Some interesting info that I found online about pearls…and thoughts to go along with the message this morning….
The largest pearl in the world was originally called “Pearl of Allah”, now it is “Pearl of Lao-tze”. It was found at Phillipines, near the Palawan Island. Its diameter is 238 mm, and its weight is 6.4 kg! As it is a natural pearl, its weight is measured in carats, 1280 carats.
To compare: the size of a large akoya pearl is about 7.5 mm, its weight is about 3 carats.
The price of the Pearl of Lao-tze is about 40 million dollars.
http://jewelry.port-arthur.org/pearl_price.htm
Among jewelers and collectors of jewels, real pearls are very valuable. Put the pearl at which I speak of holds a much greater value than the most expensive pearl known to man. It is the pearl of great price, also known as salvation.
I love how practical the Bible is. God is so good to us humans, bringing his word to us in a manner in which we can understand. Jesus spoke in parables for this reason, so we all could understand the plan that God has for us.
In Matthew 13 Jesus likens salvation to a pearl of great price. It reads, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”
We can understand this. To be apart of the kingdom of heaven we have to acquire salvation. This is that pearl of great price, a treasure that we find, that is being offered to us, we just have to be willing to sell ALL that we have to obtain that most precious treasure. It is not enough for us to give up just a little, but it will cost us everything, all of our ideas, notions, hopes, wishes, attitudes, dreams, opinions, wants, loved ones, all we have or will have, all we are or ever will be. The cost of this pearl is very great. We have to be willing to sell our self, to give our self completely over to God’s control to receive salvation and be apart of the kingdom of heaven.
There are all kinds of pearls out there, so don’t be deceived into purchasing imitation or cultured pearls. How will you know the difference? I am not an expert on pearls; however after a quick search about pearls it was easy to tell one from the other on price alone. A imitation or cultured pearl necklace can run around $15 at a accessories store at the mall, where as a natural or real pearl necklace can cost more than a couple thousand dollars depending on the quality.
In a spiritual sense, imitation or cultured pearls will allow you to keep some self on board. It may tell you that you can be a Sinning Christian or that you don’t have to forgive every one, or a few lies are ok. Imitation means the result or product of imitating, artificial likeness, a copy, counterfeit. Imitation pearls are fake; they aren’t the real thing, they are just pretending. We need to be careful that we get the real thing. Imitation salvation will not be the key to entering into the Kingdom of heaven, only true salvation will work. Don’t settle or be satisfied with a $15 pearl necklace, sell everything you have and save up to get the thousand dollar one.
Thoughts of Grace 