SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
30 JULY 2017
Jesus
uses two different parables to make the same point. In the first parable, a poor farmer working on
someone else’s farm stumbles upon a buried treasure by accident. In the second parable, a rich merchant who
had been looking for jewels finally finds the pearl of great price. Both the farmer and the merchant realize the
importance of what they have found. Both
sacrifice everything to purchase the treasure and the pearl.
Jesus uses
these parables to teach us about the kingdom of heaven. We often think of the kingdom of heaven in
terms of that happy experience which hopefully awaits all of us after we
die. But in these parables, Jesus
describes the kingdom of heaven as God dwelling in our midst now. Whether we have stumbled upon God’s presence
or have been searching for it for a long time, Jesus invites us to sacrifice to
make sure that the kingdom of heaven is ours.
In order to
embrace God’s presence in this kingdom of heaven, we need the gift that Solomon
requested when God offered him anything he wanted: an understanding heart. With the gift of an understanding heart,
Solomon had the wisdom to serve as God’s anointed one in the kingdom he
inherited from his father, David.
We need that same understanding
heart, that same wisdom, when we make our decision to embrace God’s dwelling,
the kingdom of heaven, in our day. There
are many competing voices today pulling us into many different directions. We live in a consumer-oriented society that
promises happiness if we make the right sacrifices. Whether the commodity is the flashiest car,
or the latest improvement in skin care, or the biggest house, or the latest
video game, the advertising industry promises that these things will make us
happy. But, once we have sacrificed some
cash to obtain them, we look for the next great thing that will bring us
happiness. These things can easily
distract us from entering more fully into the kingdom of heaven and enjoying a
more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.
We are
gathered at this Mass today, because we are wise enough to know that developing
our relationship with Jesus Christ is important. Our Scripture readings challenge us to be
wise enough to sacrifice those things that distract us from having a more
intimate relationship. If we spend all
our time and energy chasing after possessions and values that do not last, the
third parable in today’s Gospel provides a warning for us. The fishermen separate the good fish from the
bad fish at the end of their catch. The
fish do not have any choice. But, we can
make choices. We have already sacrificed
one hour to enter into the real presence of Christ at this Mass. We pray for the wisdom to choose Christ’s
presence in our families, in our service of the poor, and in the many ways the
kingdom of heaven is already present. A
friend of mine, who is a recovering alcoholic, told me about the way he
stumbled upon the kingdom of heaven. All
of a sudden, he woke up to the fact that what was causing him momentary
pleasure was ruining his family and his life.
In embracing his recovery, he had the wisdom to sacrifice an old way of
living for a way of participating in the kingdom of heaven. Sadly, Solomon did not use his gift of wisdom. He put so many things above his commitment to
God that he made many bad choices, resulting in the division of his kingdom
after his death.
It is good for us to hear these
parables during these summer months, when we have more time to spend with our
families. Saint Paul shares the wisdom
he has received when he insists that all things work for good for those who
love God. Christ invites us to use that
wisdom and make the kingdom a priority.
If we make wise choices to be part of the kingdom of heaven now, we will
not be separated from that kingdom after our death.
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