Category: life

The Pearl of Great Price

“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.”

Matthew 13:45-46

The pearl was truly magnificent! This merchant had never seen one like this. It gleamed in his hands, and he knew he must have it. It wasn’t an option, he had to buy it. His response–sell everything to the highest bidder (of course), and buy it.

O.K. I’m going to take a different approach with this parable. Perhaps it’s not us seeking the precious pearl, (the kingdom of Heaven), rather, just maybe it’s about Jesus seeking us. This different interpretation isn’t as weird as it seems. Please read on.

We know that Jesus loves the Church. He gave up Himself for Her.

He loves everyone, but he’s crazy about his people. I have a shirt, and I’ll wear it sometimes when I feel like it could touch someone, it says “Jesus Loves You, but I’m His Favorite.” I know it’s funny, but maybe it’s true? I’m beginning to understand that he loves me, intensely, and He has given Himself to have me.

Perhaps we are the pearl?

Jesus sees, and he must have it. So He comes, and pays the price, he sells it all just to possess us. Now we know that there isn’t anything remarkable about us, and actually, we know our sinfulness, we’re spiritually evil all of the time. The theologians call it “the depravity of man.” (Ecclesiastes 9:3; Job 15:14-16; Matthew 15:19).

We become the “elect”(2 Timothy 2:10) when we really put our faith in what Jesus did for us. Believe me, that’s not what I feel or sense about myself. It’s not what the world sees. But it’s what He perceives, and He desperately wants me to understand, to truly be his own–and I don’t know why he would do such a thing.

It makes no sense to me at all.

“Love has reasons which reason cannot understand.”

    Blaise Pascal

hp

“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world,

that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 3:16, Amplified

Is Jesus Your Best Friend, or a Doctrine?

 

“A rule I have had for years is: to treat the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal friend. His is not a creed, a mere doctrine, but it is He Himself we have.”

  ~D.L. Moody

Friendship with God is a liberating secret for the believer. It releases us from the terrible bondage of religion and ritual with all its negative connotations. Intimacy with our Lord will carry us beyond creed or doctrine to the place of true communion.

It’s not that the Law is bad, but in the intense light of God’s grace, it’s really a very poor substitute. We value legalism, and that is precisely what we believe when we bypass the relationship. Doctrine is a good servant, but a poor master.

Grace always overcomes legalism. Love truly surpasses rules.

As good evangelicals, we talk big about a “personal relationship.” That is indeed crucial. But few be the believers that walk in a daily friendship with their Savior. That is truly a tragedy. We come oh so close, but we misunderstand the depth of the Gospel.

As a teacher of God’s Word, I mourn over my students when they miss out on what is real and true. I’m afraid for them. I’m also scared that I may just be adding to their confusion. The issue can be seen in Paul’s concern for the church in Corinth.

“I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends since I have told you everything the Father told me.”

John 15:15, NLT

Friendship with Jesus will bring true guidance. He shares secrets and wisdom with his friends. We are brought into a true knowledge of the Kingdom through the relationship of friendship with the King. We are not slaves– or drones, slavishly serving out of slavish fear.

We’re now His friends! (Imagine that.)

Jesus wants to confide in us; sharing wisdom and truth hidden by time and sin. And his kingdom is chock full of great mysteries! He is looking to bring us into a willingness of daily communion. Only through intimacy with Jesus can we handle what He wants to teach us. (see Psalm 25:14; John 15:15.)

He will heal our wounds, and forgive all our darkest sins. He is truly our Savior as well as our friend.

But friendship comes with a price. It means we are now tethered to the Lord. That can get old, especially when I want to do my own thing. I will continually have to lay something down and choose to accept being tethered and follow Him.

But my soul now has a best friend. Or just maybe, Jesus has been my friend all along, and I just didn’t know it.