The Mysteries of the Kingdom - Part 8 & 9: The Hidden Treasure & Pearl of Great Price

REVIEW
So, we have been covering the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God for a couple of months now where we are studying Jesus’ parables that describe how God’s kingdom operates and what it looks like. And thus far, we have covered various parables such as Jesus’ Parable of the Sower, the Parable of the Mustard Seed, the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, and the Parable of the Growing Seed where we have learned some awesome truths from how the Lord established His kingdom in the first place to how the principle of sowing & reaping is the law that governs God’s kingdom.
Most recently, we covered the Parable of the Leaven and learned how the devil himself even puts this kingdom principle to work in an attempt to corrupt and pervert us. We learned this by considering that every time leaven is used in the Scriptures as an example, it is not used in a positive sense. In fact, it is used to describe sin, false teaching, wrong belief systems, etc.
 
We saw that “leaven” (or what we would call “yeast”) describes a single-celled organism which belongs to the fungi kingdom used to make bread rise and tastier. But since leaven is essentially a fungus, we can see why it is used in a negative sense in the Scriptures because fungi aren’t usually good things, are they?
 
So, we looked at some Scriptural examples of “leaven” and we saw that the first example we have of leaven is in the Book of Exodus when the Lord instituted the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And we saw how those things were simply types and shadows of spiritual realities because we looked in First Corinthians chapter 5 and saw what they represented—things like sin and wickedness. In this chapter, the apostle Paul likened the toleration of wickedness in their church as “a little leaven leavening the whole lump.” Therefore, we learned that it is not about simply observing a feast and performing some rite or ritual; the issue is us purging wicked things from our lives that the leaven symbolizes.
 
But we learned that Jesus also compared this leaven to other things such as the leaven of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herod—and we learned that what He was referring to was the teachings, the way of thinking, and the agendas that these parties projected on people which were:

1. The Leaven of the Pharisees – that subtle, religious, and legalistic way of thinking that enveloped their teachings. Not that there was anything wrong with the Torah in and of itself, but the spirit in which it was handled by the Pharisees and projected on the people from them was the “leaven” Jesus spoke of—for it brought people into bondage and condemnation—thus rendering them powerless.
2. The Leaven of the Sadducees – While the Pharisees tended to strictly observe all that the Torah said and even add to it, the Sadducees were the opposite. Their tendency was to subtract from God’s Word. So, while the Pharisees were the “Word-people” of their day in that they believed and embraced all that was in it, the Sadducees didn’t believe in all that supernatural stuff like angels, demons, a resurrection, etc. Therefore, the leaven of the Sadducees is a belief system that has a form of godliness but denies the power thereof (Second Timothy 3:1-9).
3. The Leaven of Herod – the leavening effect that those in secular leadership positions have on us because it is easy to get swept away by the indoctrination & agendas of those who seem to be somewhat among us. This is exactly what the world has been successful at doing because people have been conditioned to think a certain way and do certain things because of what has been projected on to us by the media, etc.     

 
So, we learned that the devil is constantly trying to sow these various kinds of leaven into our hearts. And why? So that he can leaven all three measures of meal within us—that is, our spirit, soul, and body. And we learned that this is not done in some overt manner. It is a sly, cunning, and subtle “leavening” just as the woman in this parable was said to have “hid” the leaven in the three measures of meal (i.e., dough). The fact that Jesus describes her as “hiding” it shows us that it will not be on the surface, apparent to everyone, but will work underneath everything doing its corrupting work. But we learned that even though the leaven is all around us, the Lord has promised that He Himself will sanctify us completely and our whole spirit, soul, and body will be “preserved” blameless (See First Thessalonians 5:23).
 
So, while there certainly is the negative side of it, there is good leaven that can infiltrate our lives and cause us to “rise” and be more “flavorful,” and that is God’s Word and His Holy Spirit.   
 
