Theme: The Surpassing Treasure of God's Kingdom
Introduction: May you deepen your trust in GOD and the plan which GOD has for your life, especially during the most trying of times.
Have you ever desired
something so much that you were willing to do almost anything in order to obtain
it? As you worked toward achieving that for which you longed, were you willing to
spend time, energy, and other possessions? Some people scrape and cut back from
normal spending in order to purchase a dream house. Others become so caught up in
cause in which they believe that they are willing to forsake their own pursuits
in order to further the cause. GOD is offering us a treasure beyond our wildest
imaginations. GOD will give it to us, if we are willing to patiently trust the Lord
Jesus, seek the wisdom of knowing that GOD is in control, and do whatever is right
and just in order to be a part of GOD’s eternal plan for us and for others.
Today’s readings speak
of the gifts which accompany being part of the Reign of GOD. In the First Reading,
GOD asks Solomon, as the new King of Israel, what gift he would like to receive
from GOD so that he might reign over the kingdom. He asks for an understanding heart
(wisdom). The Responsorial Psalm focuses on the wisdom of GOD’s precepts. In the
Second Reading, St. Paul speaks about the wisdom we possess if we start to understand
GOD’s plan in the midst of our suffering. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks about the
wisdom of those who seek to put themselves under the Reign of GOD, and the price
they must pay to be in the Reign of GOD.
Commentary: How many of our modern
politicians and monarchs would do well to imitate this prayer of Solomon as he comes
to the throne! He is touchingly conscious of his own inadequacies and inexperience.
He does not ask for anything for his own advantage, but just for the skills he needs
to rule his people well. In reply the LORD promises him plenty of material rewards.
Immediately afterwards, as illustration of the wisdom which is given to him, we
have the famous story of ‘The Judgement of Solomon’, how he settled the dispute
between two prostitutes, each claiming as her own the live baby of two, the other
of whom had died. His wisdom became so renowned that several collections of witty
and pungent proverbs in the Bible are attributed to him. The LORD made him a canny
businessman too, for he built up a fortune as middleman, selling horses from Asia
Minor to Egypt, and chariots to go with them from Egypt to Asia Minor, as well as
mining the minerals of the land. No wonder the Queen of Sheba was bowled over! The
reading is given here perhaps to pair with the gospel picture of the disciple who
in the parables brings out wisdom new and old.
Psalm 119 is the longest
psalm, and it proclaims the wisdom of GOD in giving the divine precepts and laws
to the people of GOD. It also is an affirmation of the blessings received by those
who wisely follow GOD’s ways. GOD’s plans are what we should chose, even if they
do not fully correspond with our understanding.
The content about which he is justifiably so excited
is that God’s chosen ones are moulded to the image, shape or pattern of his Son.
Not merely co-heirs but conformed. To underline this assimilation to Christ, Paul
uses every metaphor he can find: con-crucified with Christ, con-buried with him,
con-risen with him, congruent with him. Living with Christ’s life, moulded to the
pattern of Christ, the Christian takes on Christ’s history as his or her own. This
is the personal aspect of being plunged into Christ’s death at baptism. The community
aspect will be explored in the letters to the quarrelsome community at Corinth:
as all Christians live with Christ’s life, Christians form one single body, vivified
by the same life-giving Spirit, and therefore must help and serve one another as
members of the same body, each contributing a different gift, one being an ear,
one an eye, one a hand.
The very last picture
– the householder bringing down different food-packets, pots and jars off the shelf
– is encouraging too: some are old favourites (perhaps the Christian values and
prayers which we inherited from our families), but some add new flavours too, which
we have discovered or been taught ourselves. If we listen, the Spirit is always
there to show us new ways of living out our Christian call, an opportunity for prayer
or help or service. This ‘householder’ is often thought to be Matthew’s own secret
signature: he brings out old and new in the Christian message.
Reflection: What do you treasure
the most and how do you keep it from being lost or stolen? In a peasant community
the best safe was often the earth. The man in the parable (Matthew 13:44) "went
in his joy" to sell everything. Why? Because he found a treasure worth possessing
above all else he had. He did not, however, have enough to buy the treasure. Fortunately,
he only needed enough to buy the field. In a similar fashion, God offers his kingdom
of righteousness, peace, and joy (Romans 14:17) as incomparable treasure at a price
we can afford! We can't pay the full price for the life which God gives us; but
when we exchange our life for the life which God offers, we receive a treasure beyond
compare.
