by Fr Fabian Dicom
1 Kings 3:5,7-12
Psalm 118:57,72,76-77,127-130
Romans 8:28-30
Matthew 13:44-52
Theme: The Treasure Found: Is Christ
Now throughout the Gospel accounts Jesus uses one particular phrase repeatedly:
The Kingdom of Heaven.
Now the Kingdom of Heaven is simply Matthew’s preferred expression for what Mark and Luke call the kingdom or reign of God. Now the words stand out everywhere: The Kingdom of Heaven is like this, The Kingdom of Heaven is like that. Like what we heard in the Gospel today: The Kingdom of Heaven is within you, The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Now whatever the Kingdom of Heaven is, it is of fundamental importance to what Jesus is trying to teach. Okay, yes. I get it and you get it, too, I am sure. It is vital, it is indispensable, it is everything. But while I was reflecting on the Gospel and attempting to prepare this homily, I was pre-occupied or rather distracted with this question:
Seriously, what is the Kingdom of Heaven? What is the Kingdom of Heaven?
Now in early 2019, Franciscan mystic, many of you know who he is, Fr Richard Rohr, featured a guest editorial by the Episcopal Priest, Cynthia Bourgeault, in his daily meditation newsletter. Now Cynthia focused on the familiar phrase known to Christians as the kingdom of God. Now this is what she writes:
So what is the Kingdom of God? Or Kingdom of Heaven?
She says biblical scholars have debated this question for almost as long as there have been biblical scholars. Many Christians, particularly those of the evangelical persuasion (if you know what I mean), more fundamentalist and there are many among us as well, assume the Kingdom of Heaven means the place where you go when you die if you have been saved. That is what they believe. It is like what we hear unfortunately in church: Only baptised and practicing Catholics.
But the problem with this interpretation is that Jesus himself specifically contradicts it when he says:
The Kingdom of Heaven is within you, that is here and at hand. That it is now. It is not later but lighter. More subtle quality or dimension of experience accessible to you right now at this moment. You don’t die into it. You awaken into it. You don’t die into it, you awaken into it.
Others have equated the Kingdom of Heaven with an earthly eutopia, earthly paradise or ideal. The Kingdom of Heaven would be a realm of peace and justice where human beings live together in harmony and a fair distribution of economic assets. That is the model I subscribe to or you kind of.
For thousands of years, Prophets and Visionaries have laboured to bring into being their respective versions of this kind of Kingdom of Heaven. But somehow those earthly eutopias, earthly paradises or ideals never seem to stay put for very long. Jesus specifically rejected this meaning.
When His followers wanted to proclaim him as the Messiah, the Divinely Anointed King of Israel who would inaugurate the reign of God’s justice upon earth, Jesus shrank from all that and said strongly and equivocally: My kingdom is not of this world (in John 18:36).
Where is it then?
Cynthia refers to an author Jim Marion’s wonderful insight suggesting that the Kingdom of Heaven is really a metaphor for a state of consciousness. It is not a place you go to but a place you come from. It is a whole new way of looking at the world, a transformed awareness that literally turns this world into a different place. Thought to be the main content of Jesus’ preaching in the Gospel of Matthew, the Kingdom of Heaven described a process, a cause of events whereby God begins to govern, God begins to act as King or Lord. An action therefore by which God manifests His being God in a world of Man.
And the question is how?
Perhaps another author’s description throws some light. And he says: The Kingdom of Heaven is a reference to a relationship, not a place. A relationship. I believe it is life together under God, life lived in response to God’s love for us through Jesus. It is a life lived in relationship with God through our shared friendship with Jesus. It is a life shaped by the Holy Spirit who empowers us to befriend others in the way that the Lord has befriended us. Such a life brings joy. An important theme in Gospel today:
When they found it, there was joy. When you touch the kingdom, you will have joy.
That is a clear indication that we are on the right path. It is the hallmark of discovering the kingdom. A joy that no earthly reality can bring us. A sharing in the Lord’s own joy.
When does this happen?
