The Pearl

LoveDivine

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I thought it might be very interesting to start a discussion about the parables that Christ taught during his earthly ministry. I find it amazing how these short and simple parables contain so much spiritual insight and direction. My favorite parable is recorded in Matthew 13:45-46. The parable of the Pearl of Great Price. "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it."

This parable is my favorite for one simple reason. Those two short verses had such an impact on my mind and soul as I read it several years ago. I had known and read this parable many times previously in the past. Although I had always understood the meaning of those verses and could appreciate them, it had never struck me so strongly as it did this time. Prior to reading this parable, I had been struggling with coping with disappointments in life. I was finding it increasingly difficult to have joy and be hopeful that certain circumstances in my life would ever change. As I read those verses something just clicked. What a privilege and immense richness it is to find Jesus Christ and have a deep relationship with him. If you have that then nothing else in life truly matters. I know this gets said all the time and it can seem cliche. In reality though, we, as Christians, often lose sight of what is available to us. Much of our misery and loneliness in life is caused or at least compounded by our lack of pursuing fellowship with Christ. Our real purpose in life is to win others to Christ and develop our own personal faith. That is what brings us true joy and happiness. If we stray from that purpose and neglect our spiritual life, we will be without strength and grace to overcome life's struggles.

I think it could be very edifying and interesting to all share our thoughts on this parable and discuss how a person could go about developing a spiritual life. Let's try to keep this thread as uplifting as possible.
 

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Oh good topic!
Well, one that touched me and found very useful for a picture of how spiritual life grows is the parable of the sower.

But the pearl of great price is a very precious 'seed' if you will. Another thing about pearls is, that they come about through irritation actually. If you look at how oysters make their pearls its a very interesting process.
 
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Gnarwhal

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Excellent topic, very apropos!

You're absolutely right. I'm guilty myself of despairing over the idea of never meeting the right girl, and all of that. Though I think the more in-tune we live with God, the less that stuff actually matters to us. It's not that the idea itself becomes less meaningful, but it's put in it's proper perspective. We no longer have a singular focus on our future when it comes to relationships and marriage, but rather we understand the expansiveness of the Christian faith in all facets of our lives and we try to give all of those other areas equal attention and effort.
 
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ReesePiece23

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Matthew 13:24-30

I actually picked an ear of wheat from the field outside of my house, and pressed it in my bible at that verse in Matthew. I think it's a great little reminder of why Jesus doesn't want us to procrastinate. (At least that was my understanding. I'm still just a student in the making where Christianity is concerned.)
 
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Ubuntu

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I believe that this parable has a dual application. Not only can it be read as a parable about man 'finding' Christ, it's just as much a parable about Jesus as a heavenly merchant. We're told that he became poor for our sake. (2 Corinthians 8:9.) First he came down from the unspeakable glory of heaven to live among us, then he laid down his own life. So it can definitively be said that Jesus 'sold everything he had'. This teaches us something about the worth of mankind, humanity is a pearl of immense value in the eyes of God. The value of a person can only be understood in the light of the Cross, that Jesus himself would rather die than to see a single person being eternally lost.
 
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LoveDivine

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Oh good topic!
Well, one that touched me and found very useful for a picture of how spiritual life grows is the parable of the sower.

But the pearl of great price is a very precious 'seed' if you will. Another thing about pearls is, that they come about through irritation actually. If you look at how oysters make their pearls its a very interesting process.

That is an interesting point. I hadn't thought about that. It's true though that some of the most beautiful things in life or character development result from adversity and suffering.
 
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LoveDivine

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Excellent topic, very apropos!

You're absolutely right. I'm guilty myself of despairing over the idea of never meeting the right girl, and all of that. Though I think the more in-tune we live with God, the less that stuff actually matters to us. It's not that the idea itself becomes less meaningful, but it's put in it's proper perspective. We no longer have a singular focus on our future when it comes to relationships and marriage, but rather we understand the expansiveness of the Christian faith in all facets of our lives and we try to give all of those other areas equal attention and effort.

I really agree with this. I think the more we develop that communion with Christ, the more spiritually fulfilled we are and the less attached we are to this earthly life. I think that the natural desire or longing for a spouse will always be there, but there will also be contentment and peace. I think in our loneliness, we forget that we have the opportunity to experience deep fellowship and companionship with Christ. If you really contemplate that, it is astounding that Christ desires and offers that level of fellowship with each one of us.
 
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LoveDivine

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Matthew 13:24-30

I actually picked an ear of wheat from the field outside of my house, and pressed it in my bible at that verse in Matthew. I think it's a great little reminder of why Jesus doesn't want us to procrastinate. (At least that was my understanding. I'm still just a student in the making where Christianity is concerned.)

Thanks for the input. That is quite an interesting parable as well. I think we are all still students when it comes to understanding all of the applications and meaning of each parable. I think that is what makes the parables that Christ taught so fascinating. I see your point about procrastination. I think that would apply to the first verse about the master sleeping and having the enemy overrun his field. I think we could take that as a warning to be vigilant with our spiritual life. When we are resting and unprepared, we are open to attacks from the devil.

