STAKE EVERYTHING ON ONE THING
1 Kings 3:5, 7-12; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52 (13:44-46)
A member of a youth-group, an Infosys employee, was leaving for the US and wanted to sell his Infosys shares. The others in the group were willing to do anything to buy those shares. One guy was willing to sell his bike; now this guy wouldn’t allow anyone to touch his bike! Anything for Infosys shares.
Many youngsters in our shelter homes have run away from home chasing a dream. Their dreams are different but they have one thing in common: they have left everything – home and family – to achieve that goal.
Were Jesus living now, he might have used a different parable to speak about the kingdom! Rather than speak about a pearl merchant or a farmer, he might have spoken about a youngster who gave up everything to realize his goal!
What’s common to the pearl merchant, the farmer, the shares-seeking-youngster, and the dream-chasing-kid? Each is willing to stake everything to possess something valuable.
That is Jesus’ point in today’s gospel parable. The farmer, who stumbles on a treasure, and the pearl merchant, who finds an invaluable pearl after a great search, appreciate the value of their find; they sell everything to possess their find.
To an outsider, these men might appear insane; they risk everything on one object. But the men are certain about the wisdom of their act: they give up something valuable to get the one invaluable treasure; their investment is total.
Jesus gave up everything he valued – his family, his home, his profession – to do his Father’s will. For Jesus, there was no treasure greater than his Father’s will.
In the first reading, we have something similar: Solomon chooses “an understanding heart” over a long life, riches, his enemies’ lives. That was his treasure.
Jesus asks us whether we see the kingdom as a treasure.
We might stumble over it (like the farmer); we might find it unexpectedly after a long search (like the pearl merchant). One thing is clear: we will experience great joy when we discover it!
The question then is: Am I ready to stake everything on it? What must I give up to possess it?
Let us pray that we stake everything on the right thing!
By: Fr. Dr. Mascarenhas Vinod SDB