Today’s readings talk about treasure. Solomon has the opportunity to ask for anything and God will give it to him. Jesus tells the parable of buying an object of great value under dubious circumstances.
In the first reading God appears to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” What if you could ask God for anything and you would receive it? What would you ask for?
The Jesuit John Kavanaugh wrote: “Some prominent sages have written that the root desires of human existence are the pride of power, the accumulation of money, and the experience of pleasure.”
He continues: “This opinion is not limited to ivory tower theoreticians; it’s expressed in the language of ordinary people when they appeal to the “real” motives lurking behind all human actions: “Looking out for Number One,” “We’re all out for a buck,” “Everybody’s on the make.”
We have all heard and maybe even used expressions like these. In our society, it’s all about climbing the corporate ladder, buying a bigger house or car, and having a good time.
He wrote a summary that says: “The billions spent on advertising presume, quite successfully, that the foundations of all value and meaning are things, privilege, and self-indulgence.”
We are a very privileged people and for the most part unaware of the many blessings God has given us. We have freedoms, even though they are becoming more restrictive, than any other people in the world. We have food, shelter, clothing, and luxuries that many people think is impossible to attain.
In view of all these blessings, what would we ask for? Power, wealth, health, a long life, world peace, climate change, what is it? God was pleased that King Solomon did not ask for any of these things but for wisdom to lead his people. He gave Solomon so much wisdom that none before him nor after him would ever have such great wisdom.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of two people who find an item of great value and sell all that they have to obtain the items. One has misguided intentions while the other has worthy intentions.
John Pilch helps us to understand the culture of Jesus’ time. “Burying valuable objects was a common practice in antiquity. Retrieving them was also common. Forgetting about the treasure or dying without telling one’s heirs or before being able to retrieve it are possible explanations for the finding of treasure by those who don’t own it.
Rabbinic lore is filled with debates concerning how to determine whether the finder had a right to the find or not. The circumstances of Jesus’ parable suggest that this man did not. Why else would he hide it again?” Jesus tells us that the man sold all that he has to buy the field.
John Pilch provides further insight into the man’s situation. “Worse, he now owns a field with a buried treasure which he dare not dig up because it will raise questions about ownership of the treasure, the morality of buying the field, and the character of this “lucky” (!?) finder. (Recall that in a society like this one which believes that all goods are finite in quantity and already distributed, when someone suddenly has increased possessions, that increase must be explained.)”
Even in our culture today, there would be some questions if someone were to suddenly become wealthy beyond their means. “Did they receive an inheritance?” “How did they get it?” Are they doing something illegal?” Let’s face it; the questions and remarks would be endless.
Jesus continues the parable by saying: “the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
Then Jesus asked his disciples: “Do you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes.” I sometimes wonder if the disciples really understood the full implication of what Jesus was teaching. That question is important for us today.
Do we understand that Jesus was always looking at the intentions of the heart? Are we like the one who buried the treasure again and buys the field knowing we don’t really own the treasure? Or are we like the merchant who buys the pearl of great price to rightfully own it? Do we seek the kingdom of God for our salvation, or do we just want to fit in with those around us?
Being a Christian was never easy. In the early Roman Empire, Christians were persecuted and put to death. It required real discipleship in those circumstances to remain true to our faith to the end. If a person was like the one who bought the field for the treasure knowing it did not belong to them, it was easy to renounce the faith to preserve one’s life.
It’s no different today. We are silenced by our peers and society around us who shame us into submission. We remain silent when we see injustice to others because speaking out will bring ridicule and possible backlash, being passed over for that promotion or left out of the “In Group”.
In circumstances like this it is easy to become cynical and question our faith. We can sometimes forget the love, mercy and forgiveness that God has for each of us.
Solomon sought wisdom over a promotion, over power, over wealth, over health and over pleasure. When we come to the end of our life and God looks at our lives will our intentions be honest and worthy of reward or will we be cast into the fiery furnace?
What is my treasure? Is God pleased with what I seek?
