Once upon a time there was a farmer who owned a small farm. The land was stony, but he worked hard, and for a while he was blessed with a certain degree of happiness and contentment. But then he began to feel that there was something missing in his life, and he felt empty as a result. One evening a stranger passed his way and asked for a night’s lodgings. The farmer was only too glad for his company, for he was pining for excitement and distraction. Around the fire that night the stranger began to talk about diamonds. He told the farmer that if he could find a diamond, even one no bigger than the nail of his little finger, he would never have to do another day of work. The farmer was very impressed. He didn’t get a wink of sleep that night thinking about diamonds.
The next day the stranger departed leaving the farmer more than a little unhappy. As the days went by, he got more and more restless. He began to neglect his farm. Finally, he sold it for much less than it was worth and went off roaming the world in search of diamonds. He travelled far but found none. In the end, overcome by despair, he died.
Meanwhile, the man who bought his farm was out ploughing. One day the plough turned up a stone that shone brightly in the sunlight. It turned out to be a very valuable diamond. When he went back to the spot where he found it, he found many more. It turned out to be one of the richest diamond mines ever found.
While we cannot help feeling sorry for the original farmer, we have to say that he was a very foolish man. Had he persevered with what he had, he would undoubtedly have found the mine himself.
The original farmer is typical of a good many of us. It is not that we are afraid of hard work and sacrifice. But we lack wisdom. We don’t know what is important. We pursue the wrong goals. We look in the wrong places. We sell our birthright.
The lives of many people are purposeless and empty. Without the soap operas of television, internet, mobile gadgets, and social media they wouldn’t know what to do with themselves. They are no longer able to distinguish what is important in life, and must content themselves with a diminished, and distorted, picture of the world, which results in suffering and impoverishment. They return again and again to the same old wells of pleasure, wells that they know will never quench their thirst. They search and search. Though they see that there is nothing there, they still go on searching. They go to great trouble to possess satisfactions that do not last an hour, and that often bring misery in their wake. They pile up more and more goods when they already have more than enough to be happy. ‘Men,’ said the Little Prince, ‘rush about in express trains, but they do not know what they are looking for. They raise five thousand roses in the same garden, and they still do not find what they are looking for. Yet what they are looking for could be found in a single rose’.
In the first reading (1 Kings 3:5, 7-12), we see that God appears to young king Solomon with a generous offer: “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” Solomon replies, “Give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong,” He asks for an understanding heart so that he will be able to deal well with his people, act compassionately and discern right from wrong. Solomon recognizes two things: Wisdom ultimately comes from God; and with wisdom, all other blessings flow. Using the language we find in today’s parables, we could say that Solomon asked for a “treasure” or a “pearl of great price.” And he got it. The reading teaches us that when we fulfill our duties as God would want us to do; we are then in His presence and on the threshold of the Kingdom.
In the second reading (Romans 8:28-30), St. Paul makes two important statements: All things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose; and those He calls are justified and glorified. The second statement simply means that God is calling us through the stages of spiritual growth needed for enjoying eternity with Him: we are predestined, called, justified, and glorified. When Paul speaks about those whom God has predestined, he doesn’t mean that God chooses some to be saved and others to be lost. God’s plan is for all to be saved. God’s active will is that all be saved; but God’s passive will permits us to accept or reject God’s salvation.
In the Gospel (Matthew 13:44-52), Jesus concludes a long series of parables about the reign of God by praising those wise men and women (and us) who have listened carefully, understood, and responded to his message. Those men and women recognize a pearl of great price and are willing to sacrifice all to purchase it.
There are so many influences and pressures on us that lead us to put ‘making a living’ before actually ‘living’. Our chief task in life is not to be successful, or happy, or fulfilled. It is to live well. For a Christian this means to put our hope in God and his Kingdom, and to live according to his will. What if we miss out on the other things? They are only trifles. What if we must make sacrifices? Happiness, wisdom, and harmony are not to be found along smooth paths. The best things in life must be paid for. But beyond the suffering lies calm waters that makes life meaningful and death easy.
Being a Christian is like being a pearl merchant. Being a Christian is like being a treasure hunter. It involves total dedication and commitment. But there is one big difference between a Christian and being a pearl merchant or being a treasure hunter. As Paul observes, “Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath; but we will receive an imperishable one”. This is the difference. The pearl merchant’s prize, the farmers’ treasure and the swimmer’s medal are all perishable. They do not last. To have a personal experience of Christ and personal relationship with Him is the most precious thing in the world.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!