the scriptorium

Sunday, September 01, 2002

I was listening to the local Christian radio station the other day (the one that plays contemporary Christian music, not the one that has mostly teaching), and the DJ came on between songs and was talking and mentioned something about being “a precious pearl.” I knew he was referring to the reference in Matthew 13 about the “pearl of great price.” That got me thinking about the previous verses in the passage, where the man finds a treasure in a field and buys it to get the treasure. Here’s the reference: Matthew 13:44-46--”The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all that he had and bought that field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

I had always heard these parables explained as the “pearl” and the “treasure” being salvation, and that we were to be willing to give up all that we own to possess it. While I’m sure that’s a valid interpretation, I began to think, “What if that isn’t the only interpretation? What if we really are the ‘pearl’ and the ‘treasure’?” What if this really is the story of God the Father considering us to be treasures and pearls and His paying the ultimate price, all that He owned, His greatest ‘asset’, His only Son, in order to purchase us?

Unlike the previous parable in this passage, Jesus doesn’t go back at the end and say, “The man is so-and-so, the field is such-and-such,” and so on. But, just a few verses previously (Matthew 13:38), when Jesus is explaining the parable of the sower, he says, “The field is the world.” Later, in John 4:35, Jesus again uses the ‘field’ metaphor to describe the world: ”Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” Paul also uses this metaphor in 1 Corinthians 3:9 when he says, “You are God’s field.”

This may be old news to most of you, but it was very encouraging for me to contemplate God’s attitude towards us and His love for us. Selah!

posted by #Debi at 9:16 PM | permalink | 0 comments