The Pearl of Great Price

The Pearl of Great Price

By

James Scott Trimm

In a recent blog I mentioned that the Essenes and Yeshua both spoke out against materialism. The Essenes counted “Riches” (Materialism) as the second of the “Three Traps of Belial” which they felt mainline Judaism had fallen into.

Yeshua likewise spoke out against materialism saying:

19 Lay not up for yourselves stores upon earth, and moth devour,
and where thieves break through and steal,
20 But lay up for yourselves stores in heaven, where caterpillar and moth waste not,
and where thieves do not steal,
21 For just where your store is, there your heart will be also.
22 The lamp of your body is your eye; if therefore your eye is sound, your whole body
will be in great light.
23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body shall be gloomy. If therefore the light that
is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or
else he will love the one, and hate the other. You cannot serve Elohim and Mammon.
(Matthew 6:19-24 HRV)

A similar teaching appears in the Talmud with very similar wording:

Our Rabbis taught: It is related of King Monobaz
that he dissipated all his own hoards and the hoards of his
fathers in years of scarcity. His brothers and his father's
household came in a deputation to him and said to him, ‘Your
father saved money and added to the treasures of his fathers,
and you are squandering them.’ He replied: ‘My fathers stored
up below and I am storing above, as it says, Truth springeth
out of the earth and righteousness looketh down from heaven.
My fathers stored in a place which can be tampered
with, but I have stored in a place which cannot be tampered
with, as it says, Righteousness and judgment are the foundation
of his throne. My fathers stored something which produces no fruits, but I have stored something which does produce fruits, as it is written, Say ye of the righteous [zaddik] that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat of the fruit of their doings. My fathers gathered treasures of money, but I have gathered treasures of souls, as it is written, The fruit of the righteous [zaddik] is a tree of life, and he that is wise winneth souls. My fathers gathered for others and I have gathered for myself,
as it says, And for thee it shall be righteousness [zedakah].
My fathers gathered for this world, but I have gathered for the
future world, as it says, Thy righteousness [zedakah] shall go
before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward.’
(b.Baba Batra 11a)

Furthermore Yeshua said:

44 The Kingdom of Heaven is comparable to treasure hid in a field: which if a man
finds, he hides, and out of his joy he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
45 Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is comparable to a man that is a merchant, seeking
good pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one precious pearl, went and sold all that he had and bought
it.
(Matt. 13:44-56 HRV)

Interestingly the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas combines these sayings:

Yeshua said, "The Father's kingdom is like a merchant who had a supply of merchandise and found a pearl. That merchant was prudent; he sold the merchandise and bought the single pearl for himself. So also with you, seek his treasure that is unfailing, that is enduring, where no moth comes to eat and no worm destroys."
(Gospel of Thomas)

Likewise Yeshua said:

“Woe to you rich, because you have received your comfort.”
(Luke 6:24)

Similarly we read in the Book of Enoch:

“Woe to you rich, for you have trusted in your riches,
And from your riches shall you depart,
Because you have not remembered the Most High in the days of your riches.
(1Enoch 94:8)

In Matthew 19:21 Yeshua advises a rich man:

21 And Yeshua said to him: If you will be wholehearted, go sell all that you have, and
give to the poor. And you will have great store in heaven, and, come follow Me.
(Matt. 19:21)

The canonical Matthew gives no explanation for this recommendation, but the version of this event as recorded in the Goodnews according to the Hebrews does. A similar account appeared in the Goodnews according to the Hebrews in a quote preserved in the Latin version of a commentary on Matthew attributed to the third century “Church Father” Origin:

It is written in a certain Gospel which is called according to the Hebrews (if at least anyone care to accept it, not as authoritative, but to throw light on the question before us):

The other of the two rich men said to him:
Master, what good thing must I do that I may live?
He said to him, “Man fulfill the Torah and the Prophets.
He answered him, “That I have done.”
He said to him, “Go and sell all you possess and distribute
Among the poor, and then come and follow me.”
But the rich man began to scratch his head and it pleased him
not. And the Lord said to him, “How can you say,
‘I have fulfilled the Torah and the Prophets?”
For it stands written in the Torah “Love your neighbor
as yourself” and behold many of your brothers,
sons of Abraham, are begrimed with dirt and die
of hunger—and your house is full of many good things
and nothing at all comes forth from it to them.
And he turned and said to Simon his disciple,
who was sitting by him, “Simon, son of Jona,
it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of
a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom
of Heaven.”
(Origin; On Mt. 15:14 on 19:16ff in the Latin Version)

In this version of the story this recommendation “go sell all you have” is seen as an application of the Torah command “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18).

The Essenes shared all things in common. As Josephus writes of them:

“These men are despisers of riches, and so very communicative as raises our admiration. Nor is there any one to be found among them who has more than another; for it is a law among them, that those who come to them must let what they have be common to the whole order, insomuch, that among them all there is no appearance of poverty or excess of riches, but everyone’s possessions are intermingled with every other’s possessions,…”
(Wars 2:8:3)

And:

“This is demonstrated by that institution of theirs, which will not allow anything to hinder them from having all things in common; so that a rich man enjoys no more of his own wealth than he who has nothing at all.”
(Ant. 18:1:5)

As we also read in the Manual of Discipline:

“All who volunteer for his truth are to bring the full measure of their knowledge, strength, and wealth into the Yahad of God. Thus will they purify their knowledge in the verity of God’s laws, properly exercise their strength according to the perfection of his ways, and likewise their wealth by the canon of His righteous counsel.”
(1QS 1:11-13)

Likewise the ancient Nazarenes also held all things in common, just as their Essene forefathers did:

44 And all those who had trust were, as one: and everything that they had, was held in
common.
45 And those who had a possession, sold it and distributed to each man according to
whatever was needed.
(Acts 2:44-45 HRV)

and:

32 And the assembly of men who believed, had one nefesh and one mind: and not a man
from them, said about the possessions that he owned--that they were his, but everything
that they had, was held in common.
33 And with great power, the emissaries testified concerning the resurrection of Yeshua
the Messiah, and great favor was with all of them.
34 And there was no man among them who was needy: for those who owned fields and
houses sold them, and brought the price of what was sold,
35 And placed it at the feet of the emissaries, and it was given to each man according to
what was needed.
36 And Yosef, who was called Bar-Nabba by the emissaries, which is interpreted--son of
encouragement, a Levi from the region of Cyprus,
37 Had a field. And he sold it, and brought its price, and placed it before the feet of the
emissaries.
(Acts 4:32-37 HRV)

Likewise we read of Chananyah and his wife Safira:

1 And one man whose name was Chananyah, with his wife, whose name was Safira, sold
his field,
2 And kept from its price and hid it, while his wife was aware of it. And he brought a
portion, from the money, and laid it before the feet of the emissaries.
3 And Shim’on said to him, Chananyah, why is it, that HaSatan has so filled your heart,
that you should lie by the Ruach HaKodesh: and, hide some from the money, of the price
of the field?
4 Was it not yours, before it was sold? And after it was sold, again you were in control
concerning its price. Why have you decided in your heart to do this thing? You have not
lied to sons of men, but to Eloah.
5 And when Chananyah heard these words, he fell down and died: and there was a great
awe among all those who heard.
(Acts 5:1-5 HRV)

This is Yeshua’s teaching, not mine. Don’t believe me, believe your Scriptures, believe Elohim!

The truth of Torah and Messiah is that Pearl of Great Price of the Kingdom of YHWH. But YHWH does not ask you for everything, only for 10%. What a bargain! The Pearl is worth 100% and all He asks is 10%. How many of you will give 10% for a Pearl of Great Price worth 100%?