What is top priority? How does it work? Learn from the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price in Matthew 13:45-46.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.— Matthew 13:45-46, King James Version
The Kingdom Principle of Top Priority - It takes all to get it
The Parable shows us what a top priority is or what does one mean by most valuable? Top priority means you give all to achieve the one thing that is most valuable. The principle is "sold all that he had, and bought it."
Jesus said it in John 15:13 NIV Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.
It is so valuable that it costs our lives. People are willing to die for a worthy cause. Dying for a cause should be the last resort to give for the cause. The more practical means is the meantime is to give one's time, efforts and talents for the cause. This is shown by Paul in Philippians 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.
The Pearl of Great Price - Christ
For Paul, the pearl of great price is Jesus Christ. He counted his past successes, learning, position, achievements as rubbish when compared to the knowledge of Christ. He was willing to suffer persecutions and many hardships just to spread the gospel of Christ. He eventually gave his life for Christ. We can learn from Paul in giving our time, effort, and talents to follow the calling of God for our lives, living out the Christ in us to bring glory to Him.
The Pearl of Great Price - Man
In the eyes of Jesus, we are the pearl of great price. He gave of Himself, setting aside His status of God and came to us, born of a virgin, and then died on the cross to pay for sins. He gave His all just to gain us.
Application: Living Out Christmas through Our Years
In response to Jesus seeing us as His pearl, can we be like Paul who sees Jesus as his pearl and seek first His kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33)? Can we live our lives with gratefulness and contentment? Can we see wealth, honor, sufferings, disappointments, losses, persecutions, troubles etc in the new light and count them as nothing compared to what we already are in Jesus Christ. That is the way to have Christmas all the years and the true meaning of Christmas.
Lim Liat (c) 17 Dec 2018
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