It has been quite a journey through Jesus’ Parables of the Kingdom as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 13. The sequence of the parabolic sayings needs to be pulled together as a tapestry in order to connect them with the idea underpinning the sayings, namely, the gift of God’s kingdom, which Jesus came to announce. Recall that parables are not just stories but riddles that often serve as metaphors or similes with hidden meanings, inviting the hearer to delineate the twists in the narrator’s story. And even though there’s a central message, one can find several other messages hidden in the parable. For example, the Parable of the Prodigal Son both illustrates repentance, on the part of the sinner; and forgiving love, on the part of the father who generously forgives without judging, as opposed to the judgmentalism of the first son.
The first parable in the series describes a sower who appears to be a terrible gardener, not diligent with the task of sowing his seeds, and the conditions into which the seeds fell. The riddle unpacked is God freely giving the gift of the kingdom to which everyone is called to receive. Unfortunately, only one out of four groups of hearers present a docile heart and fertile ground for the word to bear fruit. In the parables of the weeds among the wheat, the mustard seed and the yeast that leavened the dough, the riddle is revealed in the patience of God with sinners and outcasts. Hence, St. Isidore interpreting the riddle sees God who would not slay Matthew, the tax collector, who enriched himself by unjustly exacting the tribute, so that he might become the hand through which today’s gospel is written that it might reach us. Nor did He destroy the prostitutes who served lust and immodesty, but turned one of them into a model of repentance and an apostle of the resurrection. He also did not avenge Peter’s denial, but led him through the burning tears of repentance to become the rock on which He built His Church. Similarly, God did not strike down Saul, the persecutor, but anointed him as an apostle to the gentile world. In unpacking the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast, Pope Benedict XVI warned against the temptation of impatience, recalling that immediate, massive growth is not God’s way; rather He lets His word—capable of changing life with an intangible presence—to permeate slowly.
Today’s parable of the hidden treasure is echoed in the wisdom of Solomon presented in the first reading. Solomon found a hidden treasure in divine wisdom, aware that it will attract every other good desired, including fame, security, prosperity, long life and happiness. One must ask: Among all the things we desire in life, which are the true treasures and pearls of great price? We can trip and fall as we go all out in pursuit of financial security, the pleasures of life, career and educational advancement, windfall from court settlements, power, success, etc. Jesus’ idea about the kingdom of God is that which, when we gain it first, all other things will be added unto us—“Seek first the kingdom of God and His justice; and all these things shall be added to you as well” (Mt 6:33). It is that treasure which when found would precipitate liquidating our past, sacrificing other possessions, in order to carry off by all available means this exclusive investment. When investing in the kingdom, there should a feeling of contentment that comes with knowing that the value has been appraised as priceless by the Lord Himself. Whether we stumbled over this gift as cradle Catholics (aka, the man who found the treasure and hid it) or sought and found it like an OCIA-merchant searching for fine pearls, once found and appraised, we oughtn’t mind throwing caution to the wind, because the supreme treasure of the kingdom eclipses everything else. When the angels pull the dragnet of life ashore, will you be among the fish for the bucket of God’s kingdom, or the useless fish thrown away into the pit of darkness?
Fr. Chukwudi Jo Okonkwo