In today’s Gospel Story (Matthew 20:20-28) Jesus uses parables of the pearl, the buried treasure, and fishing to talk about finding treasures which change our lives. The majority report sees these parables as talking about the importance and value of the kingdom of Abba. The minority report gets as personal as we let it. We have a lot of power here.
Again this week, the Verse says, “Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom”. And as we prepare to hear the parables, it’s worth noting the story of Solomon in the first reading where he asks Abba for an understanding heart, instead of power or riches. Abba responds by giving him “a heart so wise and understanding”. In the Psalm we pray “Let your compassion come to me that I may live”. Perhaps a wise, humble, and compassionate heart might be a treasure worth asking for, maybe even the beginning of our own parable of recognizing Abba in our everyday living, and the people we are with every day. In other words, Abba’s kingdom happening around me, in me, and maybe even through me.
In the parables Jesus makes it clear that none of this is passive. Looking for our treasure takes work — asking, searching, digging, fishing. Jesus says the man acted “out of joy” when he sold all that he had and bought the field. We have to have at least some idea of what our treasure is so we can recognize it when we find it, and experience our own joy. We have to want it, ask for it, work for it, be willing to grow and change. We also have to be ready to be surprised, because surprise is always part of the journey, the search, our wandering and wondering. It might involve some letting go — of our images and expectations of Abba, the satisfaction of knowing the right questions, answers, and words. Whatever our image of Abba is, it says more about us than about Abba. None of our images come even close to the reality that is Abba. Meister Eckhardt: “When I seek God with something in mind, the best I get is the something I had in mind”.
For many the kingdom of heaven, or the Kingdom of God, is for after we die, a transactional matter. If we have lived a good life, heaven is where we go. If we have not lived a good life, we go to the other place, whatever that may be. From this perspective the role of religion and church is to get us to “earn enough points” that when we die God “has” to take us to heaven, wherever and whatever that is. Jesus has a different view: the kingdom of God is here and now. It is how we live with the people in our every day, which is pretty difficult when we make ourselves the center of everything we do. Jesus lived most of his life with the “little ones”, the people who were outcasts religiously and socially. There are obvious parallels in our own day. But, there are also in our life the folks we just don’t like for whatever reason. In this sense the kingdom of Abba is personal. We have our own choices to make. Am I willing to let go of my need to control my life and just move towards accepting folks as they are? Can I begin to forgive others for not being who I want them to be or think they should be? Richard Rohr: “Christianity was not so much about doctrines or eternal salvation, but about how to live a better life here and now, within the ‘reign of God.” When I can understand that a person’s behavior comes from their inner struggles, and not from me, then I can begin to live compassion. Jesus shows us how we are created to live, and invites us to follow him. It is much easier to worship Jesus than to follow him, to imitate him, to live he lived rooted in his relationship with his Abba. A worthwhile treasure to seek.
In our everyday living we are constantly choosing. So it is good to look at the values we use to make our choices. One way of doing this is the Examen, a short, daily prayer practice to notice God’s presence, review our day with gratitude, and look toward tomorrow. There are several popular ways to do this. It is a real learning experience. It is not an effort to see where we have gone wrong, but is primarily focused on coming to recognize Abba involved in our every day living.
Jesus is less concerned with getting us to heaven than with showing us how to live as we are created to live in our here and now. Religion is one way of helping us to do this. What exactly is the way differs among religious traditions, even among subsets of a tradition, such as the various interpretations of christianity, each of which often claims it is the only true way. Religion is not about pleasing God for later, but about living as we are created to here and now, and supporting each other as we do so. Coming to experience Abba is not a matter of logic or thinking, only of prayer and experience, and love.
Every moment of every day offers us the opportunity to be open to the Spirit, to be kind, caring, present. Often this is no easy thing, but the more we try, the more surprised we are. Gradually this may become for us a habit, but we have to want it, to get our pearl of great price and our treasure, willing to grow, maybe to change. We might find ourselves letting go of our desire to feel in control, and simply go where it takes us. Might a wise, humble, and compassionate heart be a worthwhile treasure to search for? Just sayin . .