A Found Pearl

A Found Pearl Commentary by Jane Heath Cite Share Show Bible Passage This fifth-century mosaic depicts the moment when, wearied from their long journey in search of ‘the king of the Jews’ (Matthew 2:2), the three Magi find the Christ child, seated on a throne, beneath the star that has guided them thus far. Their caps and clothing show that they have travelled from a great distance, giving up the security and comfort of home in order to find the king for whom they are searching. Like the man who sold everything that he had to buy the field wherein a treasure was hidden (Matthew 13:44), or the merchant who sold everything he had in order to obtain one very precious pearl (v.45), so too the Magi have left everything behind them for the opportunity to pay homage to this newborn king. As the treasure and the pearl symbolized the ‘kingdom of the heavens’ (vv.44–45), which is made real through a relationship to its king, so too the Magi are seeking the king of the Jews, who is portrayed here regally enthroned. This is the kingdom of heaven on earth, where a human, virgin mother sits beside him in her dark, plain robes, but angels sing above him, their haloes a dimmer reflection of his own luminous halo. As the merchant-adventurers of Jesus’s parables were overtaken by immense joy in recognizing the surpassing value of what they had found, and restructured their entire livelihood to claim its unique value for themselves, so too the Magi express their joy with their gifts. The pearls in their clothing echo the pearls that adorn the throne and footstool of the Christ child, as if they were echoing in their attire the external visualization of the worth that is placed on this infant, whose hand is raised in blessing.