Do you understand all these things?
Matthew 13: 44 - 52
This weekend we hear the conclusion of Jesus’ teaching by a
series of parables which have enriched our imaginations with a line of earthy
images. We’ve heard of seed sown in a
field which fell on good and bad soil, of wheat and weeds which grew together
in strange harmony, of yeast in bread, of a tiny mustard seed and exponential
growth, and this Sunday of treasures buried in a field, a pearl of great price,
and nets thrown into the Sea. Choose one
or all of the above as Jesus unfolds the mystery of living the “kingdom of
heaven.”
As our Lord captured the attention of his hearers by relating
the mystery of God’s grace and our growth in his Spirit to the images of every
day life, we too may find these parables both entertaining and challenging.
They are certainly far more than brief stories but rather a call to shake
ourselves out of complacency and to hear in them God’s voice inviting us to
live differently as his disciples. Their
value for our Christian lives is beyond what the world gives.
A buried treasure discovered in a field and a pearl of great
value remind us of what we secretly long for at times: a treasure; some long
lost money, a trinket of great value that looked so ordinary, a lost Rembrandt
painting that was covered in dust inside someone’s closet or is being sold for
$10 at a Church rummage sale!
Yet, what we might consider to be a treasure is presented to us
in a new light through these parables on the kingdom of heaven that we have
heard Jesus teach about the last several Sundays. But isn’t “treasure” beyond a monetary value?
In our first reading from the Book of Kings we hear of a great
treasure that young Solomon, the son of King David, who is now the new King of
Israel prays for. As royalty, even in
those ancient times, we could imagine that he longed for a beautiful palace or
the finest foods or robes to wear. But
wise King Solomon prays for “an understanding heart . . . to distinguish right
from wrong” in order to govern his people wisely.” In other words, Solomon prays for divine guidance
on all his decisions and responsibilities.
An amazing prayer, when you consider the context!
God praises Solomon for asking for a true treasure and grants
Solomon a “heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone
like you . . . and after . . . no one will equal you.” God grants Solomon more than what he had
asked for and delights in this young King’s unselfishness and wisdom. We see Solomon as one who had his priorities
in the right place. We might say that
Solomon prayed that he would treasure what God considered of great value. That
he might live by God’s commands in line for his kingdom. To desire wisdom is to
discern right from wrong and to govern well.
The same is true for Jesus’ concept of the kingdom of
heaven. In more analogies, our Lord
continues to say what this kingdom is like: a treasure discovered buried in a
field which the finder sells all to purchase; a pearl of great price suddenly
discovered by a merchant who sells all to purchase it; like fisherman who
separated the good and bad fish from each other and keep only what is quality.
All this seems to imply that what Solomon saw and what Jesus
has been speaking about in these parables, is to know the true value of things. If the Vatican, for example, tried to sell
the stunning masterpiece of Michelangelo – the Pieta- how much would it be
worth? Ten million? Twenty?
One billion dollars? You could
not put a price on this one of a kind treasure.
No matter what it would be sold for, someone would offer more. It is an artistic masterpiece of astronomical
value – priceless. It’s genius and
stunning beauty reflect the rich values of the Spirit.
Jesus teaching about living in the kingdom of heaven implies
the same. Being in right relationship with God, to fit in to our lives all that
is in keeping with the treasure he reveals, is priceless. His Gospel, Jesus’ word, is that priceless
masterpiece. To live by Gospel values, to create on earth what God loves in
Heaven is to live in the kingdom of heaven until it is fulfilled in eternity.
It is clear these parables like the others about mustard seeds,
yeast in bread, and various kinds of soil which may or may not produce life,
are not about agriculture or estimating value of fine jewels. Rather they are about the priceless value of
being in right relationship with God, finding that treasure, and placing in
that circle all things that are in line to fit in there.
What makes these parables so timely today is that our secular
culture sees no or little value in this faith perspective. Believing there is generally no objective
truth and assuming that all is subjective depending on individual opinions and
circumstances, we find our own wants and desires as the moral guide of our
lives. I alone become the moral guide for my choices. Science will ultimately answer all that we
wonder about so why God?
Turning a blind eye to the treasure of God and faith in our
lives creates a vacuum that needs to be filled. To disconnect from a faith
centered community, as imperfect as we can be at times, creates a hole that
longs to be filled. And sometimes we
fill that empty space with all things – so called pleasures and treasures –
that are not healthy or certainly not eternal.
God seeks to fill that space in our lives. His kingdom came to us through his Word, his
own Son Jesus the Christ. This is the
treasure God has offered us. In and
through the life of his Church we come to know this treasure more deeply and
fully.
St. Augustine knew this very well when he famously wrote his
book of Confessions. In there he recognized what has become one of his most
quoted statements. “Late have I loved
you,” Augustine wrote as if speaking to God. “For you yourself have made us and
our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” In short St. Augustine wrote
about finding a great treasure, even later in his life:
The gift of the Holy Eucharist, Christ himself among us, is
beyond value and received calls us to his kingdom riches. Where is your treasure?
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