“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure

The Kingdom of God is worth far more than anything else.

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊ 

Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21

 Woe is me,

Mother, why did you bring me to the light? A man of dissension throughout the land! I owe them nothing, neither do they owe me, yet they all curse me!   I devoured your words when they came. They were my happiness and I felt full of joy when you made your Name rest on me.

Never did I associate with worldly people,   amusing myself with scoffers! When your hand was upon me I stood apart and you filled me with your anger.   Why is there no end to my sorrow or healing for my wound? Why do you deceive me, and why does my spring suddenly dry up?

 Then Yahweh spoke to me, “If you return I will take you back and you will serve me again. Draw the gold from the dross and you will be as my own mouth. You must draw them to you and not go over to them.   I will make you a fortress and a wall of bronze facing them; if they fight against you they will not overcome you;   I am with you to free you and save you. I will redeem you from the wicked and free you from the hands of tyrants.”

 

Ps 59:2-3, 4, 10-11, 17,18

God is my refuge on the day of distress.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 13:44-46

 The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. The one who finds it buries it again; and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field.

 Again the kingdom of heav­en is like a trader who is looking for fine pearls.   Once he has found a pearl of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything he has and buys it.

 

Gospel Reflection：

Amazing Grace

The two little parables seem identical, but they are not! In the first, the Kingdom is compared to the treasure that we chance upon. The one who finds it is not necessarily seeking for it, for he happens to stumble upon it. That is Grace working! In the second parable, we mistakenly compare the Kingdom to the peal; but no, read again:

 

The Kingdom is compared to the trader. He is actively searching for the finest pearls; once he finds them, he sells everything he has to buy them! God in Christ is the trader, who is actively searching for the finest pearl – you and me; and upon finding us, he goes and sells all that he has, including his very life (cf. Phil 2:5-11), to make us his own! If we find God by sheer Grace (first parable), God finds us at great cost to Himself (second parable). Can there be a greater Good News?