In his book Raising Your Child to Be a Mensch, Neil Kurshan writes about a woman who, because of her own childhood experiences, vowed that she would never entrust her child to a nanny.
From birth, the child had the same nanny for eleven years, until the nanny unexpectedly had to move away. The parents quickly hired a new nanny because they were leaving for Europe that very week.
To prepare for the new nanny, the child remembered her mother putting away all her jewelry in the safe and locking up the silverware. She asked her mother, “Mommy, why are you hiding all your treasured things?”
Her mother replied, “Honey, how do I know if I can trust the new nanny with our family treasures?”
The little girl felt her heart being cut in half. She thought she was not considered a family treasure. She felt rejected and unwanted.
Our gospel reading this morning invites us to reflect on hidden treasures and pearls of great price. What do you treasure most in your life? What would you be willing to lay down your life for? I hope it is not possessions, power or prestige!
To discover what you truly treasure, and what you are willing to sacrifice everything for, listen to God. He is asking you the same question that He asked Solomon in today’s first reading.
The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.”
Do you remember what Solomon asked for? That’s right: “an understanding heart.”
Here is a young man, the son of King David, who knows he is inexperienced at leading others, yet he has inherited his father’s throne. He has become king. And here we see the wisdom of Solomon: he asks for an understanding heart.
A person with an understanding heart knows right from wrong and makes decisions based on what is good, right and virtuous.
Imagine if God were to say to you today, “Ask something of me, and I will give it to you.” What would you ask for? What kind of heart would you desire?
A loving heart? A hopeful heart? A listening heart? Prayerful? Forgiving? Compassionate? Generous?
Perhaps courageous, accepting, grateful, caring, merciful, joyful, trusting, patient, kind, open and peaceful.
What kind of heart do we need to be more like Christ? All of these hearts are Christ-like. And all of us need hearts that are more Christ-like. But how do we cultivate them if we are consumed by material things?
There is a story about a monk who once found a precious stone. A man had a dream that the monk possessed a great treasure and set out to find him. When he did, he found the monk sitting under a tree. The stranger asked the monk if he could have the stone, and remarkably, the monk gave it to him without hesitation.
That night, the stranger could not sleep.
The next day, he returned and asked the monk, “Please give me the treasure that made it so easy for you to give away the stone.”
The monk replied, “I cannot give that to you, but you can pray for the kind of heart you desire.”
It is a simple story with a profound message: there is more joy in life when we give than when we receive.
Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a hidden treasure or a pearl of great price, something worth sacrificing everything to obtain.
In both the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great value, the pattern is the same:
The emphasis is on seeking what is worthwhile, recognizing its value, and then sacrificing oneself in order to obtain it.
Clearly, searching, finding and obtaining requires discipline, sacrifice, energy, determination and perseverance.
What have you searched for, found and then sacrificed for to obtain?
Do you remember a time in your life when you were saving for something important, setting aside money and making sacrifices so you could obtain what truly mattered to you?
For me, it was my first car. I saved every penny I earned to buy a 1942 black Ford. I remember how proud I was when I bought it, until my dad, who sold insurance, reminded me that I had more saving to do. “Billy,” he said, “what about your insurance?” That car sat in the garage for six months while I saved the money to pay for the insurance.
For my sister, it was her first formal dress for her junior prom.
For my brother, it was his trip to Washington, D.C.
What do you remember saving and sacrificing for so that you could have what you really wanted? What are you willing to sacrifice in order to obtain the heart that you want and need?
Perhaps Jesus does not describe the treasure because, for each of us, the treasure is different. A treasure may be a person, a place, a thing or even a feeling, something precious to you. There is truth in the saying that one person’s junk may be another person’s treasure.
One of life’s greatest truths and hardest lessons is that we each make our own choices: the food we eat, the clothes we wear, how we spend our time and resources. Even our thoughts and feelings are choices. Love is a choice. Anger is a choice. Fear is a choice. Courage is a choice. Even choosing to play a sport like soccer or lacrosse is a choice.
Who you become is far more important than what you have or what you do.
Take time this week to pray for the heart that you desire.
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