Discovering the worth of the gospel

Jesus once told a parable of a man who was looking for a pearl. This man wasn't ordinary; he was a dealer, a businessman. He always kept his eyes open for anything he could make a profit from. It was a typical day at the market as the man was moving about through the vendors when something shiny caught his eye.

He approached the vendor and began to gaze at the shiny pearl. Being a man with great knowledge about the worth of such commodities, he immediately realized that he wasn't looking at a typical pearl. No, this was different. It wasn't like anything else he had ever seen in his life. Instantly, he felt a willingness to give up his whole life for that precious pearl. He had never experienced anything similar.

In that moment, the man decides to do what he would never imagine himself doing. He sells all the possessions he had accumulated in his life. In a short period of a week or two, he sells absolutely everything. He is left with nothing except the money. At once, he heads down to that same market to put his hands on that pearl which he so adores.

This story reveals something very interesting. It is impossible to abandon everything, to lay our life down for the sake of the kingdom, without first seeing the beauty and the worth of the gospel. When the gospel becomes precious and dear to us, we will be joyfully willing to give up everything, even our lives!

Let's all look to Jesus who is worth more than our lives!