The Price Of Purpose

THE PEARL YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE

When Purpose Calls, Cheap Religion Dies

Let me tell you about a man I met in Akasia.

He was a taxi owner. Owned three minibus taxis on the Ga-Rankuwa to Pretoria CBD route. He had the Hustler's Bible a leather-bound King James  tucked in his dashboard, right next to his Glock. He knew the Word. Could quote Psalm 23 while dodging potholes on the Mabopane Highway. He attended a megachurch in Hatfield every Sunday. Tithed faithfully. His wife was in the women's ministry. His children were in the youth choir.

And yet.

One Tuesday afternoon, he sat across from me in a Wimpy in Wonderpark, and he said words I will never forget. He said, "Harold, I have everything I was told to want. I have the taxis. I have the house in Karenpark. I have the Samsung and the Stanbic account. But I do not have peace. I do not have purpose. I feel like I am driving my life in circles, loading passengers who never pay."

He was a merchant. He had been seeking goodly pearls. He had accumulated. He had climbed. He had arrived. And he was empty.

This is the state of many of us in South Africa in 2026. We are a nation of merchants trading, hustling, grinding  but we are not finding the Pearl. We are surrounded by cheap pearls: the pearl of social status, the pearl of political access, the pearl of a Toyota Fortuner, the pearl of a viral TikTok. These pearls glitter. They cost something. But they do not cost everything. And that, precisely, is the problem.

The Scripture declares unequivocally:

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it." — Matthew 13:45-46 (NASB)

Let us define our terms clearly.

A merchant is a professional searcher. He knows value. He knows markets. He is not naive. This is not a fool being duped; this is a connoisseur making a deliberate choice. Jesus deliberately chose a businessman for this parable because He wanted us to understand that the Kingdom is not a consolation prize for those who cannot succeed in the "real world." The Kingdom is the ultimate business decision, the highest return on investment, the one transaction that secures your portfolio for eternity.

The pearl of great value  as the commentators consistently affirm is Christ Himself, and the salvation that is found in Him alone. The Pulpit Commentary puts it this way: "As all which the merchant sought in acquiring many goodly pearls was found in one—one precious, peerless gem Jesus teaches us that the soul finds in Himself all it feels the want of and has been seeking in other ways—peace with God and peace of conscience, a clean heart and a renewed mind, hope in death and a heaven of glory after it."

But note the second movement. The merchant did not simply admire the pearl. He did not bookmark it. He did not put it on his vision board. He sold all that he had and bought it. The Greek is emphatic. He liquidated. He disposed of his entire inventory. He emptied his hands of every other pearl to possess the one.

Is that not the very definition of discipleship?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, whose work on the cost of discipleship influenced the South African church during its struggle against apartheid, wrote: "Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate."

Bonhoeffer understood what we in modern South Africa are struggling to grasp: cheap grace produces cheap Christians. And cheap Christians  forgive me  produce a cheap church. A church that cannot heal our land because it has not been wounded for the cross. A church that cannot transform communities because it has not been transformed by the Pearl.

The Prophetic Mirror: What Are You Actually Seeking?

Let us be brutally honest with ourselves today.

I walked through Pretoria Central last month. The streets tell a story. The Nigerian spaza shop owner who was here before many of us were born. The Zimbabwean carpenter who left Harare with nothing but his tools. The Congolese tailor on Church Street who can sew a suit that makes you feel like a Cabinet Minister. And then the angry mobilizations, the "Operation Dudula" marches, the protests against "foreigners" taking what is "ours."

But here is what troubles me deeply. We protest against foreigners who are seeking purpose — who left everything to find a pearl in this South Africa. And we who were born here, who have citizenship and rights and access — what are we seeking? We are seeking tenders. We are seeking posts. We are seeking connections. We are seeking what Bonhoeffer called "cheap grace" in the political domain: the hope that the government will save us, that an ANC or DA or MK coalition will deliver us, that a R700 million national dialogue will solve youth unemployment.

Let me speak plainly as a son of this soil. The youth of this nation are bleeding. About 4.7 million young people aged 15 to 34 are unemployed, and the official unemployment rate sits at 32.7%. But what the statistics do not capture is the spiritual cost.

Research by Youth Capital shows that young South Africans spend an average of R1,469 every month just looking for work. Transport alone accounts for R700. Internet costs R441. Application expenses R328. And here is the soul-crushing reality: 85% of these young people have to choose between buying food and looking for work.

They are paying a price.

They are paying everything they have to find a job. But what if the price they should be paying is not just for a job? What if the price is for a purpose? What if the pearl they are seeking is not the pearl of employment, but the Pearl of great price?

