Pearl of Great Price
By Jenny Komenda
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a
merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
Who, when he had found one pearl of great
price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Matthew 13:45-46
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In Matthew 13, Jesus tells of a merchant who, upon finding a
single pearl of surpassing value, sold everything he had to obtain it. In just two verses, Christ captures the essence of discipleship: the kingdom of heaven is worth all we have and all we are. Though likely Christ’s shortest parable, the image and meaning of the pearl of great price loomed large in the early Christian imagination and was richly explored by Christ’s first followers.
In the 1st century Hymn of the Pearl, preserved in the Acts of Thomas, a young prince is sent by his royal parents, the King of Kings and the Queen of the East, down into Egypt to retrieve a great
pearl guarded by a terrible serpent. They covenant with him that, if he returns home with the pearl, he will be invited to put his glittering robes back on and will be made an heir in the kingdom together with his oldest brother, the second in command. But upon arriving in that foreign land, the prince dresses himself in Egyptian clothes so as not to stand out, and is soon tricked into eating their food, causing him to forget who he is and that he is on a mission. Soon, he is serving the king of Egypt. Only when a letter arrives from his parents
and elder brother—reminding him of his royal nature and his sacred mission—does he awaken, overcome the serpent, and reclaim the pearl. The Hymn ends with the prince being lovingly welcomed home and made an heir to the kingdom. Early Christians understood this as our story: we are children of God who have temporarily forgotten our origin and worth, and Christ’s gospel is the heavenly letter that rouses us to remember who we truly are and what we were sent to find.
Another ancient Christian text only rediscovered in the 20th
century at Nag Hammadi, The Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles, tells of a pearl merchant who walks through a city crying, “Pearls! Pearls!” The wealthy dismiss him, assuming he has nothing worth buying. But the poor and hungry, along with Peter and the other apostles, ask to see the pearl. The merchant—Christ in disguise—tells them he will freely give it to them, but they must first journey to his city to receive it. He explains that no one can travel on the road “except one who has forsaken everything,” bringing along no provisions. They are told that those bringing bread will be attacked by dogs. Those wearing expensive clothes will be killed by robbers. Wolves will attack those carrying water. Lions will attack those with meat, and bulls will attack anyone with green vegetables. Only those willing to travel light, trusting entirely in the Merchant’s promise that He will “give strength” and “great power” to those that walk it in faith, will arrive safely and be gifted the pearl of great price.
Together, these stories illuminate what Christ taught in His original
parable. The pearl is freely given—we cannot ‘earn’ Christ’s atoning grace—and yet it costs us everything, because we must lay down every false treasure we have been clutching to receive it. As Matthew Henry wrote, “Most are deceived, and take up with counterfeits for pearls. Jesus Christ is a Pearl of great price; in having him, we have enough to make us happy here and forever.”
Have you found that Pearl? And are you willing to travel light enough
to receive it?
