He was always seeking more pearls, better pearls. He was a pearl merchant. That's what pearl merchants do. They seek pearls, they find pearls, they sell pearls. Now, seeking pearls in the first century was not an easy job. It's a lot of hard work, as a matter of fact. Your equipment was usually a long rope and a rock. You tie the rope to yourself with a rock to take you down to the deep water, 40 feet seeking for that pearl oyster. Always looking for more pearls. Always seeking better pearls. Dissatisfaction, always just beneath the surface. Never quite have enough. Nothing's ever quite right. Just need a few more pearls. I can sell one. I got to find more just to keep the business going. Always seeking, never completely satisfied. Kind of like your soul is always seeking. Your soul is always seeking a home.
Almost no week goes by that I don't have a conversation with a man or a woman that goes something like this. You know, Alan, I'm doing well. I've achieved some cool stuff in my career. My life is just so full, but I feel kind of lost. In other words, what they're saying is I've been seeking, seeking relationships, seeking achievement. Seeking reputation, seeking new and better thrills and toys, seeking more exciting vacations, seeking cooler cars. But still, there's this nagging dissatisfaction in my soul. It feels a little lost, a little empty. Your soul is a heart-seeking missile, always seeking the heart of God. Your soul is never satisfied until it finds its home. In the heart of God. It may seek all kinds of other things, but your soul's home is in God alone. Anywhere else, there's dissatisfaction. Now think about it. Is there anything more delightful than the moment you discover something wonderful?
Can you imagine how the merchant felt at the moment he found the most beautiful pearl in the world? Words just can't describe the moment. Now, a picture can try. That's one of the reasons I love engagement photos. They capture that look on the man and the woman's face. They usually invite friends and family to witness that picture, that moment, that expression, that joy. They want everybody to bathe in that holy moment, that pure joy. Because what he found in the scripture today was some kind of pearl. So fine, so large, so beautiful, so perfect. There's really only one word for it, matchless. Anything else in life became less important, almost trivial when compared to this matchless pearl. After the moment of discovery, the merchant realized it could be his. The most beautiful jewel in the world could belong to him. He could have it with him always. The pearl could be his to possess that one matchless, perfect pearl, to have it with him. Him, to hold in his hands, to explore its beauty, to behold it every day. Something so valuable, so beautiful, so precious. Pearls don't need human beings. They don't need to be cut by human hands, shaped or polished at all. Pearls just are. And this pearl was perfect and matchless. Humans couldn't improve it even if they tried. So valuable, so precious. Everything else in his life became secondary, so precious. The merchant was willing to sacrifice anything and everything so that he could own it. Why does Jesus tell this story? His listeners, and you and I, we're not pearl divers, so why does he tell it? To remind us that there's absolutely nothing in our lives that surpasses the marvelous gift of being a part of the kingdom of God. That's the holiest moment of all. All. No relationship, no possession, no accomplishment, no thing can come anywhere close to being included in God's plan, God's reign, God's kingdom. No one can capture the worth, the value of the kingdom of God. It's matchless. To live in the kingdom of God every day, always matchless. Oh Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth? What are we that you even know who we are? We are mere creatures, O Lord. And you are the sovereign God. Praise to you. Praise to you for Jesus. Praise to you for love. Praise to you for life. Praise to you for the heavens, the stars, and all creation. Praise to you. Who could ever describe the matchless majesty and glory of your name?
