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Pearls are beautiful things. Many women own a strand of pearls. They have been prized for centuries. They actually come in many colors, including pink, green, blue, grey and black. But white is the most popular. Did you know that the biggest pearl ever found was discovered by a Philippine fisherman in 1996? It weighs 37 kilograms – that’s over 81 pounds! It is 67 centimeters in length or just over two feet. Named the Pearl of Puerto, it was never sold.1 So, determining its value is difficult. But the second largest pearl ever found, the Pearl of Lao Tzu is valued at $3.5 million.2 Can you imagine finding either one of these pearls?
Jesus told this parable in Matthew 13:45-46, “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.” (NIV)
This sounds a lot like the parable of the hidden treasure, right? That man also sold all he had so he could buy the field with the treasure. This parable highlights the great value of being a part of God’s kingdom. It’s worth everything we have.
But are you puzzled? Jesus told these two parables on the same day, one right after the other. Did you notice that word “again”? Why did he tell both parables? I think Jesus told them together to emphasize the point. Nothing is more valuable than knowing Jesus!
1Nancy Levin, “9 Largest Pearls Ever Found,” Largest.org, March 29, 2020, https://largest.org/nature/pearls/.
2Ruth Daly, “The 10 Most Expensive Pearls In The World,” The Richest, March 15, 2014, https://www.therichest.com/luxury/the-10-most-expensive-pearls-in-the-world/
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Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.