WISDOM, THE HIDDEN TREASURE.
July 26 2020:
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - C.
An Ashanti proverb says, “a man without wisdom is like a
stumbling wall, hardly resisting temptation.” And an Akan proverb adds, “If
wisdom was measured by the size of the beard then the goat would be a
philosopher-king.”
There is a common dictum that goes, “For nobly born souls,
valor doesn't await the passing of years.” That is to say, the wisdom of someone
is not judged by the color of his hair neither to the number of his years.
Wisdom is evaluated with the values one incarnates. Three elements could help
to appreciate how wise one is: what he says, how he lives, and the impact of
his life on others. When there is a disconnection between what one says and his
life, that is basic proof that that person is not inhabited by the Spirit of
wisdom. Worst, he who does not care about the impact of his life, actions and
words on others cannot be called wise.
Wisdom, in that sense, stands as the greatest treasure every
human being should pursue and strive to possess. For, he who has wisdom has all
the riches of this world while one could well possess all the material goods
and treasures if he lacks wisdom, he is merely stupid.
Today’s liturgy, seventeenth Sunday’s in the ordinary time
of the year A is a call to renounce to all things material and get the most
valuable. We are challenged to have the courage to sell off everything we
possess for one thing: wisdom. The example is well given in the first reading
and the Gospel.
King Solomon was a newly anointed king in the replacement of
his father, the great King David. To come after such a great king is a
challenge for his successor to keep high the standard. Besides, Solomon was
very young. He came into possession of a kingdom organized and prosperous. His
part was to increase its efficiency and glory and wealth; but to succeed in
this mission, he needed special gifts. When in a night vision at Gibeon where
he went to sacrifice to the Lord, God offered him the possibility of asking for
anything he wanted, Solomon did not ask for material possession, treasure or
long life. Nor did he ask for the life of his enemies. Instead, one thing was
the request of the king: “Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to
govern this vast people of yours?” And we read in the following verses that his
request pleased the Lord.
Wisdom is what the Lord is well pleased to give to man.
Everything, material possession included, belongs to God. What he wants us to
request from him are not the material goods, but rather the spiritual ones,
that which are needed. The greatest treasures in man’s life are not his
possessions, but his inner dispositions and values. When one asks values and
virtues from God, in his fatherly love, he also gives all other things for a
decent earthly life.
Many people, unfortunately, have limited their life today to
material possession, power, and pleasure. All that they seem to hold dear in
their life is related to their flesh and its needs. Accumulation is their
favorite hobby: a new house, new cars, new clothes, gold, silver, diamond… But,
can those things assure our life?
The Lord Jesus, in the Gospel, through series of through
short parables tells his disciples that they should search for the real
treasure, what has greater value, and for it, sell off all the little treasures
of this world. The greatest treasure in man’s life, the Lord says, must be the
Kingdom of God. He says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a
field…”, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls…”,
and lastly, “the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea…” For such
a treasure as God’s kingdom, we should resolve ourselves to change our whole
life, give up anything material we possess, and search for it.
Compare to the love of God and his kingdom, we must not hold
any other things as dearer. St. Paul can tell us in the second reading that if
we set the love of God as a priority in our lives, God himself will make all
other things work at our advantage. He says, “We know that all things work for
good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” If we
chose to make of God our unique treasure, he in return will not let us lack any
of the material and corporal things we need. The example of Solomon can teach
us. Though he asked only for the spirit of understanding, God gave him,
together with wisdom, all the material treasure. And history says that Solomon
was one of the richest kings the world has ever known.
God knows your needs. He only wants you to know his needs and set them before yours. That is called to be wise. If you invest in God’s needs, God will also invest in your needs. If you invest in wisdom, God will invest in your material possessions. Life is an investment. You earn based on what you value. And let us close with this Greek proverb that says, “A drop of wisdom is better than a sea of gold.”
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