The first parable highlighted the priority of the Lord’s search for us. Meaning that we can stumble just like the guy stumbled upon the treasure. We can stumble upon the Lord when we are least expecting to. And the second parable says acknowledges the value of our own seeking. The man was looking for that pearl and he found it. Our own seeking of the Lord. Now both are important in the Gospels.
What can our response be? What can your response and my response be?
Like in the parable, sell everything! Okay, all right I don’t mean literally. Sell everything and give it to CHS. Let us consider what selling or to buy that farm mean right now today. The story, the First Reading, the story about King Solomon gives us a clue. Told by the Lord God to ask for anything he wants, He asked for an understanding heart to judge. He says:
I want an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
He asked for a gift not for himself but for the Lord’s people, the Kingdom. And God’s answer shows that this choice indicates a willingness to metaphorically sell all, let go of everything else, his long life or his riches and the life of his enemies who were troubling him, everything, just to do what God wanted him, what he thought God wanted him.
Jesus puts it yet another way in the Sermon on the Mount when he says:
But seek first the kingdom of God, of heaven. And its righteousness. And all these things, food, clothing, shelter will be given you besides (Matthew 6:33).
Or again:
Where your treasure is, there also will be your heart. Your heart be (Matthew 6:21).
And still in other words, Paul in the Second Reading that we heard, captures both elements, divine initiative and the simplification of life that comes from selling all. To receive the treasures.
We know in Romans 8:28 he says:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.
So my dear brothers and sisters, to consider what selling all, to buy that farm that might have all the treasures (what it means to us today), we need to ask ourselves, you and I need to ask ourselves:
If the reign of God is a process, a cause of events where God governs, if the reign of God is a relationship, a relationship after the heart and mind of God clearly taught to us by Jesus, Jesus Christ, then this entails a consistent way of life, an ethic of life on our path.
That is the response.
And what is this way of life? The ethic of life?
It is in honouring the lives and dignities of every single human person. Of the unborn, the enemy, the aging, the specially-abled, the LGBTQ community, the migrants, the refugees, the poor, the convicted, as the church teaches. The church is very clear that we have to relate with all, every single person. Let not anybody tell us otherwise.
And that begets the question then:
What residue of self-importance, of selfishness, of prejudice and even vengeance do I need
to let go of to fully embrace such a life? What do I need to do?
Last night when I was driving back here, it was about 8 something, the weather was bad and I was passing by Scotland Road, the light was green and I was speeding up. And I caught a glimpse of this elderly lady, I could only see half of her, the other half was in the drain. And it was too fast for me to stop so I went into York Road to come back. But meanwhile I had seen two guys on a motorcycle quite nearby. By the time I circled back to see what is happening, the two men had taken her out of the drain and she looked a bit dazed and they were helping her. And they had even gone into the drain to find things she may have dropped.
Of course, it was an unfortunate thing to happen to her. But I was hopeful for humanity because there were people there. The two of them, the two men and her (this is important in Malaysia) were of different races. And by their looks, they were of different religion. And they were there without anything but to help.
Two nights ago I went out, I took a 99 year old gentleman for a function. All okay and on the way (he does a lot of work with people right till today) and he was telling me: Father, I have been (besides his official work) helping or direct contact with a Rohingya family. The mother died recently and this man is struggling with his 3 daughters, 11 and below. They go to the Rohingya school. he said: Father do you know anyone in your organisation, in Caritas or in your parish who would be able to go from time to time, especially teachers or ex-teachers to go and look and see how these girls are doing Anyway this is also a plea to all of you. They live in Gelugor. If you are interested, let me know.
I just want to say that we see glimpses of the kingdom here in our lives. and this are glimpses of the kingdom. And you can testify that in your own life and in the lives of those around you, you see these glimpses of the Kingdom of Heaven. When we have opted to choose this way of living.
There is a theological concept of the kingdom that says: The kingdom of God is already and not yet. Already and not yet. It holds that believers are actively taking part in the kingdom of God although the kingdom will not reach its full expression until sometime in the future. So it is here and now and it will be perfect in the future. And we are part of the here and now.
The word of God today encourages us yet challenges us but assures us joy and gives us hope. Let us pray for that today.
Click below to listen to homily and watch video:-
Click to live-stream Mass on 29 July 2023