The prophet Jeremiah declared: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

But Jeremiah said this to people in exile. He said this to people who had lost everything — their land, their temple, their identity. And yet God told them: I have a purpose for you in the place of your exile.

Our exile in South Africa is not a geographical displacement. It is a spiritual one. We are a nation that has been exiled from its purpose. We have forgotten who we are. We have forgotten Whose we are. We have been seeking pearls in the political wilderness, in the economic desert, in the entertainment wastelands.

And God is saying to us, as He said to Israel: Seek Me. Sell everything else. Buy the Pearl.

The Logical Argument: Why Cheap Pearls Always Deceive

Let us reason together, as the prophet Isaiah invited us to do.

Premise 1: Everything of value costs something. The pearl merchant knew this. You cannot acquire the valuable without releasing the invaluable.

Premise 2: South Africa is a nation of merchants. We understand trading, hustling, negotiating. We know the price of bread, the cost of petrol, the fare of a taxi, the rand-dollar exchange rate.

Premise 3: And yet, the one transaction that matters most the investment that secures eternity  we often refuse to make. We refuse to sell our pride, our selfishness, our comfortable Christianity, our Sundays-only faith.

The objection is predictable: "But Pastor Harold, I cannot earn my salvation. It is by grace alone, through faith alone."

Absolutely correct. We are not saved by works. The merchant did not earn the pearl by good behaviour. But note this: the merchant sold everything he had to buy it. He did not earn the pearl; he surrendered for it. He did not purchase salvation; he released everything else to possess Christ.

The Baptist preacher John Bunyan, in Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, described this as the pilgrimage from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. You must leave the City of Destruction  the city of cheap pearls to find the Pearl. You must abandon the familiar for the eternal. You must let go of what you can see to grasp what you cannot.

Is it not true that we all feel this tension? We know the Pearl is Christ. We know the Kingdom is worth everything. But we hold back. We hold back our finances. We hold back our time. We hold back our children. We hold back our careers. We hold back our pride.

And so we end up like my taxi owner friend — driving in circles, loading passengers who never pay, accumulating goodly pearls that cannot satisfy.

The Investigative Diagnosis: The Spirit of the Age

We must sound the alarm against the spirit of this age.

The spirit of this age says: "Come as you are, stay as you are." But Jesus says: "Come as you are, but you cannot stay as you are. Sell everything. Take up your cross. Follow Me."

The spirit of this age says: "God wants you to be happy." And indeed He does — but His definition of happiness is not your definition. His happiness is holiness. His joy is obedience. His peace is purpose.

The spirit of this age says: "You can have Jesus AND the world." But the merchant in the parable did not keep some pearls in reserve. He sold all that he had. Jesus said, "No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62)

And in this season of South African history, where we face water crises, electricity crises, unemployment crises, gender-based violence crises, and a growing crisis of national identity — we need a church that is not playing with cheap pearls. We need a church that has sold everything to possess the Pearl.

Look at what is happening in our churches. We march against state regulation of religion, and we should — the Constitution protects our freedom of worship. We protest against corruption, and we must — the President says public office is a public trust. But what are we doing about the corruption in our own hearts? What are we doing about the tenders of pride we award ourselves? What are we doing about the state capture of our souls by comfort and complacency?

The evidence strongly supports this: We are more concerned with the price of petrol than the price of purpose. We are more concerned with load shedding than soul shedding. We are more concerned with what enters our bank accounts than what enters eternity.

A bishop in this country recently blamed politics and structural failures for the violence in our communities. He is right. But I would go further: the structural failure is spiritual. It is the failure to preach costly grace. It is the failure to disciple nations. It is the failure to call people to sell everything and buy the Pearl.

The Transformative Insight: What If the Pearl Costs Everything?

Picture, if you will, a world where Christians in South Africa actually sold everything for the Pearl.

Imagine a church where the youth no longer spend R1,469 a month only looking for jobs, but spend their resources building Kingdom enterprises that create jobs. Imagine a church where the tithe is not just money but time — time poured into mentoring, discipling, equipping. Imagine a church where the unemployed no longer feel ashamed but empowered, because they are part of a community that believes their purpose is not defined by a salary slip but by a Saviour.

Imagine a church where the taxi owner stops driving in circles and starts driving toward the Kingdom. Where his taxis become vehicles of the Gospel. Where his routes become mission fields. Where his company becomes a discipleship programme.

