In this gospel, Jesus cautions his listeners that the status quo will not always be around. The world as they knew it would come to an end. The majestic temple that stands before them will someday be a pile of rubble. The residents of New Orleans learned that lesson the hard way when Hurricane Katrina left a trail of destruction in its wake. Whatever they owned wasn’t spared from the devastating floods. The same could be said for some folks in Southern California recently when fires swept through without warning.
It is easy for us to be possessive. After all, isn’t that the American dream to own the latest and the best? And if what we own isn’t good enough, Madison Avenue cajoles us into buying even better and fancier products, leaving a fair number of us deeper in debt and feeling less secure.
Once again, Jesus is trying to get us to reexamine our priorities in life. He knows that we can be rather slow learners so he uses the graphic example of the end times to get his point across. Perhaps five year old Jenny can help us reconsider what really matters in life. Shopping with her mother one day, little Jenny sees a necklace of costume pearls. She begs her mother for $5 so she can buy it. Her mother tells her that if she really wants it, she would have to do some extra chores around the house to earn the money.
As soon as they get home, Jenny empties her piggy bank and finds that she has a dollar and a few pennies. Over the next few days, she does more than her fair share of chores; she runs errands for her grandmother and also helps her neighbor pull some weeds in his yard. Soon she has the $5 she needs and the pearls are hers.
And how she loves them! Even though they are inexpensive costume jewelry, they make her feel so dressed up. Jenny wears them each Sunday to church and on special occasions. She takes very good care of her necklace.
One evening as he was tucking her into bed, her father asks if she loves him. “Of course, Daddy, you know that I love you.” He then asks, “Then, can I have your pearls?”
Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have my new beanie baby, the one I got for my birthday from Aunt Jane. She’s my favorite.” “That’s ok, honey. I love you, good night.”
A few nights later, after reading her a story, Jenny’s father again asks her, “Sweetheart, do you love me?” “Daddy, you know that I love you.” “Then, give me your pearls.”
“Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! You can have Princess, my favorite doll. She’s the most beautiful doll I have.” “That’s ok. Sleep well, little one,” he said as he kissed her good night.
The next evening, just before bedtime, Jenny comes into her father’s study. With trembling lips and teary eyes, she said, “Here, Daddy, I want you to have them because I love you,” handing him her artificial pearl necklace.
With tears welling up in his own eyes, Daddy takes the necklace. Then he reaches into his desk drawer and takes out a small velvet case. Inside the case is a small delicate necklace. He fastens it around his surprised daughter’s neck. On the gold chain is a real pearl. Daddy had the necklace all the time, patiently waiting for Jenny to give up her cheap necklace so that he could then give her a genuine treasure.
Like Jenny’s father, God endeavors to give us treasures that are far more priceless than our worldly possessions could ever be. Repeatedly both Jesus and Paul urge us to seek gifts that are much more precious and lasting than the world can ever offer; treasures like compassion, reconciliation, justice and peace of mind. But if we want to possess these treasures, we must first deal with our self-centeredness, the source of so much unrest in our lives. God’s treasures are ours for the asking if we would be wise and generous enough to let go of the lesser things in life that we keep clinging to instead. No wonder, Archbishop Murphy often posed the question, “What do I own and what owns me?”
That is why I think of stewardship as being so vital for us. When we become willing to surrender something, God then has the chance to give us treasures that really matter, treasures that will survive any hurricane, earthquake, or blizzard that could disrupt our lives. When I hear people expressing reluctance to make a pledge, because of the circumstances in their lives, I wonder if they truly believe in that line engraved on our coins, “In God we trust.” Do we?
The love of Jesus Christ cannot be fully realized so long as we cling to worldly goods and earthly priorities. Too often they impede us from putting time aside for prayer and worship, which are our best avenues for getting to know God, the source of the wisdom we need for living life fully. Jesus says, “Don’t be terrified,” yet how often do we panic because we haven’t made the time and space to be truly present to God, thus build up our trust that God cares?
Jesus cautioned his listeners to ignore those who predicted the end of time. Why? Because he has special things in store for his followers before that moment arrives. Sooner or later, our lives will be lost, but the bottom line is this: our life in Christ, that alone, is safe for all time. And ultimately, isn’t that what matters most to us?