Radical Discipleship:
Possessions Gone -
Everything For Jesus
A Reflection on Matthew 13:44-46
You know what I love about today's gospel? Jesus gives us these two incredible stories that basically say the same thing in different ways - and both of them are about people who are absolutely thrilled about what they've discovered! A guy is just walking through a field, maybe doing some work, and boom - he stumbles across buried treasure. And what does he do? Does he grumble about having to sell everything? Not at all! He's so excited he can barely contain himself. He goes and joyfully sells everything he owns to buy that field. Then Jesus tells us about this merchant who's been searching for the perfect pearl his whole life, and when he finally finds it, he does the same thing - sells everything with pure joy to get it.
Here's what excites me about these stories: they're not about burden or sacrifice in the way we usually think about it. They're about discovery! Both men discovered something so amazing, so valuable, that everything else in their lives suddenly looked different. That's what happens when we really encounter Jesus Christ and His kingdom. It's like that moment when you finally understand what love is, or when you see a sunset that takes your breath away, or when you hold your child for the first time - everything shifts. Suddenly, what seemed so important before becomes background noise, because you've found what your heart was actually searching for all along. The beautiful truth is that God's kingdom isn't something we have to reluctantly pay for - it's something so wonderful that giving everything for it feels like the most natural thing in the world.
And here's the really beautiful part - we don't earn this treasure through our sacrifices. No way! It's a pure gift, like a loving parent giving the best present to their child. But when you really get it, when you really understand what God has done for us, how can your heart not respond? Think about it: we're sinners who deserved separation from God, but instead He welcomes us into His family, promises us eternal joy, and walks with us every single day. That's not just good news - that's earth-shattering, life-changing, jump-up-and-down-with-excitement news! Our response isn't payment; it's celebration. It's like when someone gives you such an incredible gift that you want to give them everything in return, not out of obligation but out of overflowing gratitude and love.
So here's my challenge for us today, and I'm asking this with the biggest smile on my face: What would it look like if we lived like these two men in the parables? What if we woke up each morning remembering that we've found the ultimate treasure? What if our generosity, our service, our love for others flowed from that same joyful discovery? The kingdom of heaven isn't just our future hope - it's our present reality, transforming how we see everything. When we truly treasure Jesus Christ above all else, life becomes an adventure of love, service, and joy. We get to be part of spreading that same excitement, that same discovery, to everyone around us. And trust me, there's nothing more thrilling than helping someone else stumble across the same treasure we've found!
©2025 James Dacey Jr.
