A Treasure You Must Acquire. Wednesday 17th Week Ordinary Time

Breakfast with the Word Wednesday 17th Week Ordinary Time of the Year B

 

 

Matthew 13:44-46

 

A treasure is something one values the most. It is something that you have that you cherish the most. It is worth having and which you cannot do without. 

A treasure can come in the form of spiritual and material acquisitions. Many people have something they have that they treasured the most. That means they see it as very important and cannot do without it.

Hence, many see their wives, children, riches, wealth, cars etc., as a great treasure. Some value their gifts, talents, positions etc., as a treasure they cannot do without. 

Hence, in all these, there is a treasure that is very important that you must acquire. This treasure is very important that if you possess it, you are sure of blessings, divine endowments, salvation and eternal life. This most important treasure is given to those who spend their lives seeking it. 

 

Read More

 

 

Everything has an End. Tuesday 17th Week Ordinary Time

 

Everything has a Beginning. Memorial of Ss. Joachim and Anne

 

Do Not Limit What God Can Do.

 

There is An Enemy Within

 

The Reason the Word of God may not bear Fruit in Us.

 

The Gospel.

 

So, in today’s holy gospel, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to two things. 

He compares the kingdom of God to a treasure that stays hidden in a field that someone finds. When he finds it, he hides it again and goes off happy, filled with enormous joy. Because of this, he sells everything he owns and buys the field.

He also compares the kingdom of God to a merchant who is seeking fine pearls. When he finds one which is of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it. 

In these parables, Jesus is revealing to us that there is an important treasure that we need most in life. This treasure is more important for our salvation. We need this treasure first.

 In the gospel, the person who finds the treasure goes and hides the treasure again for fear that no one can take it away from Him. And secondly, it is like a fine pearl that one can sacrifice and sell whatever he has to get it.

 

 

The Hidden Treasure. 

 

In today’s readings, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a treasure that is hidden in a field. Then someone finds it and hides it again. Hence, he goes forth with joy to the extent he sells everything he has to buy the land.  

1. The first point here is that the mystery and knowledge of the Kingdom are in an open field but hidden from the public acquisition.

 Hence, only a few who seek to find it will find it. This is why after teaching the people in parables, the apostles of Jesus ask Him the reason he teaches the people in parables.

 Jesus tells them that the reason is that the secret of the kingdom of God has been given to them and not too many (Mark 4:11, Matthew 13:11). Also, in the gospel of Matthew 11:25, Jesus praises the father who has hidden these mysteries from the wise and learned but revealed them to mere children.  

Hence, the knowledge of the Kingdom is made accessible to those who humble themselves always like little children to come before the Lord. 

Hence, the best thing that would happen to any soul is to know God. The igbo man will say Mara Chukwu. To know God is a great discovery. 

This discovery gives joy. When you know who God is, what He wants, His principles and how He operates, everything about you will begin to change. 

You will then see the importance of living a righteous life. You will discover the need of approaching God because you have known He is ever merciful and compassionate and so loving. 

To know God will change our approach to spiritual things. It can even change how we say our prayers. 

It is by then that we will learn to give respect to sacred things, say our prayers with respect and humility and not rush it. Hence the person you are praying to is the Creator. 

It is then You will always forgive others their trespasses against you and long to create peace everywhere. Hence, you will come to the understanding that God loves where there is peace. 

True knowledge of God will even make you work hard when you know that God hates laziness. 

This will help you to run away from every form of immorality because there is something more in the act that we see with our eyes. 

To know God is the secret of eternal life and salvation. To know God will simply change your life. Hence, Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, “seek you first the kingdom of God and other things would be added unto you”.  

 

 

2. Secondly, In the parable, the person who finds the treasure, hides it again. Why? 

The reason may be that he does not want anyone or anything to take it away from Him. Hence, Jesus is teaching us that nothing should come in between us and God. Nothing should take away the love of God in us.

 In Romans 8:35-39, Paul asks who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword? He says “No in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loves us.

Hence, there are times we allow the pleasures of this world, the quest for wealth and the challenges of life to steal away the closeness we have with God. 

There are times we allow the love we have for somebody to make us leave our God. From this parable, Jesus is saying that instead of abandoning God, we have to abandon whatever will take us away from Him. 

 

 

3. Thirdly, in the parable, the one who finds the treasure, sells everything that he had to have the most important treasure.

In essence, you can sacrifice anything to remain close to your God. Therefore, this discovery becomes a source of joy, a source of hope, and the best that would happen to any soul. 

Seeking God and allowing Him to reign in our hearts is the knowledge that would benefit us both here and after. 

Now, many people have neglected God and do not even have time for Him. We seek the world, yet we become insatiable. Only in God can we have contentment. This is a treasure we must acquire. 

 

 

 

The Merchant of Great Pearls.

 

In the gospel, Jesus compares the kingdom of Heaven to a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he finds one of great value, he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.

Hence, in this parable, the merchant was looking for a fine pearl. In this parable, the merchant may not have any pearl in mind, but as he was seeking one, he finds one that is of great value and then sells everything that he had and buys it. 

1. First, we can see the desire to seek the fine pearl. So, the desire comes first. Then there is a discovery, then He sacrifices everything to acquire this most important treasure.

 In essence, Jesus is using these parables to tell us how valuable this treasure is. Hence we must have the desire to seek it first. Then be willing to sacrifice anything to have it by all means. 

Hence, if we seek God with all our hearts, we shall surely find Him. To do this is of great value to our souls and for our salvation. 

Jesus takes time to teach His disciples because they are always close to Him. Therefore, the best way to do this is to remain close to Jesus. 

 

2. There is this joy that lives in any soul that has truly found God. The journey to this discovery requires commitment and sacrifice. We then become like Paul, who regarded all else as loss for the knowledge of Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:8). They are like Solomon who considers the wisdom that comes from God as the most important thing He ever needs.

 

 

The Treasure You Must Acquire.

 

 

When Thomas asked Jesus “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. (John 14:5-7). 

Hence, the most important treasure that anyone can acquire is Jesus Christ. He is the way the truth and the life. 

In Jesus is the fullness of God (Colossians 2:9), and in him is the fullness of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:2-3). In His presence, there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).

 Also, in Him, every power and authority lies (Matthew 28:18). Hence, Pauls advises us in Colossians 2: 6-7 that we must make sure that our lives are rooted in Jesus Christ. We have to live our lives in Him and build up in Him and hold our faith strong. But this Jesus is neglected and abandoned by the same people that claim to love Him. 

Let us spend time to visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament always. Let us be close to Him.

Today, many of us can go to any extent to be popular and make money, but we cannot sacrifice a little moment with God. Man neglects God and can go to any extent to appear important. He neither spends a little time with the Lord.

In the end, everything becomes vanity upon vanity. Hence, He abandons the most important treasure and loses his soul at last. May God help us.

 

We pray that God gives us the grace to seek Him with all our hearts. May we strive no to make anything take away this gift from us. May God never forsake you. Amen