Sermon for 17th Sunday Ordinary time, year A.
Gospel. Mt. 13: 44-52
In the Gospel of today, we are presented with three parables. The first two parables use the images of hidden treasure and a pearl of great price. These two parables are addressed to individuals who with joy sell everything else to possess something precious. The first and second parables are saying that to know God and to live according to the Gospel are the most precious things in life. Both the parables demand renunciation, risk, and commitment. Let us reflect on the background of these two parables one by one.
The parable of the treasure: At the time of Jesus Christ, the treasure buried in the field legally belongs to the owner of the field, and therefore the person who finds it sells everything and purchases the land in order to become its owner. In this parable, the one who finds the treasure does not tell the owner of his discovery but purchases the land to make it legal. At the time of Jesus Christ, people did not have the facilities of banks and they always faced the danger of foreign invasion so they buried their gold and precious treasures in the ground. Because of war or some other unforeseen calamity, they had to leave the place suddenly and not be able to take their belongings with them. They might not return or they might die. So it was always for someone else to find their treasure and find ways and means to take possession of it. In this parable, the man comes across the treasure and he is aware that it does not belong to him. He sells everything he has in order to get ownership of the field and of the buried treasure. Thus the parable tells us of a person who sells everything he has to obtain an object of great value. This shows how valuable and precious the kingdom of heaven is. The idea obviously is that when one really discovers Jesus and his vision of life everything else becomes secondary.
The parable of the pearl: In the ancient world the pears were special, and had a great value for their beauty. A man looks for fine pearls and when finds it, he sells everything else he has in order to acquire it. There is a slight difference between the two parables. In the first parable, the man was not actually looking for the treasure. Perhaps he found it while digging the ground or ploughing the field, and the treasure was found accidentally, but the pearl in the second parable the pearl was found after a long search. The man knows that the pearl must exist somewhere and he uses all his energies to find it. Once he discovers this pearl, he does not hesitate to use the necessary means to acquire it.
What can we learn from these two parables? Jesus compared the kingdom of God to the hidden treasure. What is the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is God’s reign among us here and now to rescue sinners and to restore creation. This definitely happens in the person and work of Jesus Christ. And we enter his kingdom when we do his will in our life and the will of God is that we love one another as God loves us. Today’s Gospel invites us to ask ourselves an important question, what do we value the most in our life? What is the thing that we treasure most, that we would never give up? What do we love the most? What do we sacrifice ourselves for?
And if our answer is money, or power to control others, or status to look good in front others, then we haven’t looked deep enough into our own heart. Because money, status, and power do not give us real happiness. They are needed to a certain level, but there is no guarantee that we would find real happiness. Some others are locked into regrets over the past, or focused too much on the future. Our treasure is found only in God. When we have a place for God in our life, we have everything we need for our life. A person can work relentlessly for many hours for his future and the future of his family, but may fail to live the present moment and he or she would never discover the treasure. we’re surrounded with joy, with happiness, with love of the kingdom of God in our midst but most people, “have no idea.” Most of the time we look for a treasure in the wrong place.
Whenever we do the will of God in our day to day life, whenever we trust in God completely, whenever we fight against injustice, discrimination, and selfishness, whenever we serve others faithfully we are doing the will of God, and by doing the will of God we have found the treasure. Jesus is not saying that we must go out and sell everything we own. He is saying that NOTHING is compared to the new life that God wants to give us. If we belong to the kingdom, we have the greatest treasure! This treasure is freely given by God, and to everyone who trusts in Him. During this mass let us ask ourselves what do we value the most in our life? If we have God we have everything.
Story of the day:
One day a man saw his neighbor down on his hands and knees searching for something. “what are you looking for, he asked? I lost my key, he replied. So both men kept looking and looking for the lost key until finally, the neighbor asked, Have you any idea where you could have lost it? Oh, yes, in the house. They why are you looking for it out here? Because there is more light here, he said.
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