Of Great Price
Prices tell us about the value of things. But, sometimes, there would be items that are either overpriced or underpriced. When we get caught up into giving away so much money for goods that should costs less we feel cheated. However, we'll be very glad to pay less for what is of great price.
Nevertheless, there will certainly be a problem when what we consider of great price is seen as worthless by another class, who may be more or less learned than we are; it is the challenge of having different value systems. In modern societies, people are taught to respect the values of others, even though they are different from ours. This places some kind of equality on values that are otherwise not equal. It might be likened to rating a grade one pupil on the same level with a grade six. That would be a false weight. But men have accepted it as fair in order not to be offensive.
Is it not really bad enough to know that "...that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God"? (Luke 16:15). With the contradiction of these two value systems, will it not be proper to have the one that is more excellent? This would save us from the trouble of counting our shame as our glory (Philippians 3:19).
If there should be any real measurement of values, we should give credit to the Creator of values Himself, the Almighty God. It would be foolish to deny His existence in the face of the great designs of His works that we see before us every day. His value system is the most accurate of all systems. In His Holy Book, He asks:
"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mat 16:26). This is His own assessment of values. According to Him, the value of whole world is not a good exchange value for a man's soul. If we fail to accept His counsel, we may turn out to feel cheated at the end to realize that we have spent so much of our lives on worthless things.
He also tells us of a man "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." (Mat 13:46). That man must be a wise man. He had the right value system to understand that all his possessions were not worth the pearl of great price. He could easily dispose himself of them all to acquire the most important treasure of his life. Such a man was Paul, the apostle. All the "...things (that) were gain to (him), those (he) counted loss for Christ". Yes, he counted "all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord..." that he might be able to win Christ. (Philippians 3:7,8). The knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord is the most excellent knowledge and the missing link in modern thinking. We have to give up all other knowledge to know the true Lord and be able to have the right value system.
When we have the right value system, we will not pursue outward evaluation of ourselves as much as we pursue our inward purification; rather we would heed the divine counsel that reads: "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." ( 1Pe 3:4). To possess this priced pearl, we have to exchange it for the outward adornments because they truly detract from the most excellent glory of the soul. The hidden man of the heart is hidden and incorruptible by worldly defilement because it is separate from the world and separated to God. God describes it as an ornament of a meek and quiet spirit and of great price. It was purchased at the cost of a sinless blood. If it is of great price to Him, should it not be so to us, too? Should we value external things above it? Or should we not see ourselves as He sees us: complete in glory, needing no additions to beautify ourselves? The problem with seeking outward beauty is the contradiction of the hiding of the man of the heart. The man of the heart wants to remain hidden and let Christ be known for the excellency that He is. But no, the old man of the flesh, who is subject to the old serpent, his head, seeks to be known rather. This is why we must sell it, give it up, crucify it and exchange it for the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is of great price in the sight of God.
But a certain ruler, when he learnt that he had to sell all these things to gain eternal life became "...very sorrowful: for he was very rich" in earthly things (Luke 18:23). Esteeming earthly things in the mind over and above heavenly things to the extent that we cannot easily dispose of them to gain the excellency of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering makes us enemies of His cross and Antichrists, even though we profess otherwise. We become enemies of righteousness and the things that are eternal and true. That is why the love of the world is the root of evil. But if we love the Father, rather than fleshly desires, attractive things and the prideful things of the earth, we shall know indeed that He is our great and exceeding reward!
Prices tell us about the value of things. But, sometimes, there would be items that are either overpriced or underpriced. When we get caught up into giving away so much money for goods that should costs less we feel cheated. However, we'll be very glad to pay less for what is of great price.
Nevertheless, there will certainly be a problem when what we consider of great price is seen as worthless by another class, who may be more or less learned than we are; it is the challenge of having different value systems. In modern societies, people are taught to respect the values of others, even though they are different from ours. This places some kind of equality on values that are otherwise not equal. It might be likened to rating a grade one pupil on the same level with a grade six. That would be a false weight. But men have accepted it as fair in order not to be offensive.
Is it not really bad enough to know that "...that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God"? (Luke 16:15). With the contradiction of these two value systems, will it not be proper to have the one that is more excellent? This would save us from the trouble of counting our shame as our glory (Philippians 3:19).
If there should be any real measurement of values, we should give credit to the Creator of values Himself, the Almighty God. It would be foolish to deny His existence in the face of the great designs of His works that we see before us every day. His value system is the most accurate of all systems. In His Holy Book, He asks:
"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mat 16:26). This is His own assessment of values. According to Him, the value of whole world is not a good exchange value for a man's soul. If we fail to accept His counsel, we may turn out to feel cheated at the end to realize that we have spent so much of our lives on worthless things.
He also tells us of a man "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." (Mat 13:46). That man must be a wise man. He had the right value system to understand that all his possessions were not worth the pearl of great price. He could easily dispose himself of them all to acquire the most important treasure of his life. Such a man was Paul, the apostle. All the "...things (that) were gain to (him), those (he) counted loss for Christ". Yes, he counted "all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord..." that he might be able to win Christ. (Philippians 3:7,8). The knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord is the most excellent knowledge and the missing link in modern thinking. We have to give up all other knowledge to know the true Lord and be able to have the right value system.
When we have the right value system, we will not pursue outward evaluation of ourselves as much as we pursue our inward purification; rather we would heed the divine counsel that reads: "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." ( 1Pe 3:4). To possess this priced pearl, we have to exchange it for the outward adornments because they truly detract from the most excellent glory of the soul. The hidden man of the heart is hidden and incorruptible by worldly defilement because it is separate from the world and separated to God. God describes it as an ornament of a meek and quiet spirit and of great price. It was purchased at the cost of a sinless blood. If it is of great price to Him, should it not be so to us, too? Should we value external things above it? Or should we not see ourselves as He sees us: complete in glory, needing no additions to beautify ourselves? The problem with seeking outward beauty is the contradiction of the hiding of the man of the heart. The man of the heart wants to remain hidden and let Christ be known for the excellency that He is. But no, the old man of the flesh, who is subject to the old serpent, his head, seeks to be known rather. This is why we must sell it, give it up, crucify it and exchange it for the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is of great price in the sight of God.
But a certain ruler, when he learnt that he had to sell all these things to gain eternal life became "...very sorrowful: for he was very rich" in earthly things (Luke 18:23). Esteeming earthly things in the mind over and above heavenly things to the extent that we cannot easily dispose of them to gain the excellency of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering makes us enemies of His cross and Antichrists, even though we profess otherwise. We become enemies of righteousness and the things that are eternal and true. That is why the love of the world is the root of evil. But if we love the Father, rather than fleshly desires, attractive things and the prideful things of the earth, we shall know indeed that He is our great and exceeding reward!
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