We saw that Psalm 119:11 says, “Your Word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You.” So, just as that woman hid the leaven in the three measures of meal, you and I can choose to hide His Word, the Gospel, in our hearts and when we do so, it can keep us from sinning against God! Hallelujah! Therefore, we saw that the key is us learning to sow God’s Word in our hearts and letting that seed spring up and affecting all the issues of our life. Yes, His Word is what sanctifies us (See John 17:17). That’s what we’ve been learning for weeks now—that the kingdom of God works like this—seedtime and harvest. But the devil has perverted this kingdom principle and now is trying to hide his leaven to where our whole spirit, soul and body is infected by his deception.
 
So, let’s continue this teaching on the mysteries of God’s kingdom by looking at two more parables that Jesus gave us in Matthew chapter 13—the Parable of the Hidden Treasure & The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price (See Matthew 13:44-46). I believe that these two parables will reinforce to us these very truths of how God views us, His church.
 
WHAT IS THE TREASURE & THE PEARL?
You see, these two parables are yet another attempt by our Lord and Savior to illustrate to us how His kingdom operates. But this time, Jesus attempts to reveal to us another aspect of His kingdom.  
            Now there are two ways that you hear these two similarly themed parables being interpreted:
One is that the treasure and pearl illustrated in these two parables are the kingdom of God itself and we are the man and the merchant who discover it. Then, having found this precious commodity, we sell all we have for the joy set before us by laying down our lives for the cause of the kingdom. Therefore, most believers see these parables as how the disciple of Christ will react once discovering the kingdom—we will forsake all to experience the life of the kingdom. This is probably the most common interpretation of these Scriptures.
            Secondly, these two parables have also been interpreted to mean that the treasure and the pearl is us, and the man or merchant that sought out and found the church was Jesus. The Lord then forsook all He had to purchase us by first leaving His glory in heaven, becoming a man, and then ultimately by giving up His life for us on the Cross. So, this interpretation could be summed up by saying that Jesus sold all He had in order to redeem us as His own.
            So, as I have considered both of these possible interpretations, I asked the Lord which one was correct. Is it that the treasure/pearl is Your kingdom and the salvation one experiences when entering your kingdom or is the treasure/pearl the church that You died for? Is the man/merchant us discovering the kingdom or is this person Jesus who was seeking after us?
            As I asked the Holy Spirit these questions, He responded to me saying that the answer is both. Yes, He told me that both interpretations are correct because, as He put it to me, you cannot have one without the other. Let me explain …
            You see, the Lord never encourages us to do anything that He Himself has not already first done. Always remember that. He, as any good leader, will first practice what He preaches. And these two parables perfectly illustrate this principle of God’s kingdom.
            The Lord was first this man/merchant in these parables: He discovered this kingdom in first seeking out and saving we who were lost and paying His all to purchase us out of the world. Thus, He began His kingdom by seeing a valuable treasure and pearl of great price that was hidden to the naked eye. He came to seek and save that which was lost and paid the greatest price to redeem us—that pearl of great price and that treasure hidden in the field.
            Now there was a slight difference in both of these parables regarding this interpretation. So first, I want us to begin by looking at Jesus’ Parable of the Hidden Treasure—for in it, we learn some tremendous truths about God’s kingdom … 
THE HIDDEN TREASURE
Now Jesus “again” begins this parable by saying, “…the kingdom of heaven is like …” But this time, He begins by saying, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like …”
By using the word “Again,” I see Jesus saying that this is yet another way that we can illustrate how things work in the kingdom of God. And one important take away from this is just how important it is that we hear over and over how things work in the kingdom. Why? Because faith comes by hearing and hearing by God’s Word. So, hearing and hearing again and again about God’s kingdom is evidently an important part of hiding these truths in our hearts.
But when Jesus said that “the kingdom of heaven is like,” what He was saying was that the kingdom of God can be illustrated like so. In other words, this is yet another way that God’s kingdom can be described and how it works.   
So here, Jesus uses the example of a treasure hidden in a field to describe how the kingdom of God operates. And like we said, this treasure was first us and Jesus was the Man who discovered us, but then because of what Jesus did for us, it can also be the kingdom of God itself and we were the ones who discovered it. But I want us to focus mainly on how it all started—how we were that hidden treasure that Jesus found and hid for Himself.
You see, the fact that Jesus describes this treasure as being hidden in a field reveals something to us—that the world itself (which the field represents) is not aware of the treasure contained within it. Yes, it’s hidden. So, that means that when it comes to this natural, carnal world, it’s hard to see what is truly valuable.
Let me tell you what’s important, church—people are important. All of the gold and silver and other things that this world values are not the real treasure—human beings are. That’s what the Lord esteems.
So, this ought to be something that we seek to discover since the world and our flesh are hiding it from us. We should seek to know in our hearts just how valuable others are while also knowing that we too are valuable to the Lord. Amen? And I can assure you—you will have to “dig” for this revelation like one digs for buried treasure. Why? Because it not something that the flesh will generally focus on. It is spiritual truth that must be sought out and revealed by the Holy Spirit.
You know, things that are precious and valuable are usually never found on the surface. They must be dug for because they are hidden underground, underwater, within rocks, inside of oysters, etc. God designed it this way—because the true riches and treasures that are found only in Christ are hidden in Him. And since Christ now lives in us, we have those treasures hidden in us, awaiting our discovery.
 
