Treasures and Pearls
One
Jesus teaches in parables due to the hard hearts of his audience, who accuse Him of performing His works by the power of Satan. He responds to this blasphemy by speaking in a way that demands humility and conversion, in hopes of drawing the Pharisees into a deeper conversation. Notice, Jesus explains the meaning to his disciples once inside Peter’s House, because they are humble enough to ask. The Pharisees, on the other hand, are too prideful and worried that they may have to change their lives if they allow themselves to be drawn into a relationship with Jesus. Hardness of heart is the result of: pride, lust for things of this world, and unwillingness to repent. Thus, by their own free choice, the Jewish leaders and their like will not understand the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Kingdom of Heaven grows silently and secretly in the souls of those who believe in Jesus and obey His words. Then His Kingdom grows into something magnificent and rich.
Two
Jesus ends his teaching in the 13th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel with three more parables. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Mt 13:44-46). In these two parables, Jesus demonstrates the supreme value of the Kingdom of Heaven and what it takes to receive it: complete detachment from all the things of this world! Each parable reveals the Kingdom of Heaven is hidden in a way that forces us to work to discover it. In the first parable, someone stumbles upon it. In the second, the merchant has been searching. As St. Gregory the Great says, “Faith, vocation, true joy, wisdom desire for heaven are all things which sometimes are discovered suddenly and unexpectedly, and sometimes after much searching” (In Evangelia Homiliae, 11). Have you discovered where the Kingdom of Heaven is found? Have you searched? Have you sold so as to acquire it? What are you waiting for?
Three
The parable of the treasure hidden in a field describes how I related to the Church while growing up: the rich Catholic truths were hidden in plain sight as if buried in my yard for me to trip over without ever wondering what created that little hill in the first place. It was something there that got in my way. Then my life took a turn, thanks to Our Lady. I became more like the merchant in the second parable. I began a difficult search for the truth. After a bitter trial, I was prompted to look more carefully at the Church I had rejected. Upon further exploration, however, I discovered something amazing—something right there in front of me all along: the wisdom of the Kingdom of God! The deeper I explored the more riches I found! The truths were truly pearls of great price. I decided that I would give up all of my dreams and desires I had for my life and make my purpose that of sharing what I found with others. The truths of our faith have never ceased to amaze me. Have you discovered this amazement? Keep looking!
Four
“Anyone who understands the Kingdom which Christ proposes realizes that it is worth staking everything to obtain it…The Kingdom of Heaven is difficult to win. No one can be sure of achieving it, but the humble cry of a repentant man can open wide its doors” (St. Jose Maria Escriva, Christ is Passing By, # 180). Because the Kingdom of God is based on a relationship of love with Jesus, we cannot have absolute certainty about our possessing the Kingdom because until death, we retain the possibility of rejecting the Lord. We must “persevere to the end to be saved” (Mt 24: 13), while believing that “…he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6). However, we do have moral certainty about our salvation. God desires a relationship with us and remains in our soul through Baptism so long as we don’t disinvite Him through our seriously sinful choices which, when committed with sufficient reflection and full consent, sever the bond of grace in our covenant with Him. Our humility, love, and repentance, though, allow us to live with confidence in His Mercy. Humility, love, and repentance, mean that we must not cling to our selfish and degrading fallen desires. Hope is the virtue that enables us to discover and enjoy God’s kingdom now, while waiting on its full possession. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1).
Five
Jesus closes his parabolic teachings with one final sobering lesson. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous, and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth” (Mt 13:47-40). The purpose of our life is to sacrifice all things so that we can cling to the One thing: the Kingdom of God. It is a gift, but there is a cost—I must part with my selfishness. Wickedness and greed fix our focus on fleeting pleasures that can never satisfy but can sadly enslave. Evil doers who failed to seek Jesus and repent from their sins will be punished eternally, not due to a defect in God’s love and mercy, but due to their refusal to live according to the demands of divine love. As for those who hear and respond, we will “shine like the sun on the Kingdom our Father” (cf. Mt 13:43). A good resolution may be to take one of these parables of Matthew 13 to an adoration chapel within the week, and through prayer ask Jesus to reveal its meaning in your life. Then obey any inspirations that come from God.