The most precious
The twofold parable of the treasure found in a field and of the invaluable pearl discovered by a merchant plus the parable of the net filled with good and bad fish, round up three Sundays of comparison for the kingdom of God, teaching us as much about God’s reign as about ourselves (Matthew 13:43-52).
A treasure and a mega pearl
The parables of the treasure and of the pearl complement each other and are not merely different versions of the same theme. The first refers to some treasure found perchance buried in a field and by a laborer, while the second is about a pearl of great price sought by a merchant. One employs list in hiding again the treasure he has accidentally stumbled upon and buys the field with its secret treasure with all that he possesses. The other openly searches for fine pearls and negotiates to acquire the extraordinary one he has finally located. Both have made a surprising and joyous discovery, and both sell all they have in order to possess their wonderful finds. Finding alone is not
enough; one must take further action and pay the price.
Both persons boldly invest all they own in exchange for their precious acquisitions. Is it a wise move to sink all of one’s capital into a single transaction? Usual business principles no longer apply when the investment deals with eternal consequences and is about the kingdom of God. To acquire or to enter into a relationship that means eternal life with God, one must be free and ready to give up in exchange all possessions in this world. God’s reign is inestimable and most precious, and requires all a person is and has.
A dragnet catching all
The concluding parable pictures “a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.” A dragnet (like our own fishermen’s pukot or panalikop), after one end has been paid out into the sea in a loop then slowly hauled ashore by a team of men working both ends of the net, usually collects everything and all sorts of fish. The process of sorting out the catch on the shore dramatizes the mixed kinds of people the saving plan of God has to deal with. Good fish are put into baskets, while the bad ones and the garbage are discarded.
The parable of the wheat and the weeds comes to mind. The truth is again underlined that in our world there is the temporary thriving together of the good and the bad. Ultimately, the divine judgment comes and the evil ones are disposed of while the good are gathered and taken in. The dragnet fishing selected by Jesus in his parable illustrates this inevitability, and to his followers the imperative that as “fishers of men” they work together as a team and according to plan. They are sent to gather all into the embrace of God’s saving love, rich and poor, mighty and lowly alike, ensuring none slips through the net of redemption. The task of separating permanently the wicked from the righteous belongs to God’s angels, followed by the everlasting joy of those saved and the endless frustration and self-accusation of those who condemned.
Alálaong bagá, wise are the people concerning God’s kingdom when they have learned in actual living that life in communion with him is more precious than anything else in this world, in fact the most precious treasure one can ever come upon, more than just a rare find or a good buy. Such a believer is like the head of a household who knows how to care for his loved ones as well as for oneself by bringing out as needed the wisdom and the guidance from the Gospel of Jesus Christ in response to the challenges of life. Our evangelizers today need to focus on guiding and inspiring all, without being diverted into merely pulling out weeds and putting down worthless fish. Rather we are to proclaim in word and by example the fascinating, joyous meaning and purpose of life in God’s love, discovered like a treasure in a field or a pearl of great price located. People will love and are joyfully fulfilled by the most precious find ever in their life.
Join me in meditating on the Word of God every Sunday, from 5 to 6 a.m. on DWIZ 882, or by audio streaming on www.dwiz882.com.