All Is Gain In Following Christ

N

otice the two parables. Jesus does not focus on what the people gave up. He focuses on what they found.

The man who found the treasure did not go away sad because he sold everything he had. He went away full of joy. The same is true of the merchant who found the pearl of great value. He did not think about what he gave up. He was happy because he had finally found what he had been looking for all his life. Selling everything was simply the natural result of finding something much more valuable.

The same is true in the Christian life. We often think that following Christ is about giving things up. But Jesus teaches us something different. The focus is not on what we give up but on what we find.

Imagine buying an old painting at a garage sale for a few dollars. Later, you discover that it is really worth a fortune. If you sold your old car to buy that painting, no one would say you made a bad choice. They would say it was one of the best decisions of your life. Your joy would not come from what you lost, but from what you gained.

The same is true of our vocation, our life as disciples, and every true calling. For example, a priest does not remain faithful because he keeps counting his sacrifices. He remains faithful because he has found a treasure that is worth giving his whole life for.

In the third parable about the net, Jesus teaches that finding the Kingdom also changes the way we see. The good fish are separated from the bad. Little by little, we learn what is truly valuable and what we should let go of. The final judgment is not meant first to frighten us. It reminds us that goodness, truth, and love are the things that last forever.

That is why Jesus says that a scribe who has learned about the Kingdom is like a homeowner who brings out both old and new treasures. Following Christ does not mean throwing away everything from the past. Instead, the Kingdom gives us new eyes to appreciate the blessings we already have while remaining open to the new blessings God continues to give.

All these parables have one message: joy. The treasure brings joy. The pearl ends the merchant's long search. The net teaches us what is truly valuable. And the wise disciple treasures both the old and the new because everything is now seen in the light of God's Kingdom.

Perhaps the Gospel is not asking us, "What have I sacrificed for God?" Instead, it asks, "Have I found the treasure that gives everything else its true value?" Once we have found Christ, what once looked like sacrifice begins to look like joy. Amen. Fr JM Manzano SJ