But lest we get the wrong idea—these riches and treasures are not something that we don’t already possess. No, if Christ—the One in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge dwells in—lives in us, then these treasures are already in us! Yes, they are not hidden from us; they are hidden in us! Glory to God! Therefore, we are not digging for something like we don’t already have it. We are looking within us for all the riches and treasures of all Christ is in us and all we are in Him. And how we do look for these things? By the treasure map, of course!
 
So, all we need is that treasure map to guide the way—and that is the Word of God. Yes, we will discover this treasure contained within us by looking in the mirror of God’s Word and digging for all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are contained in the Holy Scriptures! But do you know what it is going to reveal to you? That the X that marks the spot is not going this way or that way; the X that marks the spot is in you! Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, saints (Colossians 3:16) and discover the treasures buried within you! 
 
A beautiful illustration of this is found in the account of Joseph and his brothers reuniting in Egypt: If you recall, Joseph hid his identity from his brothers when they came to Egypt during the famine to purchase food. So, at one point, he put their money that they brought to pay for the grain back in their sacks. When they returned and confessed to Joseph that their money was returned to them, he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks …” (Genesis 43:23). 
 
The Lord referred to His original covenant people this way—as His own special treasure (See Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 7:6 & 14:2). So do you think He would view His church any different. I tell you the truth—if He did, it would be better than even this because the blood of the Lamb of God does what the blood of bulls & goats could never do. Amen?
 
THE TREASURE CHEST
 
But it is not that we are His treasure because of who we are in the natural & physical. No, it is not our works or anything else we are or do in the flesh that gives us our value to God. It is what Jesus Christ did on the inside of us that is of great value! The apostle Paul describes this in Second Corinthians chapter 4. Let’s look at it …
 
In Second Corinthians 4:7, Paul tells us— “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”
 
 The word “earthen vessel” describes something like a household utensil that is made of the earth like a porcelain cup or a jar of clay. In fact, the New International Version translates these words that way by describing these earthen vessels as “jars of clay,” which is where a Christian band got their name from.
 
And oh, how people love to emphasize this about themselves—how they are just of the earth and how they are only human. And the connotation is that we are all just broken, cracked, and fragile—full of flaws and imperfections. Well, while a lot of those things are certainly true, why do people tend to focus on the imperfections in themselves instead of celebrating the treasure that is contained in these cracked and broken vessels.
 
You know, if I were digging for treasure and came upon an old chest that was molded, dilapidated, and worth nothing, would I just throw it away because of how flawed the chest was? No, I would do everything I could to open it up to see what was inside of it. Why? Because if there was a treasure inside of it, then it just became a treasure chest and, therefore, has great value! So, if this happened, how do you suppose I would describe what I found to others? Would I say, “I found this disgusting old chest.” No, no, no! I would basically only refer to the treasure I found, not to the chest it was buried in. Amen?  
 
