We heard three parables on the kingdom of God in today’s gospel from the Gospel of St. Mathew where seven parables of the kingdom of God are presented. They are the parable of the hidden treasure, the parable of the pearl and the parable of the net. When Jesus speaks of the treasure, about the worth of the pearl and the importance of the eatable fishes in these three parables he wanted to convince the preciousness and value of the kingdom of heaven. The message is: the kingdom of God is more valuable and precious than anything and everything in the world and in the life of the human.
Equally important are the persons in these three parables who found the treasure and the pearl who sold everything and renounced everything to possess the treasure and the pearl. The joy of these persons and the way of dealing of these persons are worth to analyse. As they found the treasure and the pearl they wanted to possess them at any cost. They did everything for that.
Perhaps we have also renounced many things in life for the sake of our faith and our relation to the church. The parables of the kingdom challenge us with the question whether we are happy about it and whether God, word of God, kingdom of God and our faith more important for us than many other things in life.
We live in a period in which faith in God, religion and belongingness to religion are exploited to gain selfish goals. People started to hate others and even to kill others in the name of religion. That means religion is used to attain goals that are fully against the concept and the purpose of religion. It is a tragedy that many people do not recognise the contradiction in it. Many are not aware that they are destroying themselves and making themselves unworthy before God in whom they believe because every religion teaches love of the fellow human beings.
Therefore we are invited to do good deeds to gain the treasure of the kingdom of God in which we are supposed not to hurt any human, but to love the neighbour always. Our mandate is to establish freedom and reconciliation.
The parables of the kingdom of God and our reflection on it should encourage us to take action to stop the conflict and persecution. Our reflection on the parable may help us to establish the kingdom of God. Jesus promised us the kingdom of God. He will help us to ensure freedom and harmony. Let us pray and work together in these days of anxiety and fear of the people of Manipur for interference of the Holy Spirit to establish justice and peace.
Fr. Joseph Pandiappallil MCBS