Matthew 13 44 – 52
Jesus said to the crowds. “God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic – what a find! – and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field.
“Or, God’s kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.
“Or, God’s kingdom is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. When it is full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put in a tub; those unfit to eat are thrown away. That’s how it will be when the curtain comes down on history. The angels will come and cull the bad fish and throw them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won’t do any good.”
Jesus asked, “Are you starting to get a handle on all this?”
They answered, “Yes.”
He said, “Then you see how every student well-trained in God’s kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it.”
Gospel Reflection
I wonder how the Kingdom of Heaven would be described now. The various treasures suggested by Jesus would touch the imagination of every person within the crowd. Their lives were predictable and long in tradition. What was precious spoke to every generation with both a familiarity and an unreachability. Somewhere in every life, no matter how mundane, was the possibility of the ‘one thing’.
Where is our ‘one thing’? Too often we are rushed from one task to another; from one upgrade to another; from one latest model to another. Most of what we do is obsolete just as we do it. How do we ever learn what is precious; what is worth giving it all up for?
Maybe Jesus is asking us – what is the one thing about you that will make God say ‘yes’? Integrity, truth, a sense of justice, generosity? Amongst all that you are – what is your ‘pearl of great price’? And, in all that you are, how often do you value – and use – that gift?