Well, we have this treasure in these earthen vessels and so our value is not based on who we are on the outside, but who we are on the inside and what we have contained within us! Amen.
 
But then notice what Jesus said in His parable … He said that this man “found and hid” it.
 
I think it is interesting that when Jesus found this treasure hidden in the field, He then re-hid it Himself. In other words, in His wisdom, He knew He needed to put that treasure in a secret place so that when He purchased the field, the treasure wouldn’t be discovered by someone else.
 
But notice that Jesus said that this man “found” this treasure. Now the fact that it was a treasure that was hidden in a field and he “found” it indicates that he was looking for it and didn’t just stumble upon it. (A point we will touch on momentarily in the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price).
 
FOR JOY OVER IT
 
But in the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, after finding the treasure in the field, he did not simply attempt to attain the treasure. No, he paid the price to purchase the entire field—knowing that in purchasing the field, He was purchasing the treasure hidden in the field. What a wise God we serve!
 
This paints a beautiful picture of the lengths that love will go to redeem the object of its love. And in this illustration, we can see how God paid the price for the whole world and not just for those who would receive His call for salvation. In other words, He paid for all man’s sin, not just the redeemed people’s sin. He went to such great lengths to offer this free gift of salvation to the whole world to where all one needs to do is receive the price paid—the blood of Jesus. Then, if they receive the price that was paid to redeem them, all other sin issues are taken care of. But if they reject the lamb who was slain for their sins, then they reject the gift of salvation.
 
But not only did Jesus pay the price to redeem all of mankind, He also paid the price to redeem all of the world itself. Yes, this planet which has thrown into a sin-cursed state when Adam sinned, was also purchased, ready to be redeemed when Jesus returns, bringing with Him the new heavens and the new earth. Come Lord Jesus, Come! Amen. 
 
Now like we see that the field here represents the world itself—God’s creation, if you would—I also believe we can see the “field” here as representing our physical flesh & blood body. So, like we’ve seen, the treasure hidden in the field can represent all of the worth, value, potential, and capabilities that are contained within us. And, church, that is what this Man, the Man Christ Jesus, saw in us—and it was the thing that motivated Him to sell all that He had on the Cross to buy us with His very own blood! Amen!
 
And do not be mistaken by thinking that Jesus did this reluctantly or as a matter of obligation. No, this parable shows us that the man in this parable goes and sells all He has “for joy over it.” Amen!
 
You see, church, we are what Jesus was looking at when He died on the Cross! We are what enabled Him to endure such suffering! Hebrews 12:2 says that it was “for the joy that was set before Him …” that He “… endured the cross.” And based on this parable of the Hidden Treasure, we were that joy.
 
Oh, church, I wish we all saw our Lord this way—as One who rejoices over us and would do anything to possess us! He truly is this good! Amen!     
 
So, yes, the treasure was first us in that Jesus sold all He had to purchase not only us, but the whole world. Yes, Jesus paid the ultimate price to redeem this entire planet and all that is within it—and that includes you. And why? It’s because He values you and gets joy out of you!
 
So, what is the response this should generate in us? Well, that’s the other possible interpretation of this parable: We then ought to sell all we have—that is, lay our lives down for the One who laid His down for us—for the seeking first of His kingdom and His righteousness. Amen?
 
Let’s sell out for Him today, church. Let’s give Him our all, in return, since He gave us His all on the Cross. It is our reasonable service, and it is our privilege & honor. Amen.
 
THE FATHER’S BUSINESS
 
Now let’s look at Jesus’ Parable of the Pearl of Great Price because while it is very similar to the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, it does have some differences that are worth noting.
 
