Parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great value
Today Jesus in the Gospel presents us two parables about the kingdom of heaven: the hidden treasure and the pearl of great value. Both are very similar; they show us the supreme value of God’s kingdom and what we should do to reach it. But they have some differences: the treasure points towards an abundance of gifts, and the pearl indicates more it’s beauty. We are all attracted to gems and pearls. They sparkle in many different ways, we admire their beautiful colours and we would like to have them, no matter what the cost. We use them to show our affection for our loved ones. People risk their lives to get them and others go to jail for stealing them. We too should risk our lives to go to heaven and achieve it by the struggle we constantly have with ourselves.
There is nothing like heaven. Our heart longs for an everlasting life full of goodness and beauty. Peter Kreeft mentions Saint Augustine’s little thought experiment: “Imagine God appeared to you and said: ‘I’ll make a deal with you if you wish. I’ll give you anything and everything you ask: pleasure, power, honor, wealth, freedom, even peace of mind and good conscience. Nothing will be a sin; nothing will be forbidden; and nothing will be impossible for you. You will never be bored and you will never die. Only... you shall never see my face.’ Did you notice that unspeakable chill in you deepest heart at those last words?” Heaven is to see the face of God. To see the face of a person is to recognise his identity, to acknowledge his feelings, to admire his worth. It is difficult to do so these days with people wearing masks.
What is heaven for you? For some people it is something nice but far away, somewhere they’d like to go, like the Bahamas, or something they’ll consider when they are close to dying. Many people prefer this earth to eternity. They say: better the devil I know; at least here I can touch things; I don’t know what is going to happen when I die. But eternity is too big to swap for this earth; it is too risky. Pascal’s wager says that it is not fifty, fifty. It is all or nothing; all is all, nothing is nothing. If God doesn’t exist you have a finite loss; if He exists, you have infinite gains. You win more than you lose.
Another difference between these two parables is that the treasure is something we come across almost by chance, and the pearl is the result of a lengthy search. Faith, vocation, true wisdom, desire for Heaven, are things which sometimes are discovered suddenly and unexpectedly, and sometimes after much searching. If God wants to give them to us, we should be eternally grateful. If He wants us to keep searching, it is good for us. We all love a treasure hunt, looking for something we don’t know what it is or where it is hidden. As long as we keep on looking for it, eventually, we will find it. God as a good Father wants us to enjoy the treasure he has prepared for us. He has an infinite number of goodies and sweets, tailored made to our own personal taste.
Both men in the two parables have the same attitude and reach the same outcome. They sell everything to buy the field and the pearl; they manage to get it against all the odds, and both come away full of joy and happiness. To obtain the treasure it is necessary to sell everything we possess; otherwise we won’t get what we want. It is the only way to be happy. A good question for us today: What is God asking me to sell now to become closer to heaven? Saint Josemaria used to say that we should walk on this earth with our feet stepping firmly on the ground and with our eyes fixed on heaven.
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