NOTES for Mat 13:45-46

Comparing the Kingdom of Heaven to a precious object, a treasure for which one is willing to give up everything, is very characteristic of the Gospel. Jesus uses this image many times, as we have just read in the preceding verse (Matt. 13:44). But here we see a somewhat different turn to the theme. The Kingdom of Heaven is like not a pearl but a merchant seeking fine pearls. It is compared not with an object possessing “objective” value, but with a person, a personality, with his inward purpose and his search for genuine values. Indeed, despite all the “objectivity” of the Kingdom of Heaven, it is realized through a person's personal relationship with God, through his acknowledgment of God's rule over him, and through his consent to God's will. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God...” “Seek, and ye shall find...”