Chapter 13 of Matthew is an itinerary made of various parables that teach us that Jesus felt important that we learn. We will let some quick reference.
Meanwhile: The evangelist speaks of the "Kingdom of Heaven . This is not the kingdom to come, but the kingdom is already among us (see Luke 17:21).
Matthew uses this expression for writing his Gospel to Jews who came from the Old Testament faith, wants to be discreet: a jew never names God, so sensitivity to use the expression "Kingdom of Heaven."
is important to remember that we do not speak of a reality that must be placed in another context (in heaven) or in another time. Talk about this .
Look at the verbs of the two parables are all at present.
That this is important: the risk of some people is to spend half my life dreaming about the future, to run after a hit and miss, or girl of his life ... and then the other half of his life regretting the past (because the prince has not arrived).
Tonight we are invited to learn to stand on this, to dwell on this: it is the only time of life, so the only time of salvation!
God is in the present, and his proposal is now, word comes now.
It's in my mind that I put forth my past in a new future.
This allows us to get to the central issue. Here's the big question: how do I open my the Kingdom of God in my present ?
accepting his word , this provides us with concrete now.
know that God spoke to us, as he did with Maria: she sends an angel, that is an advertisement, a word, but we also continually a word which the Lord addresses .
The question is, we're pretty cute to receive this message?
see that it is precisely the theme of Sunday lived in our Advent wake up, so you can prepare a road . For us it is: listen so you can receive the kingdom which is already in your midst .
Also on word is good stop for a moment: in fact the word I in-form, that gives me form! You become the word that plays He who says the word he says himself, offers himself, and whoever receives the word welcomes those who spoke.
God with his word is proposed himself to us, to be accepted by us, and those who welcome him become this word, it becomes a child of God .
So we feel, we live, we reason according to the word that we put into it.
If you do not know how to do it, you do not know what to choose, do not know how to live ... listen (Deuteronomy 6:4)!
(There's a nice story about 'listening to Moses, the rabbis, teachers say that God dictated the entire Pentateuch to Moses, but others say no more spiritual, he says only 10 words - the Ten Commandments - and then the rest has got to be alone, others say no more spiritual, he says only, "I am the Lord thy God, he understood the rest alone. Others who say they are not essential: God has only said "I ...", the rest felt alone.
When you love enough very few words to say everything.)
If God speaks to say that I am his equal, his company, his interlocutor.
This is possible because I carry myself in his life.
Now: This and listening.
Matthew in Chapter 13 showed how the kingdom of heaven (God) is present in the difficulties of our time, our life has.
note: we would say that the Kingdom would be present if there were more difficulties instead to read this chapter (which I invite you to go and see, when you can) we learn that evil does not disappear the Kingdom, but it does mature .
Evil does not win, but becomes the object of mercy (for example in the parable of the weeds, do you remember?): The Kingdom is present even where there is evil if there is mercy.
Without this discussion of the parables this morning are a step forward.
" If that is what is mercy, what remains to be done?
Nothing, so we think that God has mercy ", which is why today we are invited to decision and responsibility .
The great man's dream is to find a treasure that would give meaning to life.
There is a search / encounter / find that tells us how we are made of our lives.
Whether you are looking for (the merchant), and those who work and you come across (the farmer) is called to a decision. And this decision is motivated by the joy .
If you understand the discourse of mercy, you've come to treasure and the pearl.
then have to decide is to invest all that treasure, everything about this gem.
The first parable is about the dream of every man, to find the treasure, and each has a dream of happiness, man is made to be happy. But nowhere is not answered.
In the Bible the treasure, happiness coincides with the Sapienza. For the wisdom shows you how to live, what to do, how to live in happiness: they are able to see difficulties in the seed that grows , and know how to use in misery and difficulties mercy.
This is the great treasure, the wisdom of God, the absolute love that conquers all evil. It is the wisdom of life (is what Jesus lived: the first to go to greet him were the shepherds - who were not nice people, polite and clean that we put in our cribs ... they could not go to the temple to pray that impure They had a concept of property is large enough, and for their benefit ... - The last she spoke of the Kingdom is the thief on the cross at his side - probably a murderess, or one who had attempted a coup ... -).
This is the wisdom of life to achieve happiness is: where there is misery bring mercy, In this way, as Jesus is the light of the world, as he is.
This treasure is hidden in the field, which is not the peasant has to buy it.
In the parable above, in chapter 13, the camp - where God places His word - is the whole world.
means that this treasure is in every man, every man is the field of God, sooner or later one finds his treasure.
The field is the area where I live, study, work ... It is not far from me.
If you have everything, but there is not this the meaning of life .
The parable insists that the field does not become the farmer until he invests everything ! Not enough to discover the treasure, we should invest all the wisdom of mercy and love.
should be full of joy ! The engine is the joy of a good decision (not just pleasure - indeed, the pursuit of pleasure for pleasure can be very dangerous and lead to anything but a full life - but the lasting joy ...). The joy is when you find what you love.
All that man is be invested to buy the field : nothing should be thrown out or denied, but in the mercy invested.
The treasure is, is like a spring, but it makes sense only if it draws from it: if you're thirsty, but do not take water from the source, it is unnecessary discovery.
is why we must decide .
Decide allows you to exit from the delirium of omnipotence that everything possible would be good. No: we must decide now, invest it all now to take the field where the treasure is.
We are all farmers, happen to come across a treasure, but we are all connoisseurs in search of the stone, the beautiful.
And we're not satisfied, until we find the beauty for which we are made.
The beauty, the end is that of God .
The two parabolas give the same message, with two emphases:
the first emphasizes the free and the second is not recommended to settle for a half-notch, as a response .
Matthew also attaches to the proposal of God for all. For the pagans who do not seek, but fortunately captain in the treasury, and for the Jews, who seek and find.
Today we could apply it to Christians and non Christians, the message is for everyone.
But both believers and nonbelievers: the invitation is for everyone.
Indeed: the good and the bad (God makes the sun rise on the good and the bad guys? - Vd. 5.45 Mt -): The proposed real life is for everyone.
Both have the ability to have true joy, that for which they are made.
But need, when you come into the treasury, or when you find the pearl that you mean: choose.
Now that we have received the word that we want to do the Children, is for us to meet, decide to live ....
to us the message.
