Treasure in the Field

Learning to give all for kingdom and each other

07/30/2023

Mt 13:44-52 Jesus said to his disciples: "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. Again, 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. "Do you understand all these things?" They answered, "Yes." And he replied, "Then 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."

Do you like to go shopping and try to find really good deals? I remember once Msgr. Scott Friend said he loves to go shopping for deals and ends up buying things he will never use or ever wear. But because it was such a good deal, he convinced himself that he saved a lot of money! One news show suggested that some people are so adept at using rebates, coupons, and money-back offers that they actually make money on certain deals. You can earn a living by shopping.

By the way, I hate going shopping, deals or no deals. I will never forget many years ago my mom asked me to take her shopping at Walmart. I was disgusted at the thought and rolled my eyes. But because I am a priest and she is my mother, I replied like Jesus at the wedding at Cana, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with me???”

No, not really. Instead, I begrudgingly said, “Okay, mom, I’ll take you. What do you need from Walmart?” And she smiled and said sweetly, “How do I know until I get there?” You know, that is one of those moments when the male brain sort of implodes with incomprehension. “How do I know what I need until I get there?”

In the gospel today, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to going shopping and finding the best deal ever. Listen to what he says, “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.” In other words, whenever we go to Mass it is like going shopping for the kingdom of God. What do I mean?

Well, some people come to Mass to get a really good deal. They like to receive Holy Communion but they put nothing in the collection plate. Buying God for nothing is a pretty good deal. Some people come begrudgingly to church, like I hate to go to Walmart. Why do they go? They go only because their parents make them, like my mom made me go shopping.

And yet others are like my mom when she goes shopping. They don’t know exactly what they need till they get here to church. That is, our spiritual needs are always far greater than we can imagine, and the kingdom of God always far surpasses our needs, our wants, or even our imaginations. That is why Jesus says we should be willing to sacrifice everything to gain the kingdom. This is clearly Jesus’ primary and principal point in the parable.

Nonetheless, I would suggest to you another layer of meaning, namely, that we are not the only ones who are going shopping in Jesus’ parable. In a sense, Jesus is describing himself as the one who find the buried treasure and sells all he has to buy it. Now, what is that priceless treasure Jesus finds? You and I are. And how did Jesus sell all he had to buy it? He relinquished his heavenly glory and infinite power and became like us, a weak, mortal human being.

St. Paul makes precisely this point in 1 Co 6:20, “For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.” That steep price, of course, was Jesus’ Precious Blood poured out on the Cross. In other words, Jesus gave up everything – sold everything he had, even his human life – to buy the field of this creation wherein is hidden a treasure, namely, me and you. What a great deal Jesus got, right?! Well, at least he thought so.

My friends, the take-home message for us today is that we are not only shopping for the Kingdom when we go to church. We are also like Jesus sort of shopping for one another as a priceless treasure. And have you noticed how we keep getting glimpses of how priceless each and every human being is, and then we lose sight of that infinite value of each person? I have noticed how this happens three times in the course of our life.

First, we feel we have found the pearl of great price when we fall in love and marry our sweetheart. And then we discover he is not the knight-in-shining-armor and we want our money back. This happens a second time when we have children and they are our greatest treasure. All parents feel they could die for their children, that is, until their children become teenagers and live in the basement until they’re forty. Then parents want to kill their children.

And finally, a third time we find the priceless pearl when we have grandchildren, and we would do anything for them. In fact, there is a growing cadre of grandparents literally raising their grandchildren. In a real and true sense, grandparents have sold everything (including their retirement plans!) to purchase that field with the buried treasure, namely, their grandchildren. The infinite value of a human being is a lesson we learn, and then forget, and then must relearn. This was also part of Jesus' parable today.

When I prepare couples for marriage, I give them two pieces of advice. First, I tell them the worst thing that can happen to you on your wedding day is that you marry a stranger, someone you do not really know. And secondly, I tell them the best thing that could happen on your wedding day is that you look at each other and say, “I know you’re not the knight-in-shining-armor. But I still want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

And that is exactly what Jesus says to us when he sells all his heavenly glory and purchases us at the price of his Precious Blood, by dying for us. And here we reach the deepest meaning of the love of neighbor: to see the imperfections and flaws in others, and love each other anyway, indeed, to lay down our life for others. Why? Because you and I are also the treasure in the field.

Praised be Jesus Christ!