I have always found it interesting that that parable practically warns us that Christianity will be over-run with troublemakers and false converts (the weeds) We may be unsure of who is genuine, but Christ knows who his real followers are. I think it interesting that the landowner tells his servants to let the weeds and wheat grow together until harvest. You would think that he would command them to vigilantly uproot all the weeds to allow the wheat to grow more easily. It seems it is the exact opposite though. We all grow and mature by learning how to deal with those around us who are not genuine.
 
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Goodbook

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Yes thats interesting about the wheat and the tares.
Another poignant parable.

That also relates to the parable of the sower but in a different way. Some of those weeds can be thorns and thistles that choke out the young seedlings, these must be cleared and burned but there are other kinds of weeds.
 
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High Fidelity

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Great topic, and yes. I think it's very easy to miss what's truly important in this life. It's easy to get caught up and as a poster said perfectly yesterday "It's difficult to live in the world and not be of the world".

But yes, The Great Commission -- a calling to advance a kingdom. If anyone's ever feeling lost or without cause, they need only remember that.
 
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High Fidelity

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That also relates to the parable of the sower but in a different way. Some of those weeds can be thorns and thistles that choke out the young seedlings, these must be cleared and burned but there are other kinds of weeds.

Indeed and we need to be careful as Christians to sow only good seeds. Standing by the field handing out the wrong sort of seeds is natural to many Christians, tragically so when they're under the assumption that they are advancing His kingdom.

In many ways it highlights the necessity of being an Ambassador for Christ and ties both parables together; pursuit of the only things that matter and doing it properly in the process. Causing people to stumble, be it directly or indirectly through justification of sin, it's the same as sowing the wrong seeds and inhibits a person's ability to pursue that pearl.

I like that about the parables. Many of them reinforce the others perfectly :)
 
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LoveDivine

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Indeed and we need to be careful as Christians to sow only good seeds. Standing by the field handing out the wrong sort of seeds is natural to many Christians, tragically so when they're under the assumption that they are advancing His kingdom.

In many ways it highlights the necessity of being an Ambassador for Christ and ties both parables together; pursuit of the only things that matter and doing it properly in the process. Causing people to stumble, be it directly or indirectly through justification of sin, it's the same as sowing the wrong seeds and inhibits a person's ability to pursue that pearl.

I like that about the parables. Many of them reinforce the others perfectly :)

Great point. I think that communion with Christ and the Great Commission go hand in hand. The more you pray and fellowship with Christ, the more in tune you become to His will. I think that fellowship also sharpens your discernment and clarity. This will enable a person to see more clearly the areas in his own life that are lacking and also better prepare him to present the gospel properly to others. I think people tend to adopt wrong ideas or misconceptions about the Christian faith, because they lack that experiential aspect of Christianity. To actually KNOW God on a personal level is very different. I think it's impossible to experience that fellowship with Christ and not grasp the reality of the severity of continuing in a sinful or carnal state. I think that the advancement of Christ's kingdom and winning the lost, starts with personal renewal. We have to be in a proper spiritual state to be able to effectively reach others.
 
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Goodbook

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It interesting that the parable is about plants growing TOGETHER. Obviously we are not isolated in our faith. Also if you know anything about gardening that plants do grow better together and weeds can be used for mulch. Just don't allow them to set seed and take over.
 
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High Fidelity

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I think that the advancement of Christ's kingdom and winning the lost, starts with personal renewal.

Indeed. It's marketing something you know nothing of. People will either see through it or worse, fall for it and operate under those misconceptions as truth.
 
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Travelers.Soul

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Great topic! I'm not sure I can add anything that hasn't already been said. There is so much to know and learn about the Lord. His depth is inexhaustible and his worthiness beyond compare. He is a treasure beyond measure, his worth beyond our fathom and yet we must be mindful and be reminded. We are so quick to forget not only that our God is everything he says he is and he is worth our everything (if that makes sense), he is worth giving up everything for, but as his image bearers our lives too are precious to him. Sometimes, it is easy to forget all the many ways he has shown us how much he truly loves us and gave for us. Romans 8:32 always shocks and comforts me, no matter how often I read it, with the immense love of God and how much was sacrificed for us.
 
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leothelioness

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Great topic! I'm not sure I can add anything that hasn't already been said. There is so much to know and learn about the Lord. His depth is inexhaustible and his worthiness beyond compare. He is a treasure beyond measure, his worth beyond our fathom and yet we must be mindful and be reminded. We are so quick to forget not only that our God is everything he says he is and he is worth our everything (if that makes sense), he is worth giving up everything for, but as his image bearers our lives too are precious to him. Sometimes, it is easy to forget all the many ways he has shown us how much he truly loves us and gave for us. Romans 8:32 always shocks and comforts me, no matter how often I read it, with the immense love of God and how much was sacrificed for us.
So true. God's love is beyond compare. We are blessed to serve such a wonderful God.
 
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