Fr Marco Lazzaron
his Sunday’s Gospel is found within the “Discourse in Parables” in Chapter 13 of Matthew, a collection of parables through which Jesus speaks to us about the Kingdom of Heaven, about God’s way of acting within the history of salvation. Jesus makes it clear that the Kingdom requires a radical decision (in the parables of the treasure and the pearl) and a constant commitment to justice and mercy (in the parable of the net).
In the first two parables, both the farmer and the merchant discover something of immeasurable value, but the circumstances are different. The farmer comes upon the treasure almost by accident while carrying out his daily work. This highlights the gratuitous nature of God’s gift, of His call, which reaches us in the “field of our life” and often precisely where and when we are not looking for Him. God comes to meet us, and because He loves us, He desires even more fervently than we do that we should encounter Him and, in Him, discover the meaning of our lives. The merchant, on the other hand, is an experienced seeker. His discovery is the fruit of a long-nurtured desire and a passionate search. He represents the person who chooses to live for what truly matters, who keeps searching and refuses to settle for less.
A key exegetical detail is that both protagonists “sell everything” they possess. This should be understood as an investment. They sell their previous possessions in order to obtain the “greater good” they have finally found. Moreover, the man acts “filled with joy.” Joy is not the final reward; it is the driving force, the inner dynamism that accompanies, sustains, and makes the present decision possible.
All of this invites us to examine our own lives. If we struggle to choose what is good or to commit ourselves wholeheartedly, perhaps it is because we have not yet encountered the beauty of the treasure. Faith is always a response to a love that comes before us, surpasses us, and draws us into itself.
The parable of the net clarifies another important point: now is the time to “cast the nets”; the time of judgment will come at the end. The parable describes a dragnet that gathers “things of every kind”, not only fish. This image portrays both the Church and the world as places where good and evil coexist (cfr. last Sunday’s Gospel).
We belong to a universal community in which no one is excluded in advance. We are called to proclaim the Gospel to everyone, to go out to meet everyone, to welcome everyone (“todos, todos, todos” as Pope Francis used to say), accompanying each person so that he or she may become a follower of Jesus and discover the path God has prepared. The distinction between what is good—or rather, “beautiful”—and what is spoiled will not be made immediately, but only at the fulfillment of history. And it is God who will accomplish that judgment.
Prayer
“You are the treasure; You are the precious pearl, O Lord. You found me—I did not find You. You conquered and laid hold of me—I did not acquire You. O my Beloved, I am Yours.”