First of all, notice that Jesus uses the example of not just any man, but of a “merchant.” So, as we saw in the previous parable, the Lord is this man. So, what does this teach us? It teaches us that the Lord is a merchant. Now this is much more significant than I have personally ever considered it to be:  
 
You see, a merchant is defined as someone who is involved in wholesale trading and/or supplying merchandise to a particular trade. In other words, a merchant is a businessman (or woman, of course).
 
When Jesus was a young boy, He referred to His “Father’s business.” Church, we need to understand that while we are a part of the family God, having been born (again) of our Heavenly Father, we have also become a part of our Father God’s business. And He absolutely has expectations as to how His business is being run by His children.
 
You see, merchants are not in this just for fun or a hobby. No, they are in it for profit. Likewise, our Heavenly Father is in the business of making a profit too. No, I’m not talking about income like we think of it, but in the things that are truly valuable—souls! As we learned already—people are what are valuable to Him. So, that is the kind of increase He is looking for—people coming into His kingdom, family, and business. Amen!
 
Another thing I found interesting when I looked up the definition of a merchant was that they described this person who was involved in trading and merchandise as “especially one dealing with foreign countries.” In other words, this is indicating that merchants oftentimes do business with those in other geographic locations, supplying goods that they might not have.
 
Well, this makes me think of how the Lord Jesus came from heaven to earth on His Father’s business in search of these valuable commodities. Yes, like a sea merchant will go out into the waters on a ship to find these beautiful pearls, the Lord left His abode in heaven in search of a foreign commodity that to Him was and is precious.
 
SEEKING WITH ALL HIS HEART
 
And that is a big point not only in Jesus’ Parable of the Pearl of Great Price but also in the Parable of the Hidden Treasure—that the Lord sought us out!
You see, one thing I think a lot of believers’ miss is the fact that if God commands us to seek Him with all of our hearts, He does the same. No, He is not going to tell us to do something that He is not first willing to do. And the truth is—He wants us to seek after Him because He already sought after us. Amen? 
 
You see, in His Parable of the Hidden Treasure, Jesus said that this man “found and hid” the treasure. Now the fact that it was a treasure that was hidden in a field and he “found” it indicates that he was looking for it and didn’t just stumble upon it. And here in Jesus’ Parable of the Pearl of Great Price, He said that this merchant was “seeking” beautiful pearls.
 
Did you know that this was one of Jesus’ primary missions of coming from heaven to earth—to seek after the lost? It was. He said in Zacchaeus’ house, “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (See Luke 19:10).
 
This is the point that we see Jesus making in Luke chapter 15: In this chapter, we see that when the Pharisees and scribes complained that Jesus was receiving the sinners and eating with them, Jesus began to give them three parables that illustrate God’s heart for seeking to save the lost.
 
The first one was Jesus’ Parable of the Lost Sheep where He illustrated how any person who lost one of their sheep will leave the ninety-nine to go in search of the one that was astray (See Luke 15:4-7). But what Jesus did in this parable that most people miss is He showed the heart of the man who had found his lost sheep. He describes him as laying the sheep on his shoulders and rejoicing as he brought it home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors, inviting them to rejoice with him.
 
The next parable was very similar: It’s the Parable of the Lost Coin. In it, there was a woman who had ten silver coins, and when she lost one of them, she turned her house upside down trying to find it. But when she finds it, she does the same thing that the man who lost his sheep did—She rejoiced and invited others to rejoice with her!
 
Then Jesus concludes with the more commonly parable known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. However, I do not like this title because this parable was not just about the lost son (which is a better title in itself because it fits the context better), but it was a parable of three people, not just one.
 
You see, there were two sons in this parable—the older son and the younger, prodigal son. Then there was also the father of them both—which is what we fail to see a lot—that we have a Heavenly Father and a Savior who seeks us out, desiring to have us in His house. This is our God! He’s looking for us and searched high and low to find us all because He loves us passionately and extravagantly! Amen! 
 
