XVII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
FINDING THE TREASURE AND THE PEARL
By our Pastor, Fr. Carmelo Jiménez
The Gospel for this Sunday continues from the 13th chapter of the book of Mark which is known for the parables of the Kingdom. In this book, the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a sower, to the weeds and the wheat, to a mustard seed, to yeast, to a hidden treasure, to a fine pearl and to a net of fish. After these parables, our desire should have grown to one day arrive to enjoy the Kingdom and to be saints one day.
In the first reading, we find the prayer of Solomon in Gibeon: “O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.” (1 Kings 3:6a-7) This was an unselfish prayer, ordered to the good of all and reflects the generosity of his spirit of one who has been freed by the hand of God. He had a free and grateful spirit for what God had done, conscious of his responsibility, and willing to see it through with courage. What a brave prayer! A listening heart is a wise heart that can discern between good and evil. The wise man is like the prophet who is open to the voice of God and his will. It is not the prophet who tells the future like a fortune-teller with her tarot cards, but rather it is someone who listens to the voice or the silence of God in order to hand it all over afterwards to the people.
The gospel for this Sunday tells us three parables, but I am going to concentrate on the treasure in the field and the pearl. “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.” (Mt 13:44-46) They are like two parables in one, although they could be independent as well. The two parables, after an identical introduction, tell about the discovery of something so valuable that the protagonists (an ordinary man and a merchant) do not doubt for a minute and sell everything they have to obtain it. It is true that in the first parable there is an element of surprise, because it seems like the man is in the field and discovers the treasure by accident. In the case of the merchant who goes to all the bazaars and shops, and without doubt is always looking to find something extraordinary. Both are compared to the Kingdom of God. Is the Kingdom of God a treasure then? Of course it is. Because finding the Kingdom-Treasure is to find the grace and salvation, the happiness and love that Jesus preached and which has been converted into the cause of life and generous self-giving.
“And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.” (Rom 8:30) But are we truly predestined? To what are we predestined? Let us not forget that in the text he is talking only and exclusively about the design of God; or rather God has a plan for all of humanity which he has already carried out in his Son: the resurrection, which is expressed in this term of the glorification.
Sincere prayer is what brings us to an encounter with God and from there the heart is transformed, obtaining the treasure and the pearl of grace. If we have been predestined, called and justified, let us live the commandments and love God, and we will be glorified.