hearts to eschew the cheaper "treasures" of the world in favor of something more glorious and more enduring.

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What’s Up With Pearls?

There are odd references to pearls in the Bible that might confuse us today. You have to remember that in the days of the Bible, pearls were extremely rare and more valuable than diamonds are today.
Famously, Cleopatra sought to impress Roman general Marc Antony with her wealth by dissolving a pearl in wine.
Read how Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven in terms of pearls… Matthew 13:44-46
Matthew 13:44–46 CSB
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46 When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.
Read what Jesus says to His disciples in Matthew 13:44-46. Pause for about 30 seconds and think about what Jesus is communicating about the value of the kingdom of Heaven. 1) What themes appear in the two parables in verses 44-46? 2) How would you rephrase this parable in a way that resonates with a modern crowd?
Jesus pointing as willingness to sacrifice
Matthew 10:39 “39 Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.”
It’s not suicide; it’s realizing the value of something.
This explains what is meant when we read things like Matthew 10:37 “37 The one who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
When we realize what we have in Christ, it makes far more sense why so many would give up so much in the name of their Creator.

Deny Yourself

Matthew 16:24–27 CSB
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. 26 For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each according to what he has done.
Read what Jesus says about self-denial in Matthew 16:24-27. Pause for 30 seconds and reflect on what Christ is saying. 1) What does it mean to “deny [yourself], take up [your] cross, and follow [Christ]” in practical terms? 2) How does this differ from simply being a participant in a religion? 3) Why is it so necessary for us to be willing to “follow Christ”… and where do you think Christ was talking about us going as we “follow”?
Jesus’ discourse focuses almost entirely on choice. Regardless of your theological leanings, Jesus is explicitly outlining that there is a choice for believers to make and that we will be rewarded according to that choice (verse 27).
Common theme —> Understanding where our rewards lies.
Context: Christ was talking about his death
Matthew 16:21 “21 From then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.”
Sacrifice isn’t about the suffering… it’s about rejuvenation.
Willingness to move away from worldly things ensures our hearts are ready to become the better creation God would have us be

A New Creation

God’s call to deny ourselves isn’t simply made to punish us or force us to “prove” our hearts to God. God already knows your heart, so what would be the point in that? Instead, the objective of denying the world is preparing ourselves for something better.
2 Corinthians 5:16–19 CSB
16 From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! 18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.
Read how Paul talks about life-after-sacrifice in 2 Corinthians 5:16-19. Pause for 30 seconds and reflect on what it means to be “a new creation”. 1) What facets of life do we often cling to or find it difficult to sacrifice? 2) How can clinging to these worldly things dampen or compromise our spiritual walk, our discipleship journey, or our mission work?
A lot of people misapply the concept of sacrifice to their life. They treat the concept of sacrifice as something you must do to “prove yourself” or to somehow “earn favor” with God.
What you do is irrelevant to the favor of God; God favors you as a reflection of Himself regardless of what you do or do not do.
Sacrifice is essential because it’s what enables us to be sanctified from a dying world… we sacrifice what is death, and turn to what is life. CHOOSE LIFE.
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