The sixth parable is the parable of the pearl. We have seen that the treasure refers to the kingdom that God desires to obtain on the earth. The pearl refers to the church as the life pulse of the kingdom. Only when there is the church can there be the kingdom. The kingdom depends entirely on the church. Hence, after Matthew 16 says that the church is built upon the rock, it goes on to say that the keys of the kingdom of the heavens would be given to Peter (vv. 18-19). This means that without the church, there is no kingdom; without a group of people who are like a pearl of great value, there is no way to obtain the kingdom as the treasure.
According to the facts, the church comes first, then the kingdom. However, because the emphasis of the Gospel of Matthew is the kingdom, it mentions the kingdom first and then the church. In order for God to obtain the kingdom in the universe, He must first gain the church. Hence, after speaking the parable of the treasure, the Lord spoke concerning the pearl. The treasure was hidden in the field, which refers to the world in the positive sense, the earth created by God. The pearl came from the sea, which refers to the world in the negative sense, the world usurped by Satan. The treasure is always on the earth, but the pearl comes out of the sea and is separated from the sea. This pearl comprises all the saved ones, who constitute the unique church. In order for the Lord to obtain the kingdom, He must gain this church. Hence, He sold all that He had to obtain this pearl. This is another aspect of the meaning of the cross.
On one hand, the Lord redeemed the whole earth; on the other hand, He purchased back those whom He desires to gain. In His eyes these are the pearl. The pearl refers to the church, which comes out of the sea, the Satan-usurped world. The church is composed of those who are called out from the world. Today we are those who have been delivered from the world; in the future we will be those who inherit the kingdom, which is the world in which we will rule in the future. We have been delivered out of the world signified by the sea, but we will inherit the world—the earth—signified by the field. As pearls, we are delivered from the world signified by the sea, but as precious stones, we will inherit the world signified by the field in the future. Therefore, in the New Jerusalem in Revelation the pearls are the gates, the entrance, which come first, and the precious stones are the wall of the city, which comes second (21:19-21). When entering the New Jerusalem, one first passes through the gates; then one comes to the wall built with precious stones. Today as pearls, we have already come out of the world, but as the treasure, we remain hidden on the earth.
A pearl is produced by an oyster that has been wounded by a grain of sand. This signifies that the believers, or the church, are produced from the wounding of Christ on the cross. The treasure, consisting mainly of precious stones, is formed from the burning heat and intense pressure in the earth. This signifies that after we are saved, we need to pass through the burning of the Holy Spirit and the intense pressure of trials in order to gain a spiritual composition and constitution. Only those who receive the life that the Lord released on the cross can be the pearl; only those who have a spiritual constitution by allowing the Holy Spirit to burn them and by passing through the intense pressure of the environment can be the treasure. When a person experiences the burning of the Holy Spirit, the intense pressure of the environment, the constitution of the Holy Spirit, and the ruling of the heavens, he becomes a treasure. If there is adequate pressure, there will be not only the gates of pearls but also the wall of precious stones; this is what the Lord obtained by selling all that He had on the cross. Moreover, the Lord desires that we submit to His authority. When we become precious stones, there will be the kingdom, the authority. Pearls denote life; precious stones denote authority. The pearls are the entrance; the precious stones are the built-up wall.
Today God’s life is already in us, but His authority is still in the process of being constituted into us. The church certainly exists today, but there are still many matters to be worked out concerning the kingdom. The fifth and sixth parables in Matthew 13 concern the reality of the church in the Lord’s recovery; the second through the fourth parables concern the appearance of the kingdom, that is, the condition of Christendom in general. We should not be involved with the tares, the great tree, or the leaven; rather, we must be the treasure and the pearl. We must be delivered from the tares, the great tree, and the leaven, but we must gain the essence and expression of the treasure of precious stones and the pearl.
In summary, the seven parables in Matthew 13 can be divided into four groups. The first parable shows that the kingdom of the heavens had drawn near. The second through the fourth parables reveal the situation of Christendom. The fifth and sixth parables unveil the reality of the church in the Lord’s recovery. Finally, the seventh parable concerns the ushering in of the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens.
