Marble King

The Pearl of Great Price

" A Good Reputation is Worth more the Gold "

I remember when I was very young, I was totally obsessed with marbles. At one point in my childhood it seems like they were the most wonderful and valuable thing I knew. A good part of the attraction came from the fact that they came in so many endless, beautiful varieties. There were, Cat Eyes, Clearies, Beachballs, Alabasters, Clays, Pewters, Chinas, Indians, etc. etc. We were always testing the different marbles we owned to determine which were the best shooters that would stick. A good shooter would stick and send the enemy marble out of the ring, at which point of course it became a prisoner. If you're shooter was still in the ring you got another shot. It wasn't that long ago when most kids played marbles. Now this great American pastime has been largely replaced with high tech garbage. I think I was exceptional at least in the sense that I really liked marbles. I still do. How could anyone not like them? They're beautiful. I was different though. I couldn't understand why other kids lost interest and before long they had lost all their marbles!

Of course, at some point in time, I came to realize that marbles were really cheap and worthless, but I still liked them. Now they have more of a sentimental, symbolic, value. What do you suppose those marbles represent?

When I became a teenager, I still liked marbles. While other kids were going crazy and doing crazy things, I was working and studying. Learning to run a chainsaw and play guitar. When I got into high school, I still liked marbles. When other kids were hot rodding around blowing there parents money and getting in trouble. I was working. Helping my Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles. When I became an adult I still liked marbles. While my contemporaries were getting into "Fast cars and whiskey, long haired girls and fun." I was working. Hoping to start a family.

In the Bible pearls are symbolic of the precious truth hidden in God's Word. Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant man seeking valuable pearls." When he had found the greatest pearl, he paid everything he had for it. In reality, the pearl itself has no value other than in what it represents. It's kind of the same way with gold, which represents obedience. Maybe you've heard of the "Gold of Obedience." The funny thing is, our disobedience is what we often wind up trading for gold.

You know the old saying, "All that glitters is not gold." It's so easy for young people to believe that the pearl is what has value. How can they begin to learn that gold is superficial.

"Beware of the deceitfulness of riches." God's Word is an inexhaustible treasure house. The best things in life are free.