The Pearl of Great Price
“Heaven’s kingdom realm is also like a jewel merchant in search of rare pearls. When he discovered one very precious and exquisite pearl, he immediately gave up all he had in exchange for it.” Matthew 13:45-46 (The Passion Translation, TPT)
Jesus spoke many parables about the Kingdom of Heaven, like the one in which He compared it to a jewel merchant in search of a flawless, very valuable pearl. He mentioned that the merchant gave everything he had to purchase that pearl once he found it.
This speaks of great sacrifice. The Kingdom of Heaven is worth everything, and we should hold nothing back in gaining it. Nothing is more valuable.
What exactly is the Kingdom of Heaven and why is it so valuable? The Kingdom of Heaven is the realm of God. He dwells within it and it is glorious. It refers to the physical place where God lives as well as the spiritual extension of that Kingdom within the believer where the Spirit of God lives. The laws of the Kingdom are very different than those of the earth, and citizens of the Kingdom living on earth operate by Kingdom law, which supersedes natural law.
The Kingdom of Heaven is valuable because our access to it was purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ. It is also valuable because we are to give up our earthly citizenship and every carnal, natural thing we hold dear, in order to gain all the rights and privileges of Kingdom citizens. When we do, the Spirit of Christ comes to live in us and the Kingdom is set up within us.
For the kingdom of God does not mean eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17 (Modern English Version, MEV)
Kingdom of the world system is based on a natural economy of such things as food, water, clothing, shelter, etc. But the Kingdom of Heaven is a supernatural kingdom, and our citizenship ensures that all our natural needs will be met as well. God and His Kingdom are one. When we seek God, we seek the Kingdom. And when we seek the Kingdom, everything else lines up for us. The Kingdom and the King are truly the most important thing of all!
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?…So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:25, 31-33 (New International Version, NIV)
