Matthew 13:44-46
Today is the third Sunday of parables in Chapter thirteen in the Gospel of St. Matthew. Many scholars of the Bible say today’s parable of the treasure is the most important of all the parables.
It begins with the statement, “The kingdom of heaven is like…” (Mt. 13:44). In the three Synoptic Gospels this phrase, “the kingdom of heaven” or “kingdom of God” in Mark and Luke, is at the center of Jesus’ teaching and ministry. In its most basic expression it is God’s plan in Jesus to overcome evil with love. It is a process of liberation from all the consequences of sin. Thus the miracles are all manifestations of God’s presence bringing wholeness and freedom. The ultimate expression of the inflowing of divine power is in the conquest of death in the Resurrection.
The Kingdom is God’s gift. We do not earn it but we need to be open to its call. The Kingdom is a situation that allows us to enter and participate in the very life of God. The Kingdom is walking with Jesus where the values of the Gospel message fill our heart and life.
In chapter thirteen of Matthew the phrase “kingdom of heaven” appears nine times. So the question for us is how does the simple little story of the found treasure connect us to this great saving and liberating action of God revealed in Jesus? The parable of the treasure, more clearly than most other parables, tells us how we experience God and what we need to do when this great gift engulfs us.
There are three simple steps in the parable. There is a finding, a selling and a buying.
The finding is the very common human encounter with something or someone. The encounter touches the deepest hunger in the human heart. It might be something as profound as falling in love, having a child or losing a loved one. Or it may be a bit more mundane like deciding to go to college or becoming more active in the parish or community. Endless expressions of this finding fill our human journey. They all, simple or profound, are the action of God’s grace. God is never finished in his calling and coming.
To get hold of the gift we need to sell. We need to empty out. We need to make space. We need to die to our comfort and control. We need to accept the fact that our little world needs a real change. In the end, selling costs no less than everything.
When we accept the challenge we become free and empowered to enter into a new world, a new reality where God takes a more prominent place of honor. This is the buying.
The process never ends. It is all leading to a personal and social transformation. This is called the kingdom of heaven in the Gospel of St. Mathew.
The parable of the treasure with its simplicity opens up how we experience God in the normal course of our daily life. It is an unending call that comes from a gracious God to tap the endless hunger in our restless hearts. The ultimate expression of the treasure is Jesus.