So, both His Parable of the Treasure Hid in a Field and the Pearl of Great Price are meant to illustrate how the Lord searches for treasure and beautiful pearls (which are you and I) with the same kind of heart that we do the things we value. You see, church, God values you, and He will search high and low to find you, His lost sheep. He will turn everything upside down to find you, His lost coin. He will look for you like a Father whose child is lost. He loves you, and He moved heaven and earth to find you. Amen. 
 
BEAUTIFUL PEARLS
 
And like in the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, we see why the Lord seeks after us like He does—it’s because He truly values us! Yes, we saw that He sees us like a treasure, and we see here that He sees us like “beautiful pearls.” Therefore, He sought us out like one seeks after pearls.
 
Do you know what the odds are of finding a pearl in an oyster? They say that it is like one in every 10,000! Wow! That is not good odds, church. But that would require a lot of effort, hard work, and time to find the one beautiful one, wouldn’t it?  
 
 So, look at someone today and tell them— “Sorry, you are not one in a million; you’re more like one in 10,000!” But actually, we might be one in a million because notice how Jesus says that this merchant was seeking “beautiful” pearls. That speaks to me that he wasn’t just looking for any old pearl; he was in search of a certain quality of pearl—the beautiful ones. Amen!   
 
You see, this is, in my opinion, one of the biggest problems we have in the world today—the insecurities in people.
 
You do not have to look too far to see people starving for attention, communicating through their actions “Look at me! Tell me how important I am! Tell me I’m handsome or pretty!” Things like Facebook, Instagram, and Tic Toc are all used to fuel this drive that is in people for recognition and to feed their insecurities. Don’t get me wrong—that’s not how everyone uses them—but you can see how these various platforms are used to post picture after picture and video after video that screams for attention.
 
But the problem is not the pictures, the videos, or the posts; the problem is the insecurities that drive these things. Yes, the issue is that there are so many people who are not complete, who hate themselves, and who are in desperate need of attention to make them feel better. That’s not right!
 
And this is not just a problem in the world. Even in the church, these same insecurities exist. This is why people flock to hearing messages that tell them how important they are, how much they are loved, what all Christ has done for them, and what their calling and giftings are.
 
Now don’t get me wrong—There is certainly a place for us hearing these truths. You will hear me teach & preach these truths with the best of them, but there is still a reason people, as the Bible says, love to heap up for themselves teachers. Second Timothy 4:3 goes on to say that it’s because they have “itching ears.” And that’s the problem—people tend to want to hear what satisfies that part of them that is still in need.
 
But let this truth resonate in your heart today—If the Lord is the merchant here and you are the pearl that He has found, then you are beautiful. That’s the way the Lord sees you!
 
So, it doesn’t matter if the world has told you that you’re ugly, good for nothing, and unimportant. The Lord thinks otherwise. And I can guarantee you—He is the One who is right, not the world. Yes, His value system is not the one that is incorrect; the world’s is. Therefore, what makes one beautiful is not our eyes, weight, hair, skin, etc. What makes us beautiful is the Lord! We are light! We are love! And we are life! That is who we are and that is how He sees you today! Amen!  
 
For example, in Hebrews 11:23, we see this is how Moses’ parents saw him. Let’s look at it because I believe it reveals to us some important things …
 
Hebrews 11:23 says, “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.”
 
Now I’ve never heard parents who give birth to a baby say that their baby is ugly. No, they all think their baby is beautiful. So, this isn’t talking about “beautiful” in the sense of they thought their new baby boy was good looking physically. No, they saw something else in Moses—and we have to assume that what they saw was a purpose, a calling, and something special about him.
 
Well, what do you think the Lord sees when He looks at you—His born-again children? He sees a beautiful girl and handsome boy. Others might look at His babies and say, “Man, I don’t know what He sees in them because they are one ugly baby.” But the Lord says, “They are mine, and I think they are beautiful” Yes, church, like Moses’ parents, the Lord looks at us and sees purpose, destiny, and someone who is special. Sure, we might have poop in our diapers and spit up on our chin, but the Lord, through His eyes of love, sees someone beautiful whom He can use. Amen.  
 