Imagine a church in Akasia, in Soshanguve, in Mabopane, in Mamelodi, in Atteridgeville  where the men gather not to braai and complain about the economy, but to pray and strategize for the Kingdom. Where the women gather not just to gossip and drink tea, but to intercede and disciple the next generation.

Imagine a church where Matthew 13:46 is not just a verse we read on Sunday, but a verse we obey every day. Sell everything. Buy the Pearl.

Is it not true that this sounds impossible? It is impossible  without the grace of God. But Jesus said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

The merchant in the parable could not have purchased the pearl through his own resources alone. He had to sell everything. And even then, the pearl was worth infinitely more than the sum total of his possessions. That is the point. The Kingdom of God is not a bargain. It is not a discount. It is not a clearance sale. It is the most expensive purchase any human being can ever make — and it is worth every single sacrifice.

The Practical Embodiment: What Does This Look Like in Akasia in 2026?

Let me bring this down to the asphalt of our lives.

First, identify your cheap pearls.

What are you holding onto that is keeping you from the Pearl of great price? Is it a relationship that dishonours God? Is it a career that consumes your soul? Is it a habit that numbs your conscience? Is it a financial aspiration that has become an idol? Name it. Write it down. Confess it.

Second, calculate the cost.

Jesus said, "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?" (Luke 14:28)

What will it cost you to follow Jesus without reservation? It may cost you friends. It may cost you promotions. It may cost you comfort. It may cost you your reputation. It may cost you your life. But the Pearl is worth more.

Third, sell everything.

This is not a metaphor. This is a mandate. For some, selling everything means literally downsizing your lifestyle so you can give more to the Kingdom. For others, it means resigning from a corrupt job. For still others, it means leaving a toxic relationship. For all of us, it means surrendering our will to His will.

Fourth, buy the Pearl.

You cannot buy your salvation but you can buy the pursuit. You can invest in prayer. You can invest in fasting. You can invest in studying the Word. You can invest in serving the poor. You can invest in discipling your children. You can invest in building the Kingdom in your sphere of influence.

The merchant went and bought the pearl. He took action. He made a transaction. He did not just admire it. He acquired it.

The Apologetic Response: Why This Is Not Extreme

I can hear the objection now. "This is too radical. This is fanaticism. This is legalism."

A common objection is: "God does not require me to sell everything. That was just a parable."

Let us examine this carefully. When the rich young ruler came to Jesus seeking eternal life, Jesus told him, "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Mark 10:21) The young man went away sad because he had great wealth. Jesus did not chase after him. He did not say, "Okay, okay, you can keep your wealth. Just believe in Me." He let him walk away. Because Jesus knew that the young man's wealth was his real god.

The issue is not whether you have possessions. The issue is whether your possessions have you. The issue is whether there is anything in your life that you would not surrender for Christ.

And let me be clear: I am not preaching salvation by works. I am preaching salvation by surrender. The merchant was not saved by selling his possessions. He was saved by buying the Pearl. But he could not buy the Pearl until he had sold his possessions. The selling was not the salvation; it was the surrender that made possession possible.

Therefore, reason itself, illuminated by Scripture and confirmed in our deepest longings, compels us to acknowledge that the Pearl of great price demands everything — and gives everything in return.

The Closing Call: Pay the Price

Let me return to my taxi owner friend.

Six months after our Wimpy conversation, he called me. His voice was different. Lighter. He said, "Harold, I sold one of my taxis."

I asked him why.

He said, "I am using the money to fund a feeding scheme in Soshanguve. And I am using my other two taxis to transport children to Sunday school."

He paused. Then he said something I will carry to my grave: "I am still a merchant. But now I am seeking the right Pearl."

He is paying the price. He is selling his cheap pearls. He is buying the Pearl of great price. And in doing so, he is finding what he always wanted: purpose.

What about you?

What price-tagged, purpose-shaped habit is the Spirit stirring you toward? What cheap pearl are you clinging to? What sacrifice are you postponing? What transaction are you afraid to make?

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls. He found one of great value. He sold everything. He bought it.

Pay it. Pursue it. Possess it.

What you are unwilling to sacrifice for was never something you were truly seeking.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You are the Pearl of great price. I confess that I have been seeking cheap pearls the approval of men, the comfort of ease, the security of possessions. I have been a merchant trading in things that perish. But today, I choose to sell everything. I choose to surrender my pride, my plans, my possessions, my future. I choose to buy the Pearl. Give me courage to pay the price others postpone. Let my sacrifice become my song. Let my surrender become my strength. Let my loss become my gain. In the name of Jesus Christ, the Pearl of great value. Amen.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:7