Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

pray'us."ground"not."en."east,"void"pearls"pearls"man"sanctuary"safety"pearls"pearl"pearls". .. .Christ's words in verse 22. The unionof the human and the divine in Christis a mystery that we cannot understand.Yet it is a mistake to believe that Heever laid aside His relation with theFather. His prayers to God were notlike man's prayers. For man to use inaddressing God the prayer of Christ referred to above, would be extremelyprofane. The disciples realized that, andso they asked Him to teach them how topray. The manner of prayer that Hetaught them would not have been suitable for Himself. Christ does not change.We do not have to wait for some futureevent. Now is the accepted time, becauseChrist lives in the eternal Now, thesame yesterday, today and forever.Jesus Taught His Disciples How toPray (Luke 11:1-4)."After this manner pray ye. Theyrealized that they could not copy Hisprayers for their own use. So they asked how they should pray. This prayer isoften used in private prayer, or recitedin unison in public meetings for worship.When that, or any other set form isused, every care should be used to prevent it from becoming a mere form thatis not a real expression of our desires.This is dealt with in our Declaration andTestimony, chapter 24, paragraph 9 anderror 9.toMatthew Henry says, " 'Lord, teach usis itself a good prayer, and avery needed one, for it is a very hardthing to pray well, and it is only Hewho can teachIt is a great privilege to pray asJesus did, "Our Father."The first and second petitions areboth pledges and prayers.Bread, Forgivness, and Guidance, weneed daily.In the conclusion of the prayer, Matt.6:13, we acknowledge that Jesus Christ,as God has entire and eternal Dominion,Power and Glory.PRAYER MEETING TOPICDecember 21, 1955THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICEMatt. 13:45, 46Rev. W. C. McClurkinPsalms: 119: Part 2, page 288119: Part 8, page 29373: 10, page 17986: 6-10, page 20945: 1-3,6,7, page 11689: 1, 6, 7, page 216References Deut. 4:29; II Chron. 15:15; Psa. 24:6; 27:8; 105:4; 119:72; Prov.3:13-15; 17:8; Song of Sol. 5:10; Isa.55:6; Luke 11:10; 14:33; 18:28-30; John12:20, 21; Acts 4:12; Phil. 3:7,8; IPeter 2:6,7.364In other parables our Lord likenedHis kingdom to a worldwide field inwhich a sower sows his seed; and to afield in which some plowman or prospector might find treasure; in this parable, to a great market place in whichan enterprising merchant deals andfinds and buys the summum bonum.Some, Gentiles principally, receiveChrist from missionaries, as "goodreceives seed from sowers.Others find Christ while at their regular work or reading, like the man whostumbled upon treasure hid in a field(v. 44), and like those of whom Paulquoted the prediction of Rom. 10:20,"I was found of them that sought meBut Christ is also found by earnestseekers after truth: like Simeon, the"wise men from theNathanael,the Ethiopian treasurer, Cornelius, andothers. Each of these is like the "merchant man"in this parable.SEEKING GOODLY PEARLSIn the parable, the "merchantevidently, was a reliable and well-established jeweler; no junk dealer. Hehad a good eye, was an expert in judging the comparative values of preciousstones, and would not be deceived byimitations. And he had such businessacumen and financial ability that hecould get almost anything he wanteduntil he saw a pearl far better than heever dreamed existed, "one pearl ofgreat price."Like such a merchant, Jesus teachesis an honest inquirer, an earnest seeker after truth in "the kingdom of heavA subject of this kingdom, actualor prospective, being concerned aboutthe chronic "achingwithin him,seeks that which will satisfy his heart,but does not know, at first, just whereit may be found. In his diligent searchfor the "goodlyof knowledge,he has learned and acquired by his observation of,ture, alongand experience with, nawith his social studies andpersonal research of various histories,philosophies, and ologies, many valuablefacts, ideas, axioms, and extensional,intensional, and normative truths, andsuch, none of which, however, are wholly satisfying. "Where shall wisdom befound,"he cries, as Job did (Job 28:12-28), and, with Job, Solomon, andother seekers, he at length finds it in"the fear of the Lord" in the Lord'sown Revelation of Himself in the Gospel of His Kingdom."FOUND ONE PEARL OFGREAT PRICE"In the parable, the merchant wasabroad seeking "goodly of various values, and had money enoughwith him to buy several. But when hewas confronted with a pearl of surpassing beauty and surpassing value, hefound it to be beyond his means. Yetthe more he looked at it, the more headmired it and wanted it. And he deliberatelyresolved that he would haveit for his very own, if at all possible.In "the kingdom" a sinner with an"achingvoid"within him, an earnestseeker of happiness, after disappointment with various nostrums and planshe has tried, is confronted with JesusChrist offered to him in the Gospel.The Evangelist recommends Him asOne who would be all hissalvationand all his desire (II Sam. 23:5,) theOne anly Only Saviour and Lord (Acts4:12; Rom. 10:12), in whom all fulnessdwells (Col. 1:19). "One Pearl of greatprice"!Christ is further recommended to himas the fulness of truth "in whom arehid all the treasures of wisdom andknowledge"(Col. 2:3). He learns thatall other arts and attainments inknowledge are not such "goodlyof knowledge at all, without "the exChrist"cellency of the knowledge of(Phil. 3:8), and he verily believes thatChrist is the "One Pearl of greatprice"!And he is told that Christ has fulness of grace (John 1:14), as well astruth; that He is the "perfection ofbeauty"(Psa. 50:2) that shines out ofZion; the real strength and . . .beautyin His(Psa. 96:6); that Heis "the chiefest among ten thousand . . .yea . . . altogether lovely" (Song of Sol.5:10,16); and that He is to be desiredabove all others in heaven or earth(Psa. 73:25). Surely, He is "One Pearlof great price"!And Christ has "fulness of joy" (Psa.16:11) for those who believe His Wordand receive Him (John 15:11). Whyshould the seeker of happiness lookelsewhere? Even in song, he hears:"How long will ye love vanity. . .say,who will show us any good? Lord .Thou hast put gladness in my heart .peace, and . . . (Psa. 4). And,he is shown the vision of the heavenly gate which is "one (Rev. 21:21), a metaphor of Christ being the"Way," or"Door,"into everlastingpeace and blessedness truly, OnePearl of Great Price!"In the parable, the merchant was outto buy "goodlyhand and still retain hisland and store already wellwith cash inhouse andstockedwith jewels. But this unusual and u-nique pearl, he found, could not be hisbut by giving up all he had. Being wellpersuaded of its value he was willingto do this. So he "went and sold allthat he had and bought it," believingthat this new possession would repayCOVENANTER WITNESS