Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

MATTHEW 13:44-52
ONE OF MY PATIENTS IS A YOUNG WOMAN WITH A PARTICULARLY VICIOUS CASE OF DIABETES. THE DISEASE HAS MADE HER NEARLY BLIND; SHE HAS LOST MOST OF THE SENSATION IN HER FEET, REPLACED BY A CONSTANT PAINFUL BURNING; SHE HAS GASTROPARESIS, WHICH IS A FANCY WORD FOR A STOMACH THAT DOESN'T CONTRACT PROPERLY ANYMORE, SO SHE HAS TO BE FED BY VEIN, AND WHEN SHE DOES TRY TO EAT, EVENTUALLY THE STOMACH FILLS UP AND SHE HAS MASSIVE VOMITING. AND THE DISEASE DESTROYED HER KIDNEYS.
AT THE AGE OF 33 SHE HAD NOTHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO BUT GRADUALLY LOSING MORE AND MORE FUNCTION, AND AN EARLY DEATH.
IT WAS AT THAT POINT THAT HER HUSBAND VOLUNTEERED TO DONATE ONE OF HIS OWN KIDNEYS. I MIGHT POINT OUT THAT THEIR MARRIAGE HAS NOT BEEN WONDERFUL, EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER THIS EVENT. HE COPES WITH THE CONSTANT PRESSURE OF A SICK WIFE AND HUGE FINANCIAL BURDENS WITH ALCOHOL; BUT SO FAR HE'S ALWAYS COME BACK TO SOBRIETY FOR A WHILE, UNTIL THE PRESSURE BUILDS UP AGAIN.
BUT HE GAVE HER A KIDNEY. HE HELD BACK DEATH FOR HER FOR A LITTLE LONGER, IN THE HOPES THAT MEDICAL SCIENCE MIGHT COME UP WITH SOMETHING NEW; BUT MORE, BECAUSE DESPITE THEIR LIFE TOGETHER BEING SUCH A CHALLENGE, HE DOESN'T WANT TO LOSE HER.
LOVE IS OFTEN VERY STRANGE. THE CHOICES WE MAKE ARE ALWAYS RELATED TO WHAT WE LOVE. EVERY TIME YOU AND I MAKE A CHOICE, WE ALSO CHOOSE TO FORGO WHAT WE MIGHT HAVE CHOSEN. THIS ISN'T A BIG DEAL WHEN YOU ARE CHOOSING BETWEEN PEAS AND CARROTS, OR EVEN A FORD OR CHEVROLET. BUT THE GREATER THE GOOD THAT WE CHOOSE, THE GREATER THE GOOD THAT WE GIVE UP. PSYCHOLOGISTS HAVE A NAME FOR THE FEELING OF LOSS THAT OCCURS ONCE WE'VE TAKEN POSSESSION OF WHAT WE HAVE CHOSEN – BUYER'S REMORSE. IT'S NOTHING BUT THE FEELING THAT WE'VE IRREVOCABLY LOST SOMETHING GOOD – WHICH WE HAVE.
HUMAN BEINGS ARE DESIGNED TO WANT EVERYTHING, TO POSSESS EVERYTHING, TO HAVE NO LIMITATIONS. LOOK AT ANY CHILD AT PLAY; THEY ARE SUPERHEROES AND PRINCESSES AND MOVIE STARS AND ATHLETES, SOMETIMES ALL ON THE SAME DAY. TAKE A CHILD TO A TOY STORE AND ASK HER TO PICK OUT ONE TOY; AND PREPARE TO SPEND THE AFTERNOON WAITING, OR INTERRUPT HER IN HER DELIBERATIONS, BECAUSE WE ARE DESIGNED TO WANT EVERYTHING.
AND WE ARE DESIGNED TO LOVE EVERYONE. CHILDREN SHOW US THIS AS WELL; THEY HAVE NO FEAR OF APPROACHING STRANGERS, THEY MAKE FRIENDS VERY QUICKLY, AND THEY ARE VERY LIBERAL WITH HUGS AND KISSES. AND GREAT SAINTS LEARN THIS FACT OVER AGAIN; SAINT FRANCIS EMBRACES THE LEPER; MOTHER THERESA COMFORTS THE DYING UNTOUCHABLES ON THE STREETS OF CALCUTTA.
SO WE GO THROUGH LIFE CHOOSING THIS ACTION WHICH WE THINK WE LOVE SLIGHTLY MORE THAN THE ACTION WE COULD HAVE CHOSEN; WE CHOOSE THIS PROFESSION INSTEAD OF THE ONE WE ALSO LIKED, BUT NOT QUITE AS MUCH. WE CHOOSE THIS PERSON TO SPEND OUR LIVES WITH INSTEAD OF THAT PERSON: EVEN IF WE CAN'T EVEN CONSIDER LOVING ANYONE ELSE, WHEN WE ENTER INTO THAT RELATIONSHIP THERE WILL BE LOSS, THERE WILL BE BUYER'S REMORSE, BECAUSE ALL OUR OTHER RELATIONSHIPS WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY WILL BE COMPLETELY CHANGED. EACH TIME WE MAKE A CHOICE, A REAL CHOICE, WE GIVE SOMETHING UP; AND WHEN THE CHOICE IS MOMENTOUS, WE GIVE UP SOMETHING MOMENTOUS. THAT'S LIFE, THAT'S REALITY.
