1. The Merchant and the Pearl A compelling story from an ancient book in a modern setting

2. The Merchant Here is a man who buys and sells things. He is called a merchant. He has a fine fur coat and a felt hat with a floppy feather. It is his favourite.

3. His huge house The house he lives in is huge. It has five doors and a fishpond with a fountain in the front garden.

4. The Merchant’s furniture. The Merchant has everything he wants. He has fifteen rooms filled with furniture

5. The Merchant’s food and drink He has four freezers of food. And three fridges full of ice cold fizzy drinks for the hot weather.

6. The Merchant’s money And there is more money under the mattress than you could ever imagine. Much more. Yes, the Merchant has everything he wants, until…….

7. The Merchant went shopping One day in a shop window, he sees something. Something very special. It is a a very large beautiful white pearl

8. The Merchant’s passion… The Merchant was captivated by the beauty of the white pearl. He wanted the pearl more than anything else he owned.

9. The Jeweller and the pearl “US$500,000 ” said the jeweller. It is even more money than the Merchant has under his mattress.

10. The Merchant counts the cost.. The Merchant wants the beautiful white pearl more than anything else in the world.

11. The Merchant sells his goods. He hurries home. He has a plan. He sells his furniture, his fridges and all his drink and food. He sells his house and his fountain and fishpond.

12. The Merchant sells his clothes. He sells his fine fur coat. But the felt hat with the floppy feather, he keeps. It is his favorite

13. The Merchant goes to the shop. He borrows a wheelbarrow and bundles all his money in the barrow. Off to the jewellery shop he trundles to buy the pearl.

14. The Merchant even sells his hat. Oh dear he is six dollars short. “Sell me your hat for six dollars” says the jeweller. The merchant laughs. He hands the man his hat and takes the pearl.

15. The Merchant is so happy!!! Hooray! The pearl is his at last.

16. Jesus says…. “God is like the Merchant’s pearl. It costs everything to know Him. But He is worth more than anything in the world.”

17. What was the truth of this story? The kingdom of God is better than anything else on this earth. If you are passionate to enter the kingdom you will need give up your desires to possess the kingdom.

18. Acknowledgements: Butterworth and Inkpen, Marshall Pickering, UK.