The Parable of the Pearl: When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Matthew 13:46
The Gospel of Matthew recounts that Jesus was preaching near the town of Capernaum and went to the Sea of Galilee. There, he got into a boat while his followers were near the shore, and there he announced seven beautiful parables about the Kingdom of God, and among them the parable of the pearl of great price. With this, Jesus continued the teaching given in the Sermon on the Mount, but this time with creative stories to provoke thought in his listeners, who wondered what this mysterious Kingdom announced by this remarkable person consisted of.
The parable of the pearl of great price is one of the most famous parables announced by Jesus, and it is only in the Gospel of Saint Matthew. But understanding the meaning of this parable is not easy, because it must be understood in the context of the spiritual gifts and, in particular, with the gift of eternal life, the life that once obtained cannot be lost.
And with these words, Jesus taught the parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it" Matthew 13:45-46.
For Jesus, the Kingdom of God is the realm or dominion of the divine perfections, and only those who live the spiritual gifts belong to this government. The purpose of the spiritual gifts is not happiness, but rather the likeness to God in essence—in other words, the fullness of spiritual blessings within men. In the parable, the pearl merchant is the man who lives the gifts and devoutly seeks the wisdom of God. And the pearl of great price is the spiritual gift of eternal life, the contemplative life, the life that is accessed after a second birth, the birth according to the spirit. This is why Jesus said: "No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again" John 3:3. To see, or perceive with the mind, the Kingdom of God, is in other words, to find this precious pearl. A pearl that is reached through a progressive, gradual, and incremental work of human intelligence, united with the grace of God, who is ultimately the one who grants the most wonderful gifts.
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