IF YOU'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THE GOSPELS THESE PAST FEW SUNDAYS, JESUS HAS BEEN EXPLAINING TO HIS DISCIPLES THE MEANING OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. IF YOU HAVE A KINGDOM, IT IS A PLACE WHERE WHAT YOU WANT IS TRANSLATED INTO REALITY. THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ISN'T A PLACE, BUT IT IS WHERE GOD'S WILL IS BEING REALIZED. IT IS WHERE THE BLIND SEE, THE LAME WALK, AND THE POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. IT IS WHERE THE HUNGRY ARE FED, THE NAKED ARE CLOTHED, THOSE WHO MOURN ARE COMFORTED. IT IS WHERE THE PEOPLE WHO BEAR THE NAME OF CHRIST DO THE DEEDS OF CHRIST. SURPRISING THINGS ABOUT THE KINGDOM ARE THAT IT IS EASY TO MISS, LIKE A MUSTARD SEED; IT CAN'T BE FOUND IN PURE FORM; IT IS ALWAYS GROWING IN THE MIDST OF EVIL, LIKE WHEAT AND WEEDS, LIKE GOOD FISH AND BAD FISH; AND THE POTENTIAL FOR THE KINGDOM IS EVERYWHERE, BUT ONLY TAKES ROOT IN DECENT SOIL.
AND TODAY JESUS COMPARES IT TO A TREASURE HIDDEN IN A FIELD. THE MAN WHO HAS DISCOVERED THIS LONGS TO POSSESS THE TREASURE, WANTS IT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE HE HAS – BECAUSE HE GOES AND SELLS ALL HE HAS SO THAT HE CAN PURCHASE THE FIELD, AND TAKE POSSESSION OF THE TREASURE. I THINK IT'S INTERESTING THAT IT TOOK EVERYTHING THE MAN HAD TO GET THE FIELD; IN PAYING FOR THE FIELD, HE DIDN'T PAY FOR THE TREASURE; IT WAS FREE.
AND SO TO SUM UP: OUR LIVES ARE FULL OF CHOICES, GREAT AND SMALL. THE HARDEST CHOICES ARE BETWEEN THINGS WHICH WE LOVE;. CHOICES LEAVE US WITH SOME DEGREE OF REGRET BECAUSE WE ARE DESIGNED TO POSSESS EVERYTHING, TO BE EVERYTHING, TO KNOW EVERYTHING; FOR SOMETHING IN US RECOGNIZES THAT WE HAVE INFINITE POTENTIAL, AND EVERY CHOICE IS CUTTING OFF A PATH THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN. SAINT AUGUSTINE OBSERVES THAT OUR HEARTS ARE RESTLESS UNTIL THEY REST IN GOD.
JESUS SAID THAT IF WE SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, ALL ELSE WILL BE GIVEN TO US. JESUS TOLD US THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AMONG US, WITHIN US, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, INSOFAR AS WE DEVOTE OURSELVES TO DOING WHAT HE DID; IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE PERSON NEXT DOOR OR THE PEOPLE AT WORK OR EVEN THE SPOUSE OF ONE'S HEART CHOOSES NOT TO SEEK THE KINGDOM OF GOD; WEEDS GROW WITH WHEAT, BAD FISH ARE CAUGHT WITH GOOD FISH. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A SAINT TO BEGIN TO POSSESS IT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY THE REAL PRICE FOR THE KINGDOM; JESUS ALREADY DID THAT.
MY PATIENT'S HUSBAND MADE A CHOICE WHICH WAS MORE THAN GIVING UP A KIDNEY; IT WAS THE CHOICE TO CONTINUE IN A VERY STRESSFUL LIFE SITUATION, WITH WHICH EVEN NOW HE STILL HAS TROUBLE COPING; BUT HE WEIGHED THE CHOICES AND GAVE HIS WIFE A BETTER AND LONGER LIFE, IN RETURN FOR? ONLY TIME WILL TELL, BUT ACTING OUT OF LOVE, HE TRUSTS THAT LOVE WILL KEEP ITS PROMISE.
AND YOU AND I ARE CONFRONTED EVERY DAY WITH AN EVEN GREATER CHOICE – TO CHOOSE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN OVER EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IS GOOD, THAT IS LOVED, THAT IS SATISFYING – BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY CHOICE FOR WHICH THERE WILL BE NO REGRET; THE ONLY CHOICE WHICH ENCOMPASSES ALL POSSIBILITIES, THE ONLY CHOICE WHICH SATISFIES OUR VERY NATURE, FOR IN CHOOSING THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, WE CHOOSE EVERYTHING.
ARE YOU READY TO SELL ALL YOU HAVE TO POSSESS THE KINGDOM? WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE AS WELL.