In the Parable of the Pearl, Jesus Christ is portrayed as a merchant who diligently searches the world to secure the best and costliest gems. His livelihood depends on this pursuit, and He travels extensively, knowing His efforts will be rewarded when He finds and purchases the finest treasures. As the One who seeks the sinner, Jesus departs from heaven and arrives on earth to complete His mission, giving up everything—selling all—to possess the pearl, which represents the church. The pearl, unlike other gems, is formed by a living organism, an oyster, through pain and suffering caused by an irritant. The oyster layers this irritant with nacre until it transforms into an object of great beauty. Spiritually, we are like this irritant due to our nature and sins, yet because God loves us, we are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, gradually becoming a thing of beauty. The pearl, while in the oyster—or the church in the world—has no value on its own; its worth lies in the immense cost paid for it by the merchant, Jesus Christ. The merchant, Jesus, is willing to pay an exorbitant price for the pearl, reflecting the invaluable nature of the church. He does not seek us out of reluctant duty or uncertainty, but with an efficient, organized, and pre-planned goal. He pursues us as a man courts a woman to be His bride, willing to spill His own blood as the purchase price. The church, depicted as one body composed of those He has sought through the ages, is prepared to be a habitation of Christ by His Spirit and to be His bride at His return.

The church constitutes Christ's treasure, hidden in the world, purchased and redeemed with Christ's blood. The Pearl of Great Price depicts a rich merchant (Christ), the only one who had the means to redeem His church. The Dragnet symbolizes the scope of God's calling while the separation process indicates God's high standards of selection, indicating a time of righteous and impartial judgment. The Householder parable shows the responsibility of the ministry to be authoritative interpreters of scripture, using what they have learned and experienced to instruct the people.