Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
My dear parishioners,
God is Good!!! All the Time!!! And All the Time!!! God is Good!!!
King Solomon’s reign begins with promise. Kingship in Israel was different from kingship in other nations. Kings in Israel were chosen by God and not by popular acclaim. Their task was to serve God and shepherd God’s people along the path of life. In this reading, it seems Solomon is on the right track; the young king makes just the right request from God.
Today’s Gospel concludes Matthew’s discourse on parables. Scholars like to point out that many of Jesus’ parables contain two emphases from Jewish tradition: wisdom and eschatology. The parables about the buried treasure and the pearl of great price exemplify the wisdom tradition. Here making good choices is crucial to obtaining something of great value. The parable of the fishing net emphasizes eschatology. Here the focus is on the judgment that will come with the final end.
Buried treasure. The interesting aspect of this parable is that the treasure is found in another’s field. The founder risks everything to buy that field because, unknown to the owner, it contains a great treasure. Some say this would have been deceptive and even illegal—the seller does not know what he is really selling. Sometimes the kingdom of heaven is like that. Choices have to be made and risks taken. So great is the treasure that the buyer will risk everything in order to have it.
The pearl of great price. The dynamic here is the same as that of the hidden treasure, but without the deception. Still, there are two actions that are crucial. First, the pearl of great price has to be recognized as such. Those who know the technicalities of pearl assessment say that determining the fine pearls from the ordinary ones is not easy. It is as much an art as a science. Second, once the pearl is recognized as a fine one, the merchant has to be willing to sell all that he has and buy it. What if he is mistaken? Is the risk worth it? There is never enough time to answer all the possible questions. The wise person makes the move, while the fool waits for the certainty that will never come.
The wise scribe. Matthew closes this discourse on parables with a wisdom saying of Jesus. “Every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old” (Mt 13:52). That quote is worth memorizing. The “scribe” can be all those who follow Jesus. Some say Matthew is referring to himself. We need both the old and the new. Throughout his whole Gospel, Matthew portrays Jesus as this scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven who, in turn, instructs his followers. Excerpts from “Sunday Homily Helps”, is used by permission of Franciscan Media. www.FranciscanMedia.org.©2017. All rights reserved
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Aloysius