"That was also the opinion of the DVD study that I watched on this parable - the merchant is the person seeking to enter the kingdom of heaven and the pearl is the kingdom of heaven. However, @Monk Brendan wrote in post #2 that the Eastern churches prefer an interpretation where "Jesus is the merchant who gives up all He has to purchase us." That question is why I started this thread."
Thanks for having this thread, for discussion on it. And yes, eastern churches prefer that interpretation but notice the word 'prefer.' It does not mean that is the only one that they accept.
I can understand that the 'application' of that interpretation because other places the Scriptures plainly teach that Jesus gave His life on a cross, took the curse of the law of sin & death for us & victoriously rose again from the dead--conquering the power of sin over us & death over us--& giving eternal life to those who trust in Him for their righteousness & salvation.
And for JackRT, he is on the right path concerning the rotten or evil person who doesn't enter God's kingdom of heaven, but that idea is not in vss 45,45 but in the other parables in the context of Matthew 13:45,46.
And those specific ones show a CONTRAST to the good seed or those who believe in the King & who enter the kingdom of God vs the bad seed or the ones who are evil & of the evil one rebelling against the King of the kingdom of heaven.
There will be no evil people entering the kingdom of HEAVEN. They will be weeded OUT of it & cast outside of it. Only those imputed the very righteousness of the King will be able to enter in & shine like the sun or the stars of heaven. (in glory)
But here are some reasons within the context & passage of why I prefer the understanding that it is talking about someone entering the kingdom of God & giving up all they have to obtain it, after discovering the immense value of entering it.
The message of God, the word of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven remains the same in the whole context. This is the seed sown in the world, that if sown in the right soil, it will spring up, grow & bears an actual crop of fruit (grain) in the harvest, in the hearts of those who believe, being regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
Matt 13:18,19 “Hear then the parable of the sower: when ANYONE HEARS THE WORD OF THE KINGDOM & does not understand it, the evil one comes & snatches away what has been sown in his heart.
vs 38 "The field is the world..."
The purpose of sowing the seed is to get good seed that sees the immeasurable value of entering the kingdom of heaven & that produces a crop & is fruitful for the kingdom of heaven; in other words, disciples of the kingdom having given all, in order to preach the word of the kingdom, so that more might repent & believe in the gospel & be saved. (principle of multiplication)
There are those who hear the word of the kingdom & understand it & out of a good heart believe it & give up all they have to enter it, then demonstrate they are the good seed of the Son of Man by multiplying themselves, being seed that actually produces a crop of grain.
'One sows, another waters, another breaks up the ground & fertilizes & another reaps, but God gives the growth.'
SIMILE: a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, using terms: as, like--& used to make a description more emphatic or vivid.
The whole context is using similies concerning the 'kingdom of heaven' being like something different but making the description of it more emphatic or vivid. A similar passage from the Old Testament to also read is Ezekiel chapter 17.
Jesus preaching was all centered on entering His kingdom--how this is accomplished & what is required in order to do so.
Unless you are born of water in birth & born a second time of the Spirit you cannot see nor enter the kingdom of heaven.
Unless you become converted & humble yourself like a child, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
The kingdom of heaven IS AT HAND. Repent & believe the gospel.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will
enter the
kingdom of heaven, but ONLY the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven."
"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks to the Son & believes in Him shall have eternal life &I will raise him up at the last day.”
"What do I STILL lack?" Jesus looked at him, loved him & said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own & give to the poor & you will have treasure in heaven. Then come & follow Me.” But the man was saddened by these words & went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus looked around & said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Mark 9:47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes & be thrown into hell (the Gehenna of fire, the lake of fire).
Again the emphasis on what the kingdom is like continually portrays those that do certain things will enter it & those who don't won't enter it; those who produce fruit & those who don't; the good seed & the bad seed, the good fish & the bad fish; the good & the evil people; the righteous & the unrighteous people, etc.
Matthew 13:44-46 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again & in his joy he went & sold all he had & bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one very precious pearl, he went away & sold all he had & bought it.
These two parables are almost identical. The first one says treasure in general, the second treasure is identified as a precious pearl of great value.
The reason I don't favor the man finding the treasure or the merchant examining various pearls until he finds the precious one of great value as Jesus selling all He had & buying it--is because Jesus owns all things in heaven & earth as God. He didn't sell all that. And who in the world, if He did sell the whole universe, to whom did He sell it?
Jesus when He came to earth, did not lose any of His Deity, when He became a man. Because He took on a human body limited in time & space, that did not diminish any of His Deity at any time. He did not 'sell' it or lose it or had to buy it. Adam lost it all when he sinned. Not Jesus.
Jesus did make Himself of 'no reputation.' He didn't draw attention to Himself but to His Father & His Father's teaching. He humbled Himself, even to die with criminals on a cruel cross, an instrument of humilation, shame & torture. But He was innocent, holy, set apart from sinners.
But by His shed blood on the cross, He did purchase back from the slave market of sin, those who repent, believe the gospel, follow Him & enter in to His kingdom, which is everlasting. He gave His life for us, to redeem us from sin, Satan & this worldly system. But Adam was the one who lost all of it. Jesus came to reconcile all things to Himself.
But Jesus didn't have to sell all that He had. He still owns 'the cattle on a thousand hills.' He was a carpenter for awhile & I'm sure He did good carpentry but was a man of humble means. He didn't have much in terms of worldly possessions, to sell. He was poor when He began His ministry, with no where to lay His head & at the end of His physical life as a man, the one garment He owned, they cast lots for it.
The emphasis in each parable is upon what the man & the merchant FOUND. This precious item was worth selling everything they had in order to obtain this one thing.
One thing you still lack....
Martha, Martha, you are anxious & troubled about many things. BUT ONE THING IS NEEDFUL. Mary has discovered it & has chosen the GOOD portion, which shall not be taken AWAY from her.
One thing have I desired & THAT I will seek...
One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek...
'One thing I do know: I was blind & now I can see.'