In the Bible, the 'Parable of the Pearl of Great Price' appears in Matthew 13:44-46, and illustrates the great value of the Kingdom of Heaven (which is not negotiable or quantifiable ? the Kingdom has ultimate value). It teaches one to recognize and prioritize the incomparable worth of the Kingdom of God, to realize the cost of discipleship, and to actively seek heaven and the eternal reality with fervor and joy, through faith and the Holy Spirit.

The story in this book is an enactment of a scenario that people can relate to. It's not the source of the parable (timewise, Jesus' words came first) and it's not an adaptation or extension of the parable. But people relate to stories, especially so in the early years during the spread of Christianity. This particular story went viral (using 21st century colloquialism) in the first century AD, and is still a great story even today.

The parable in Matthew describes a merchant who finds a pearl of great value, and sells everything he owns to purchase it. Of course, there is a symbolic meaning behind the 'pearl' ? not as a literal object but as a symbol of something valuable. The merchant's willingness to sacrifice everything to obtain the pearl illustrates the immense value of the thing it represents.

One who seeks the Kingdom of God is like a merchant who has a stock of merchandise to sell but finds a single pearl during his trading activities. That merchant is prudent ? he sells all his merchandise and buys the single pearl. So also with one who seeks the Kingdom of God ? seek the treasure that is unfailing and enduring, not the treasure that only brings temporary and unreliable favor in this earthly life.