Obtaining the greatest
possible treasure
The pearl of great
price also tells us a similar lesson. Pearls in the ancient world came to represent
the supremely valuable. Jesus remarked that one should not cast pearls before swine
(Matthew 7:6). Why would a merchant sell everything for a peerless pearl? No doubt
because he was attracted to what he thought was the greatest treasure he could possess.
Discovering God's kingdom is like stumbling across hidden treasure or finding the
one pearl of great price.
When we discover the
kingdom of God we receive the greatest possible treasure - the Lord himself. Selling
all that we have to obtain this incomparable treasure could mean many things - our
friends, job, our "style of life", what we do with our free time. Treasure
has a special connection to the heart, the place of desire and longing, the place
of will and focus. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. In
this parable what does the treasure of the kingdom refer to? It certainly refers
to the kingdom of God in all its aspects. But in a special way, the Lord himself
is the treasure we seek for. If the Almighty is your gold and your precious silver,
then you will delight yourself in the Almighty (Job 22:22- 23). Is the Lord the
treasure and delight of your heart?
God draws us into
his kingdom
What can a story of
a dragnet and a great catch of fish tell us about God's kingdom? The two most common
ways of fishing in Jesus' time was with a casting-net (or hand-net) which was thrown
from the shore and the drag-net or trawl which was let down or cast into the waters
from a boat. As the boat moved through the waters the drag-net was drawn into the
shape of a great cone which indiscriminately took in all kinds of fish and flotsam
and jetsam swept in its path. It usually took several men to haul such a net to
shore.
What is Jesus' point
here? Just as a drag-net catches every kind of fish in the sea, so the church acts
as God's instrument for gathering in all who will come. Just as the drag-net does
not or cannot discriminate, so the church does not discriminate between the good
and the bad, the useless and the useful. God's kingdom is open to all who will accept
and believe. But there will come a time of separation, at the close of the age,
when the angels will send the good and the bad to their respective destinations.
Our task is to gather in all who will come. God, in the end, will give the good
(those who accept and follow Christ) and the bad (those who refuse Christ) the reward
they deserve. God offers the treasure of his kingdom to all who believe in Christ.
Do you hunger for God and for his kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy?
Training for God's
kingdom
When Jesus had finished
speaking about his parables, he turned to his disciples and asked them, "Have
you understood all this?" (Matthew 13:52). Jesus asks us the same question.
If we want to understand the meaning and significance of the parables for our daily
lives, then we must reflect and think through what the Lord is saying to us through
his instruction. The Holy Spirit is our guide and teacher who helps us to grow in
understanding of God's word in the Scriptures.
Importance of readying
and studying God's word
What is the point
of Jesus' parable about a "scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven"
(Matthew 13:52)? Scribes were specially devoted to the study and practice of God's
word entrusted to Moses (the first five books of the Bible) and in instructing others
in how to live according to it. In the Old Testament Ezra was called "the ready
scribe of the law of the God of heaven" (Book of Ezra 7:6,21). He received
this title because he "had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD,
and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments" (Ezra 7:10). Ezra's
heart was set on the kingdom of heaven because he revered God's word and he taught
others through example and instruction to love and obey God's word.
The old and new treasures
of God's word
Why does Jesus compare
a "trained scribe" with a "householder who brings out of his treasure
what is new and what is old" (Matthew 13:52)? Some people love to store up
old prized possessions along with their newly acquired prizes. Others are eager
to get rid of the old to make room for the new. So why does Jesus seem to emphasize
keeping the old along with the new? Why not replace the old, especially if the new
seems to be better or more useful? Wouldn't a person want to throw away an old pair
of shoes and replace them with a new pair - especially if the old pair became well-worn
or torn beyond repair? But, who in his right mind would throw away an old precious
jewel or some old gold coins simply because they were ancient and maybe tarnished
a bit? Precious gems and gold do not lose their value with age!
Like choice vintage
wine they increase in value. Jesus' parable of the "old" and the "new"
certainly points to the "older covenants" which God made with his covenanted
people of the Old Testament, beginning with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and with
Moses on Mount Sinai, and with King David the precursor of the Messiah (Psalm 89:3
and Psalm 110:1). Jesus' parable also points to the "new covenant" which
he came to establish through the shedding of his blood on the cross and the anointing
of his Holy Spirit who seals the new covenant on the day of Pentecost. Jesus did
not come to abolish the Old Covenant but to fulfill it. The Lord calls us to treasure
all of his word - all of his commandments, promises, precepts, and teaching (Psalm
119:14,72,127,162). Do you promise to keep all of God's commands? The Lord gives
strength, blessing, and joy to those who treasure all of his word.
