Homily, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings: 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52 or 13:44-46

This time of year, is “wedding season.” So many young couples are starting a new phase of their lives together. We are also approaching the start of the academic year. Students are going off to college and beginning a new phase as young adults. New spouses, newly independent adults, are blessed with incredible opportunity and tasked with great responsibility for this new stage of their lives.

Solomon was a mere youth when called by God to succeed his father, David. He was given the great opportunity and responsibility to govern God’s people as their new king. In this new stage of his life, Solomon has big shoes to fill. And Solomon admits to God: You made me king, but I don’t know how to do it – how to act, how to judge, how to live up to such great expectations. Just as importantly, Solomon asks for the Lord’s help. 

We can relate to Solomon when we are called to new stages in our lives. We may wonder how we will live up to the tasks of marriage or parenthood; how we will handle ourselves as independent adults; how we will make the right decisions and meet expectations in our new ventures. Solomon asked, and God gave him what he needed for his task: a wise and understanding heart for governing God’s people. God entrusted Solomon with the opportunity and responsibility to serve as king, and Solomon trusted God to provide him with what he needed to succeed- the gift of wisdom.

Wisdom is the most precious gift a person can have. Without it all other things are useless because we won’t know how to use them properly. Wisdom teaches us to recognize true treasure, which may be overlooked by most people, hidden away from those who see superficially. It is wisdom that gives the finder an understanding heart to make the right judgment and value the treasure for its worth. Wisdom is not the same thing as knowledge. Knowledge is acquired through hard work; wisdom is a gift from God. It is a divine gift already given than can be deepened. 

And in comparing the reign of God to the merchant in today’s gospel, Jesus shows us God’s priorities. In comparing it to buried treasure, he asks us what our priorities are. By choosing wisdom over wealth, Solomon models a truly biblical scale of values.

Dear friends, while the parables last Sunday highlighted the growth and spread of the kingdom of God, the two we hear today point to its value above all else. Both the merchant and the man working in the field go and sell everything they have to buy the object they have found. It seems that Jesus is telling us that when the kingdom of God is found, its value causes all else to diminish in comparison. It is worthy of all our time, our efforts, and our resources. These parables call us to discern what is essential and what is superfluous in our lives.

What is your “precious pearl” and what would you be willing to give up in order to possess it?

Taste and see that the Lord is good, we are told in Scripture (Ps 34:8) and sometimes in song. For he is the hidden treasure and pearl of great price. He is the Father’s promise of eternal life. May we joyfully share the treasure our faith with all, those searching for hope, for peace and for meaning.