In the first two parables today, Jesus says the Reign of God is like a buried treasure or a set of fine pearls. When one finds the treasure of pearls one realizes that one has found the "real thing." "This is what I have been looking for all my life." Discovering buried treasure or pearls brings us great joy. Secondly, it brings great commitment-symbolized by our willingness to sell all to purchase the treasure. In the story, both men are willing to joyfully sacrifice all to purchase their new-found treasure. No one is pushing them to do this. They want to do it.

The third parable about the dragnet hauling all kinds of things-good and bad-is similar to last Sunday's wheat and weeds parable. Judgment will happen at the end. Only then will the useful be separated from the useless. Like the wheat and weed parable, it is a warning against premature judgment, but also a warning, which tells us judgment will take place.

Matthew finishes his section on parables by saying: "Every Scribe who is learned in the Reign of God is like the head of a household who can bring from his store both the new and the old." Jesus has been speaking to Pharisees and his disciples. The Pharisees who had become fixated on the Old Law (the Torah) were unable to appreciate the New Word of God spoken through Jesus.

Today, we live in a Church where there is a mixture of the new and old. The wise person appreciates both and draws from both the new and the old to nurture his/her spiritual life. Being fixated on either the old or the new is a limiting place to be.

Three Miscellaneous Comments

The Reign of God term is not an easy concept to get a handle on. Notice my words "concept, get a handle on" by using the word "concept," I am making the Reign of God into a head thing, whereas it is primarily a thing of the heart. By using the phrase "get a handle on," I am being a typical Westerner with a need to control something and/or totally understand it. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with trying to totally understand something, but when it comes to God and his Reign, we are speaking of Someone and Something much bigger than our finite minds can grasp. Having said, that, let me share with you one description of the Reign of God:

It is the right relationship between God and his people. It is the power or rule of God at work in the lives of people in our world. So, the Reign of God is not an external kingdom. Rather, it is an inner thing. The Reign of God is happening whenever and wherever individuals or communities submit their lives to Jesus and his values.

2. Today's first two parables raise an important question for us: What is really important in our lives? What are our pearls of great price? What Epitaph do we want written on our graves? A simple way to begin to see what is really important to us is to reflect on how we use our time, energy and money. What drives us, what gets us excited? What do we daydream about? Of course, what we do or spend our time at is more important than what we talk or dream about.

3. In a similar vein and building on the first reading, we can ask, "what would we have answered if God asked us the question he put to Solomon?" "Ask anything of me and I will give it to you." What would we ask for? Is our answer really honest? Assuming that the answer is not the Lotto, we might further ask: is whatever we would like God to give us something we can get for ourselves? For example, if we seek a more loving heart, or a better relationship with someone, do we often pray for that and have we taken some steps to move in that direction? Have we named the obstacles and helps to a particular goal? If we rarely do anything to get what it is we say we most dearly desire, can we truly say that this is something we truly desire? It is one thing to truly desire something, it is another thing to be willing to sacrifice to get it. St. Augustine says: "Christ is not valued at all unless he is valued above all."

Two "Fishy" Stories

I hope you enjoy the following two "fishy" stories both of which have excellent lessons:

The Contented Fisherman

The rich industrialist from the North was horrified to find the Southern fisherman lying lazily beside his boat, smoking a pipe.

"Why aren't you out fishing?" said the industrialist.

"Because I have caught enough fish for the day," said the fisherman.

"Why don't you catch more than you need?" said the industrialist.

"What would I do with them?" asked the fisherman.

"You could earn more money," was the reply. "With that you could have a motor fixed for your boat. Then you could go into deeper waters and catch more fish. Then you would make enough to buy nylon nets. These would bring you more fish and more money. Soon you would have enough money to own two boats. Then you would be a rich man like me."

"What would I do then?" asked the fisherman.

"Then you could sit down and enjoy life," said the industrialist.

"What do you think I am doing right now?" said the contented fisherman.

The Blind Fish

"Excuse me," said one ocean fish to another, "you are older and more experienced than I, and will probably be able to help me. Tell me; where can I find this thing they call the Ocean? I've been searching for it everywhere to no avail. "The Ocean? But this is the Ocean," said the older fish. "Oh, this? But this is only water. What I'm searching for is the Ocean," said the young fish, feeling quite disappointed as he swam to search elsewhere.

So often in our search for God we forget that he is all around us. In him we live, move and love our being.