The treasure and the pearl
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
For the past three weeks we have been reading from Chapter 13 of St Matthew’s Gospel. The chapter contains a succession of parables of the Lord about the Kingdom of Heaven. They tend to begin with the words, “the Kingdom of Heaven is like…” The parables use a number of images to describe the Kingdom: seed being sown, leaven in bread, a treasure in a field.
St Matthew, quoting Psalm 78, explains why the Lord spoke in parables. He says that it was to “expound things hidden from the foundation of the world”.
The Lord’s preaching and teaching is about spiritual realities, and the Lord used images from everyday life to explain His message. Nature is a witness to the spiritual world. As human beings we are most readily in touch with the physical world around us, the spiritual world, while absolutely real, remains more elusive.
The Lord commenced his public ministry with the words, “The Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand, repent and believe”. What is this ‘Kingdom of Heaven”?
We know it is not a political kingdom. He taught clearly that this Kingdom is not of this world. It is a spiritual entity. What does he mean when he says that it is “close at hand”? He is not simply speaking about heaven as our final destination. He says that the Kingdom is “among you”. In other words we are to live within this Kingdom now, here on earth.
The Kingdom of Heaven is a spiritual reality. It is accessed through faith. That is why the Lord said that we must not only repent of our sins, but we must believe. Faith, if you like, is the door through which we enter the Kingdom of Heaven. We could add that the greater our faith the further we participate in the Kingdom of Heaven. What then happens is that we have oriented our lives around spiritual realities. We have established the right centre of our existence. God is at the heart of all we do and all we are. All other things then find their rightful place.
The parables we have read today and over the past two weeks propose that the Kingdom of Heaven is capable of becoming a transforming influence in our lives. This is the nature of the Christian life. As men and women of faith, those who have entered into the Kingdom of Heaven, we have an interior principle of life within us. Our faith in Christ draws into the ambit of God’s action and allows the power of God to assist and guide us. We know we do not have to struggle alone in life. God is with us. His grace is available for us. His protective hand is over us.
Hence, we come to the images used in the Gospel reading today: that of the treasure found in the field and the pearl of great price.
The Lord is making a simple comment here. What God offers us is indeed a great treasure worth more than anything else. Discovering its immense value we are willing to sacrifice everything in order to possess this gift. This is the witness of the martyrs. In the end nothing else counts. What God offers is worth absolutely everything.
It can also be described as a pearl of great price. It is something of great value and great beauty. When we see its beauty we simply say, “I must have it”. It is worth possessing, more than anything else.
My brothers and sisters, our faith, our Catholic faith, is a treasure. Through it our lives are lived under the blessing of God. We know that the presence of God in our lives brings comfort and reassurance. We know a peace in our hearts that the world cannot give. We know that we receive the guidance of the truth and the enlightenment of our conscience. By virtue of our faith in Christ we are living now within the Kingdom of Heaven.
This reality should not be underestimated. Its presence and power at work in our lives is fruitful. It is hidden, yes. On a day-to-day basis we may not be conscious of the presence of God in our lives. Yet, we can look more broadly and know that God has been there. God is active in moulding and shaping our lives.
This Mass and its readings offer us a moment to appreciate what we have because of our faith and our embrace of life in Jesus Christ. It is an opportunity to renew our desire to enter more deeply into the life of this Kingdom of Heaven.
And one more thing: when we come to see the treasure we possess and the beauty of this pearl of great price we cannot keep it to ourselves. We want to share what we have with others. We have found the joy of the Gospel and we long for others to have what we have found.
We not only live within the Kingdom of Heaven but we find ourselves wanting to share our faith with others.
Archbishop Julian Porteous
Sunday, July 25, 2020