Treasure

Tuesday of Week 8 in Ordinary Time - Year 1 (5 March 2019)

Sir 35:1-15. Ps 50. Mk 10:28-31.

“There is no one who has left house or family for my sake and for the gospel who will not receive his reward in the present time, and in the world to come: eternal life.”

The above statement is a paraphrase (or a summary) of Jesus’ words in Mk 10:29-30. Leaving one’s family and giving up things for Jesus’ sake and for the gospel yields a hundred fold reward in this world and in the next world. The fruit of following Jesus and detaching oneself from material things and our own family gives us life—a higher quality of life that continues in the next world.

Once again the gospel passage of today is not merely for fathers, brothers and sisters. It is meant for all Christians, all followers of Christ Jesus. Being a Christian you get a big community of disciples of Christ as friends, parents, well-wishers, brothers and sisters and children. We all become one big new family where God is our Father.

True detachment from wealth and possessions, is really meant for attachment to God and His Kingdom. Detachment is not just meant for itself. Detachment is for the sake of attachment: to Jesus and to God, who is our true treasure and joy.

In the same line, the first reading from Sirach is a good exhortation for us as we worship God and follow him in his Son Jesus Christ. Here the teaching is that there should never be a division between our worship in church and the way we lead our daily lives. Each one is meant to reinforce the other. Sirach says, “Be generous when you worship the Lord, and do not be stingy with the first fruits of your harvest.” (Sir 35:6-7) We don’t have to be calculative when offering our time and talents for the Lord. He can bend time and space for us; He is the Creator, the Source and Origin of all things. The more we are generous with the Lord, the more we are able to see and perceive His generosity in our lives and in the world.

Sirach, again in keeping with today’s gospel, also says, “the Lord will repay you, he will reward you sevenfold.” Our generosity will be rewarded not only in the next life, but already here and now in this world.