I remember the day, when our son Sean was about age 2, that I vowed that I would never again allow him to accompany me to the grocery store until he turned 18, or maybe 21.

You know how it goes; the child simply must have one thing after another as the cart moves down the aisle.

And the worst spot is the candy array diabolically located in the checkout line.

It doesn't matter whether the objects are not needed, or won't fit, or isn't in the family budget.

The child simply must have...whatever.

And then there are the tears, and pouts, and wailing when the answer is NO.

 

Now usually by the next day, the entire episode is forgotten, and the child is on to other things.

The thing that seemed to be so terribly important, isn't.

 

[Another situation:

a group of children get together to play. 

One of the toys in the closet and nearly forgotten is found by one of the visitors, and play begins.

Suddenly there is a squabble as the home-child decides that this particular toy is her dearest possession and should not be shared or even looked at by anyone else.]

 

Oh, we smile ruefully at the silly behavior, and wish that the kids would act in a more mature manner about it all.

 

But what about the adults?

Are we more mature,

or are we just a little more clever but still playing the same sorts of games?

Are we arguing over things that are not really that important,

and saying “That's mine!” over things that should be shared?

Do we even think about what things are going to be ultimately important,

or are we concentrating only on the present moment and what our pleasures and wishes are right now?

 

And thus we come to the First lesson today.

Solomon does not pray for wealth, or comfort, or security as we would measure them,

but for wisdom.

That is a particular Old Testament term, that later in the Bible might sometimes be identified as the Holy Spirit.

The most important thing for Solomon is God's guiding presence,

that active relationship with God,

that life of faith,

the things that ultimately matter.

 

These days we are drowning in information, coming at us incessantly for the television and computer,

...but wisdom seems to be in short supply.

How can we make ultimate sense of all of this information?

O Lord, open our eyes, and our hearts and minds by your wisdom, the presence of your Holy Spirit among us.

 

This seems to be a good way to grasp today's Gospel lesson.

Over the years we have thought about the individual verses of the reading and heard sermons on the pearl of great price, etc., but seldom have we asked about the group together.

These four parables form the last group in that great chapter of parables in Matthew, chapter 13.

And these last parables seem to be about last things, about what is ultimately important.

The pearl purchased,

the treasure found,

the assortment of the dragnetted fish, the treasure purged of junk...

is the joy of hearing the promise of God's kingdom and its final success.

 

There are so many things that get in the way of our appreciating that joy.

--We have so many other cares and worries: about health, about children and  grandchildren, about employment, schooling, retirement money, etc. etc.

Each of those has its place and importance, but none have ultimate importance.

We need to know when it is time to lay them aside and to concentrate on the critical things.

 

[There is a character in Mitchner's book Alaska who was very busy minding his own business, raising foxes etc. on an island southwest of the Alaska mainland.

 

It was early in 1942 and the outside world intruded.

There was a very real possibility of a Japanese invasion, to draw attention away from their planned attack on Midway Island much further south.

This man could have said “I'm a civilian; it's not my problem.”

But this was the critical moment, and he had intimate knowledge of those fog-shrouded islands.

He laid aside his regular work to take on the critical work of guiding and scouting that was needed right then.

He didn't ask for or seek out this situation, but he responded when it arose.]

 

Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and purchases it.

In that moment, he takes decisive action.

 

Likewise, the merchant acts immediately to secure the one pearl; selling all that he has to buy the pearl that is not only of great price, but of great value.

 

The kingdom of God includes the one who knows how to sort the tasteless junk and to keep the good fish.

And Jesus concludes by saying that every scribe that has been trained for the Kingdom of God is like the householder who throws out of his collection some of what is new as well as some of that which is old.

It is not whether is is new or old, it is whether it is a treasure or a mere collectible.

 

There is a further level of complexity here, that perhaps we have not honestly handled.

 

About 50 years ago there was a scholarly consensus that when we read the parables, we are to be looking for one single point for each of them.

When we land on that point, then, we “get it” and the parable is under our control.

More recently, some scholars have been developing a healthier sense of humility.

The simple-sounding parable may have multiple layers of meaning, only a portion of which we grasp at any one hearing or at any one point of our lives.

So as we listen to this little group of parables this day, another level of complexity pops up.

The question is this: even if we have sorted out the treasure and are attempting to hold onto it, how shall we live?

Remember hat the merchant sold all that he has in order to purchase the pearl.

So how does he eat?

How can he continue his business?

This is is a crisis time for him!

 

And the man who bought the field in order to get the treasure...how can he enjoy the treasure, because he has acquired it by legal but sneaky means?

How can he show his face around the village once others hear about his

      new fortune and his crafty ways?

This is is a crisis time for him!

The crisis is brought on both of them because of their pursuit of the treasure.

 

There are those who try to entice people into the Christian faith by saying that once you have the treasure, then everything will go well for you.

 

This week I reminded one of our folks that the job of every member of the parish is evangelism, reaching someone with the news of greatest value,

the news that Jesus has a promise waiting for anyone who is willing to listen to it.

“But it is so hard to do,” objected the person.

In the Great Commission in Matthew 28, Jesus does not say “Go, make disciples,

but only if it is easy,

only if it doesn't cost you anything,

only if you don't have to change anything about yourself,

only if it doesn't inconvenience you in any way.

He says, “Go, make disciples, by baptizing and teaching...

...no matter what it costs you.

 

Oh, yes, baptism has brought us a treasure.

It is not a happy-go-lucky kind of treasure,

but one which brings us to a point of crisis inside ourselves and among us as the gathered people of the Lord Jesus.

When one puts trust in that one pearl, then one needs to depend upon the generosity of others to sustain the mundane parts of life.

That is certainly the case with the pastor, who depends on the generosity of many in order to pay his bills.

That's risky!

 

But it is also the case for others.

Here are two samples of what I mean.

--The widow or widower left alone, grieving, but trusting that the Lord Jesus will somehow sustain him or her, depends upon the generosity of thoughts and actions of fellow believers in order to hold onto faith, to know again that life is worth living.

 

--The catechetical student who has received from the pastor and teacher the creed, commandments, and Lord's Prayer as valuable summaries for faith and life needs more!

The student needs the example of life lived in the faith, the generosity of example from parents, mentors, and others.

Head-learning is only one part of sharing the faith; life-learning is the harder, more costly part for those around the student.

We can think of additional ways to describe the points of crisis for each one of us.

 

There may come that day when each of us will have to articulate what we believe, what is treasure for us.

Perhaps it will be in words, perhaps in deeds, perhaps in a combination of words and deeds.

And we will be praying in that crisis that the Lord will sustain us and surround us with whatever persons and resources we need.

 

Johann Franck lived through the horrors of the Thirty Years' war in Germany in the 17^th century.

He wrote hymns and other poetry as an avocation.

One of his 110 hymns was the one suggested for our reflection before the service today, Jesus, Priceless Treasure.

No stranger to troubled times, still he wrote in this hymn:

Those who love the Father,

Though the storms may gather,

Still have peace within.

Yea, whatever I here must bear,

Still in thee lies purest pleasure,

Jesus, priceless treasure!  

                     [LBW457.3]

 

May we also have that singleness of focus, that clarity of insight, that boldness of speech and action about the things that ultimately matter

this day, this week, this life.  Amen.