BOUGHT WITH A PRICE
 
So, if this is the way the Lord sees us—as beautiful, precious, and a treasure—what do you figure His response would be? Jesus told us that when this merchant found that one pearl of great price (like the man in the prior parable) he sold all he had and bought it.
 
Did you know that you’ve been “bought”? Yes, the Bible teaches us that we have been bought with a price by our Lord. Amen. This is what the Bible calls “redemption.” We have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus—which means that we who once were in slavery to sin and Satan were purchased out of our bondage and brought into the family of God. Amen! And what was the price that was paid? It was the blood of Jesus spilt on the Cross. His blood is what purchased our freedom! Glory to Jesus!  
 
First Peter 1:18-19 puts it like this— “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
 
So, the apostle Peter is making the point here that we were not redeemed with money or any other corruptible thing, but with the “precious” blood of Christ. Now the word “precious” here describes something that is valuable, costly, or “of great price” as the Blue Letter Bible puts it. So, our God took something that was valuable and costly to purchase and redeem us. Wow! I hope you are seeing this!
 
But since we have been bought at such a high price, there is a responsibility we have. It’s not just so we can go around talking about how valuable and important we are; there is an expectation the Lord has on His purchased possessions.
 
First Corinthians 6:18-20 teaches us what these expectations are when the apostle Paul says, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
 
So, Paul is laying it all out there in these verses, isn’t he? Because we have been bought at a price, our responsibility is to glorify God both in our body as well as in our spirit. Why? Because they are God’s possession. Amen?
 
But the point we really need to see here is how the Lord did indeed buy us, and He did so with His own valuable & costly blood—His blood “of great price” if you would. So, if you and I are those pearls of great price, then it took blood of great price to purchase those pearls. Amen?
 
In fact, the words that were used in Matthew 13:46 when describing this one pearl of “great price” was only used one other time, and that was in John chapter 12 when Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with a “very costly” oil of spikenard (See John 12:3). Now we know from that story that this indeed was an extremely valuable perfume that she offered to the Lord—so much so that it was the equivalent of a year’s salary for the average worker. 
 
So, again, while we would view this extremely extravagant offering that Mary gave to Jesus as being something we ought to strive to give the Lord ourselves, this is the same terminology that Jesus used to describe us, His pearls of “great price.” Amen.
 
SUMMARY
 
So, the point I want us to understand about these two parables—the Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price—is how Jesus chose to describe us as a treasure and a pearl of great price. Oftentimes, we get so wrapped up in the greatness of the price that was paid that we totally miss the value of the object that was being paid for. Now, please understand me: This is in no way an attempt to diminish the focus on Jesus’ precious blood. Oh, how we should always pay great honor and reverence to His redeeming sacrifice! But at the same time, we need to realize that if God were willing to pay such a great price for us, then we must have had some value as well.
Do you believe God is a wise investor? Well, He did choose the Jewish people, did He not? Yes, saints, the Lord knows how to make a sound investment.
Well, do you think He would have paid that high of a price if there was not some comparable value in the item he was purchasing? Of course not! No, He paid such a great price for us because of the great value He saw in us. Thank you, Jesus! He saw a treasure in each one of us and He saw a pearl of great price in this church that He saw in His heart to create!  
Now the truth of the gospel is that once we see this great love that God has for His church and for each of us individually, we can truly sell out ourselves. Amen. We can sell all that we have to gain entrance into this grand and glorious kingdom that is so precious and powerful.
Always remember that it is the goodness of God that leads man to repentance (Romans 2:4). This is why our message to the lost is called the gospel: It is because it is good news, not bad news! And the good news is that we have a Lord and Savior who sold all that He had to purchase and redeem each one of us to rule and reign with Him in His everlasting kingdom.
I pray that you see this great love that has reconciled you today! May you see the value you have and as that kingdom principle is birthed in your heart, may your light begin to shine brightly as you give Him all that you are in gratitude for all that He has done. Amen.