We would be impoverished
today if we only possessed the treasures of the word of God in the "Old Testament"
Scriptures or if we only knew the treasures of the "New Testament" Scriptures.
Both the Old and New Testament Scriptures are given by the same eternal Father,
inspired by the same eternal Holy Spirit, and fulfilled by the same eternal Word,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who was with the Father from the beginning and who was sent
from heaven to take on human flesh for our salvation (John 1:1-3,14).
Unity of the Old and
New Testaments
There is a profound
unity between the Old and New Testaments. Both are divinely inspired by one and
the same Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). The Old Testament prepares for the New and the
New Testament fulfills the Old - the two shed light on each other. The Old Testament
prepared the way for the coming of Jesus Christ as the redeemer of all who would
be saved through his sacrifice on the cross. The New Testament lies hidden in the
Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New. That is why Jesus interpreted
the Old Testament Scriptures for his disciples and explained how he came to fulfill
what was promised and foreshadowed in the Old (Luke 24:27). That is why we read
the Old Testament in the light of Christ's saving death and resurrection. Do you
revere the word of God in the Scriptures - both old and new - and see their fulfillment
in the Lord Jesus Christ?
Lord Jesus, may your
word take deep root in my heart and transform my way of thinking, discerning, and
acting. May your Spirit open my ears to hear and understand the word of God in the
Scriptures that I may revere and treasure both the Old and the New Testaments which
God has prepared for all who desire to enter his kingdom of righteousness, peace,
and joy. Help me to be a diligent student and faithful disciple of your word.
Daily Quote from the
Early Church Fathers: The surpassing gift of love, by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)
"Again, the kingdom
of heaven is said to be like a merchant who is seeking fine pearls. He finds one
really precious pearl, and, having found it, he sells everything he has in order
to buy it. In the same way, he who has a clear knowledge of the sweetness of heavenly
life gladly leaves behind all the things he loved on earth. Compared with that pearl,
everything else fades in value. He forsakes those things that he has and scatters
those things that he has gathered. His heart yearns for heavenly things, and nothing
on earth pleases him. The allure of earthly things has now dissipated, for only
the brilliance of that precious pearl dazzles his mind. Solomon justly says of such
love, 'Love is strong as death' (Song of Solomon 8:6 ), because just as death destroys
the body, so ardent desire for eternal life cuts off the love for material things.
For love makes insensitive to extraneous earthly desires the person whom it has
swept off his feet." (excerpt from FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 11.2.1)
GOD’S VOMITING
“When he found one
really valuable pearl, he went back and put up for sale all that he had and bought
it.” —Matthew
13:46
Many people don’t
want to put all their eggs into one basket. So they become “Christians” but still
keep one foot in the world. This way, if Jesus isn’t real, at least they haven’t
wasted their whole lives for Him. They rationalize that if Jesus is the meaning
of life, they’re at least church members, without losing the “fun” of the world.
This is the most common
approach to Christianity in America. It makes Jesus feel like throwing up (Rv 3:15-16). Jesus died on the cross for us. He poured out
every drop of blood and breathed His last breath for us. As we kneel before the
crucified Jesus, we realize that it is sacrilegious to give Him anything less than
everything.
The kingdom of God
is like a buried treasure or a precious pearl (Mt 13:44-46). The cost of discipleship
is everything. We may not have much, but we each have an “all” — and that all is
what we must give. The first commandment is: “You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind”
(Lk 10:27).
Prayer: Father, “give Your
servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge Your people and to distinguish
right from wrong” (1 Kgs
3:9). “We know that God makes all things work together for the good of
those who love” Him. —Rm 8:28. Praise You, risen
Jesus, “The Way, and the Truth, and the Life” (Jn 14:6). Alleluia!
The personal
action for today: If GOD were to promise to give to me anything for which I asked,
would I choose wisdom or some other gift? What does having patience mean to me?
In what areas of my life could I benefit from being more patient? Do I sense that
GOD will make all things work together for my Good? How can I help reassure others
that GOD will see to it that all things work out for their Good as GOD envisions?