The first parable portrays the Lord’s coming out to preach the word of life and sow the seed of life in preparation for the kingdom. The second parable is based on this word of life, for the wheat in this parable grows out of the seed of life. The mustard in the third parable also grows out of this seed. The fine flour in the fourth parable is formed by the grinding of the wheat grown in the second parable. However, because tares are added to the wheat and leaven is added to the fine flour, the mustard becomes a great tree. This shows that the kingdom altogether depends on life; in other words, authority depends on life. The extent to which we allow God’s life to rule in us is the extent to which God’s kingdom, God’s authority, will be expressed. Whenever a brother allows God’s life to operate in him, spiritual authority will be seen in him. The wheat, the mustard herb, and the fine flour are all good for food and are life-sustaining and supplying. All three grow out of life. Hence, the second group of parables reveals mainly that the kingdom has life-sustaining food. This indicates that the heavenly ruling is filled with life-sustaining food.
Although a pearl implies growth, it also signifies constitution. A pearl is produced by the overlaying of a grain of sand with the life-juice of an oyster. Hence, although a pearl implies growth, the emphasis is on constitution. The treasure, however, is entirely a matter of constitution. Because the treasure is in the earth, it must be a constitution of precious stones and gold. Pearl, precious stones, and gold are the appearance of the coming New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:18-21).
Thus, the third group shows the preciousness of the kingdom. This group focuses not on its life-sustaining aspect but on its preciousness. Because Matthew 13:46 says that the man went and sold all that he had and bought the pearl, it implies the preciousness, the worth, of the kingdom. The world today is filled with the great tree; every place is filled with the things of Christianity. Yet few have paid attention to the life-sustaining food, and still fewer have seen the treasure within. Today people see only the great tree and the leaven; few have seen the wheat, the herb, and the fine flour, and almost no one has seen the value of the kingdom as the pearl and the treasure. The second through the fifth parables reveal that when we truly live by the Lord’s life, we will be a life supply of food to others and a priceless treasure to the Lord. Being a life supply of food is a result of the Lord’s life growing in us through His word. Having great value is a result of the Lord’s being wounded that we may receive His life and become a precious pearl. Then through the burning of the Holy Spirit and the pressure of our environment, we can eventually become precious stones. On one hand, we are food to man; on the other hand, we are the pearl and the treasure to the Lord.
The parables of the treasure and the pearl refer to the world in two aspects. The Lord’s desire is that we be delivered from the world, signified by the sea, and learn to live in the world, that is, on the earth, signified by the field. In order to be delivered from the world as the sea, we need to be delivered entirely from the sphere of Satan; in order to live on the earth as the field, we need to submit to God’s authority and obey His will. Because the pearl comes out of the sea, we must be delivered from the negative aspect of the world, but because the treasure is hidden in the field, we must obey God’s will and submit to His authority on the earth that God created and desires to gain. Pearls are worthless in the sea; they become valuable only when they are taken out of the sea. But it is in the sea that the oysters are wounded, which indicates that the Lord produced the pearl after He was wounded in the world.
The work produced from wood, grass, and stubble mentioned in 1 Corinthians 3:12 is related to the second group of the parables here. Grass corresponds to the tares, wood corresponds to the great tree, and stubble corresponds to the stalk that remains after wheat is harvested to produce flour. The work of the Roman Catholic Church today is all wood, grass, and stubble, a lifeless work, a work that cannot supply life to man. The work produced from gold, silver, and precious stones in the same verse in 1 Corinthians corresponds to the third group of parables in Matthew 13. Before man we should be an herb and fine flour; before God we should be pearl and precious stones. We should not be great before man; rather, we should be willing to humble ourselves to be a small herb and fine flour. We should never decide to use any means necessary in order to gain what we are after. We must always be delivered from the tares, the leaven, and the great tree. Our value is known only by the Lord; the pearl and the treasure are hidden today. Not until the Lord’s return will they be manifested.