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| Parables about Treasure and Pearl of Great Price |
King Solomon was clever with affairs of state and built a splendid temple in Jerusalem. Tradition ascribes 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs to him. God appears in a dream to Solomon, saying: ask me for something and I will give it to you. Solomon wants the wisdom to know the right thing to do.
Paul in his letter to the Christian community in Rome writes: “All things work for the good for those who love God.” In light of daily news, we might surmise all things are not working for the good. But Paul, the faith-filled disciple of Jesus, urges us to fix our eyes on eternal life in relationship with God, who ultimately will transform us. Start that life now!
In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus continues the theme of choices. In his first parable, a farmer plowing someone else's field hits a clump that turns out to be a buried treasure. He sells everything he has to buy the field so that he can claim the treasure as his own. In the second parable, a merchant finds a pearl so magnificent that he sells all he has accumulated in life to buy that one pearl.
Jesus says to us in these parables: seize the moment. Make the right decision. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
So much for right decisions. What about the decision maker? Right decisions presuppose men and women with character or integrity. Character defines who we are at the core of our inmost self. It's an ethical reality. Centuries ago, the Hebrew psalmist spoke of King David as a great (though not perfect) leader who guided his people with integrity of heart and skillful hands.
Leadership also requires courage. Whether it's starting a new business, battling a life-threatening disease, getting married, struggling to overcome an addiction, or engaging in community service, life demands courage to move beyond our fears and self-doubts to achieve something worthwhile.
The most common phrase in the New Testament is “Do not be afraid.” The most common phrase in the Old Testament is “Be not afraid.” The phrase appears more than a thousand times in both testaments, so God may be trying to get that message across to us.
Finally, leaders have a “can do” attitude. They're optimists; they get the facts; they're enthusiastic and self-confident, and their confidence instills confidence in others.
At different times in life, all of us are called to be leaders: as professionals, business people, parents, citizens in a community and volunteers in an organization. Seek always the right thing to do — not what is fashionable, not what is merely acceptable. And having found what's right, just do it.
