THE PARABLE OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE

Mt 13:44-46

The parable of today speaks of a man who stumbles on a treasure buried in a field. He carefully hides it again in the same field. He sells all he has in order to buy that field and retrieve the treasure in his own sweet time. The parallel parable speaks about a merchant who searches and trades in fine pearls. When he finally finds the pearl of his dreams, he sells all that he has and buys that greatest of all pearls.

In both instances, there is a hint of great satisfaction, a great closure in their life – one has found a treasure that will sustain his whole life, the other has found the greatest pearl that crowns his career as a pearl merchant.

In Palestine in the days of Jesus ordinary people used the ground as the safest place to keep their most cherished belongings, especially money and jewelry. They had no safe, no vaults to keep their priceless possessions. It was a common practice because Palestine had always been an embattled country and people had to move from place to place because of the violence of war. People would not bring all their possessions with them, and so would bury them in the ground, hoping that a day would come when they could return and regain their hidden treasure. However, during the real owner’s absence it could happen that an enterprising treasure hunter would be digging the ground hoping that there is money and other valuables therein. If he could find something, the law says that it belongs to the finder. That is also like discovering heaven! Jesus said that heaven is like a buried treasure. We have to look for it and possess it once we have it. In the first part, the point is the joy of the discovery that made the man willing to give up everything to make the treasure his own. Nothing else really matters.

In the second, a pearls and jewels fascinate many people, especially ladies. Jesus likens heaven to a pearl. It is the only pearl of great price. There are many fine things in the world in which a person can find loveliness. A person can find loveliness in knowledge and in the riches of the human intellect, in art and music and literature, in sports and all the triumphs of the human spirit. He can find loveliness in serving his fellowmen. He can find loveliness in human relationships. These are all lovely, but they are all of lesser loveliness. They too are pearls but the supreme pearl is the kingdom of heaven. Sadly, many people still prefer to own worldly pearls. Some have created other idols to adore. If we have emptied our hands of our idols, it is so that God may fill them with His splendour.

I will invite you to reflect on three important words that describe about the joy of discovering God’s Kingdom. First is hard work.  If we are going to live our faith it is like digging for lost treasure. To discover God’s Kingdom requires of us hard work. Jesus says: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit,” (John 12:24). Somebody had said that our journey into the Kingdom of God has its share of pain, blood, sweat and tears. We must work hard in our spiritual lives in order to uncover and dig up the pearl of great price. When it is all over, God’s promise of eternal life is fulfilled and an experience of intense joy, contentment and peace in possessing this invaluable treasure.

Second is high priced.  The Gospel is clear that our hearts should not be searching for cheap entertainments. The Kingdom will cost us plenty. The Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta says: “Give until it hurts,” still others say: “Give until it helps.” We must at least give until we are detached from the things and attitudes of the worldly. The world is full of false needs and just as many empty promises. Are we willing to detach ourselves from these worldly things in order to possess “the pearl of great price”?

Third is, great results.  Christ never disappoints but we are ones who disappoint Him and often we do it. But God’s Kingdom will come to us on this earth when we detach ourselves from the empty promises and things of this world and adhere to the Gospel message of conversion, forgiveness, justice and peace. Our Lord wishes that the fire of his charity would inflame our hearts and wishes they were ablaze already. Be encouraged today to persevere in attaining “what eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him,” (1Cor 2:9).

Our Lord urges his listeners to discover treasures way beyond the limited and more often than not, selfish criteria set by “contented people.” If we open ourselves to His invitation and His messages, our eyes will behold greater treasures.

Our search for God should be a lifetime, our effort too should be relentless. And when we have found Him, we are prepared to let go of everything we have in order to be assured of Jesus’ presence. For then He will be the sole satisfaction in our life.

Our whole life then should be a careful preparation for Christ, so that when the moment comes, we will not miss that supreme opportunity – we will recognize Christ, the Treasure buried in our own life; we will find Christ, the Pearl of great price.

This parable tells us that we must give top priority to the things of God.  We must be ready to subordinate everything else to what God is asking from us.  To gain the kingdom of heaven, we must be ready to sacrifice everything.  Yet such a sacrifice is worthwhile because the kingdom of heaven is the only treasure that can fill us with happiness and that can never be lost.