The Pearl of Great Price

The parables of the pearl of great price and the hidden treasure occur back-to-back in Matthew chapter 13. The common interpretation of these parables is that the pearl and the treasure represent eternal life or salvation. The individual comes to see, through the work of the Holy Spirit, the value of eternal life; the treasure that it is and the beauty that it possesses, and the person gives all or surrenders all so that he might obtain eternal life.

An alternative view is that the pearl and the treasure are those who are saved. God purchases salvation for the world through the death of His son so that he might gain the treasure of those who are to be saved, that is, the elect. A variation on this is given in Scofield’s notes, for he argues that the pearl/the treasure is Israel. God purchases the world so that he might redeem his chosen people.

Though the second view is a minority view, I think it is preferable. I see the pearl/treasure as those who are saved having been bought by Christ. Here are two reasons for my view.

First, no explanation is given in the passage in Matthew as to the meaning of these two parables. So, we must look at the surrounding parables in Matthew 13 (there are a total of seven parables in these verses), two of which ARE interpreted by Jesus to see how the uninterpreted parables should be taken. In the two interpreted parables (the parable of the sower and the parable of the wheat and tares) the initiator of the action on behalf of the kingdom is God Himself. God is the sower and God is the one who plants the wheat. In the other three uninterpreted parables, the initiator of the action also represents God’s action in relation to the kingdom, its growth, and its consummation. The man who sows the mustard seed represents God. The woman who puts the leaven in the bread represents God, and the one who casts the dragnet into the sea also represents God. Since all five other parables have a person who represents God initiating the action to grow the kingdom, we MUST assume that the man who buys the field and the man who seeks the pearl represent God as well. There is nothing in the text that justifies interpreting these two parables differently.

Second, these two parables speak of “buying” something. If the land buyer and the pearl seeker are unsaved people who gain salvation, then, according to the parable, they gain it by “buying” it. As humans, we cannot purchase salvation at any price. We do not have the resources to do so. No. God is the one who purchases our salvation. Indeed, he purchases us through the precious blood of his son. Jesus shed his blood; a sacrifice sufficient to pay for the sin of the whole world, so that those who believe might be saved. We are God’s pearl. We are God’s treasure. This is the proper way to interpret these two parables.

The Easter Chicks

For Easter, one year, my Mom bought my sister and me a live chick apiece. Mine was green and Renee’s was pink. My Mom doubted that the chicks would live very long and thought we’d enjoy having them for a while.

Mine did not live that long as our family dog made a snack of it. However, Renee’s lived to be a full-grown bird with a pretty nasty temperament. It was not a playful pet.

Winter came, and one night it snowed. My Dad came home from work and rushed inside the house to eat. Company was coming. While he was inside, the chicken discovered the heat rising from the vents on the hood of his car and roosted there. After supper, my dad looked out the window and saw our company drive by, missing our house in the snowstorm. My dad ran out and jumped in the car to chase them down. When he turned on the windshield wipers, the chicken hopped up and jumped over the wiper blades when they went up and again when they went down…and again when they went up and again when they went down. The bird successfully jumped the wipers several times, but when my dad got up to speed, the chicken spread its wings and flew off the car. We never saw him after that.

Pearl is in Business!!!

My wife, Pearl, opened her on-line business today. She is selling these hand-made laundry baskets on her sight at http://www.littleraspberries.etsy.com/ These baskets, either the pig or the dog, hang on the back of the door. A child can grab the mouth, open it, and throw their dirty laundry in. It's a great motivator for my older son Jonathan to pick up his clothes! Check it out!

Obama Blinks

On February 18, hours before President Obama was to arrive in Montreal, Canada for a state visit, the Russians flew a fighter jet at high speed toward the Canadian border. The Canadian Air Force went out and intercepted the jet. Was this a little intimidation game going on?

On March 11, the Obama administration, which apparently feels that US policy has been too harsh on Cuba over the years, loosened travel restrictions between the US and Cuba.

On March 15, Russia announced that they planned to station bombers on bases in Cuba as well as Venezuela.

President Obama seems to believe that if we just act more nicely to the Russians they will be more nice to us. But, the Russians see him as a man who, when challenged, blinks. I predict he will be challenged by the Russians more as time goes on.

Noah and the Bird

Consider Noah in the ark. He had been delivered from God's wrath, just as believers have been. He anticipated a new earth that was cleansed of men's sins just as believers do. However, the ride on the ark must have been long and discouraging. It was a large craft with only one window. Having cargo that included a sample pair of every large animal on the earth must have created a daily regimen of work for all the humans on board that was none too pleasant. The knowledge of escape from God's wrath and the anticipation of entrance into a new world made the daily experience no more pleasant.

One day, Noah opened the window of the ark and released a bird. Soon it returned with a leaf in its mouth. Noah must have been filled with hope, knowing that the new earth he was promised was being prepared and was soon to be a reality.

I don't know the struggles you are undergoing, but I pray that God will give you a small sample in this life of the glory that awaits you so that you may endure your sufferings in this life. God bless!

Free Love and Strict Diets

Free Love and Strict Diets

I came across two interesting and inadvertently related articles on the 'net today. First, here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/25/AR2009022503123.html?hpid=opinionsbox1 George Will points out that, while Americans in general have become quite casual about sex--anything goes-- many are becoming quite strict; even moralistic about food. Second, here: http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=3348
Al Mohler details the growing use of pornography in American life.

On sex, the scriptures lay out a well-defined standard. Sex is for and between a married man and woman only. All else is sin whether it be physical sex or sexual fantasy. But on food, while all eating is to be done in moderation, and while our physical health should be guarded, all meat is consumable by the Christian. "Every creature of God is good and is to be received with thanksgiving" Paul says.

Our society, having turned away from God, is completely mixed up in relation to these two.

If You Are The Son of God...

In the opening chapters of Luke, Luke shows that Jesus is the Son of God because He is born of a virgin. Then Luke shows that Jesus is the Son of God because He is declared by the Father to be his Son. Finally, Luke shows that Jesus is the Son of God because He demonstrates his Sonship through his obedience.

Satan comes to Jesus and three times tempts Him in the wilderness. On two of those occasions, Satan taunts, “If you are the son of God….” Jesus shows that he is God’s Son for when he is tempted to satisfy his hunger through his own power He remains dependent upon God for his daily bread. When He is tempted with “having it all” if He will only worship Satan (in place of God) He quotes the scripture and refuses. Finally, when he is tempted to act foolishly by throwing Himself from the temple, he refuses saying “You shall not tempt the Lord your God”.

Like Jesus, those who place their faith in Christ are declared to be sons of God. This is a judicial declaration (called justification) which is irreversible. However, salvation is more than being declared a son of God, salvation entails that we live in obedience to God through the power of the Holy Spirit (as Jesus was filled with the Spirit in the wilderness). It entails that we depend upon God for our daily sustenance, put Him first in our lives, and seek to obey Him in all areas of life. Of course, we will not do this perfectly as Jesus did, but we will do it increasingly as he empowers us, if we are the sons of God.