SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY
TIME YEAR A
1 Kings 3:5,7-12,
Psalm 118:57,72,76-77,127-130
Romans 8:28-30,
Matthew 13:44-52
THE WISDOM OF GOD IS A GREAT
TREASURE
We live in a society today where
everyone wants to be successful. Success here is material possessions. People
do all sorts of things, both dubious and diabolical just to achieve their evil
desires. One may imagine whether some people still think of heaven at all.
Sometimes we think that we are very wise and smart when we achieve some things
in an evil manner, but we are being foolish. The economist says that human
wants are insatiable. We never think that we have had enough. Our greedy
mindset keeps telling us to go for more and more.
Solomon was the son of king
David, and he had succeeded him as king. As a king, he needed to build the
military might so as to be able to defeat his enemies, he needed all the
material possessions one can imagine, so as to be the greatest king in the
Ancient near East, he needed long life to enjoy himself. When God asked him to
ask for anything he wanted, it sounds so ridiculous that he asked for wisdom.
It is like someone given a blank cheque to withdraw whatever he wanted and he
wrote N1,000. In the eyes of many of us, Solomon was a foolish man, but his
decision has become the wisest in history. His decision proves that the wisdom
of God is the key to achieving all that we need and want. This is because, with
the wisdom of God, Solomon got all that he needed and ever wanted. We have been
called to seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and every other
thing shall be added.
In the gospel reading of today,
Jesus tells us that there is nothing in this life apart from the type of life
we live. With the parable of the treasure and fine pearl, he explains that
those who understand what life entails can give up everything just to get
heaven the greatest treasure. Like solomon, they can let go of every other
material things just to acquire what is precious which is heaven.
Let us therefore remember today
that material things are not the ultimate. Everything we have here on earth
will be useless if we do not have the wisdom to use them to make heaven. As the
gospel tells us today, the good fish will be separated from the bad on the last
day and what we have acquired cannot help us but what we have done with them.
God help us. Amen.
Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP
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