One is good enough

 “…the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matt 13:45-6)

I love this parable about the Kingdom. This man was looking for beautiful pearls – things of worth and beauty. Like us, going through life, looking for love, purpose, security, fulfillment.

But he who set out looking for many pearls eventually found one and abandoned his pursuit of other pearls. To possess just that one pearl was good enough. Good enough to warrant selling everything he owned. Good enough to stop searching for anything else.

Jesus Christ is the pearl of great value.

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation…For it pleased the Father that in Him, all the fullness should dwell…in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 1:15, 19, 2:3)

Everything good and worthy and beautiful and precious is in Christ. Possess Him, and you possess everything your heart has ever wanted, could ever desire. All the treasures you have longed for are hidden in Him.

All is in one, just one. 

One is good enough.

David knew that. Only one thing I desire, he confessed in Psalm 27. King David, who could have possessed anything a man could ever want, said he only had one desire.

Paul understood that. Everything else is rubbish, compared to one thing, knowing Jesus. Fame was nothing. Persecution was nothing. This one thing I do, he declared with passion, this one thing I do…

Mary lived that. She chose the one thing that was needed, despite sharp criticism.

Throughout all of history, truly great people are known for just one thing, one consuming passion, one overriding purpose. Think Martin Luther, father of the Protestant Reformation. Nelson Mandela, freedom fighter of South Africa. Mother Teresa, lover of Jesus and the poor of Calcutta.

Does anyone know their hobbies? Food preferences? Where they liked to go for holiday? Or their favourite recreation? 

Is it an accident, that we call such nuggets of information about personal likes and dislikes, trivia?