The Wisdom to Find the True Treasure
Readings: 1 Kings 3:5, 7–12; Psalm 119:57, 72, 76–77, 127–128, 129–130; Romans 8:28–30; Matthew 13:44–52
Brothers and sisters,
If God appeared to us in a dream tonight and said, “Ask me for anything, and I will give it to you,” what would we ask for?
Health? Money? Success? Would we ask Him to make all our problems disappear?
Solomon could have asked for anything. But he did not ask for riches, a long life, or victory over his enemies. Instead, he humbly admitted, “I do not know what to do.” And then he asked for something extraordinary:
“Lord, give me an understanding heart, so that I may know the difference between good and evil.”
Today, the Word of God gives us three important lessons.
The first lesson is this: it is not enough to have many things. We need to know which things truly matter.
We can have opportunities, talents, money, plans, and great dreams. But without wisdom, we may spend our lives chasing things that shine brightly but are worth very little.
In the Bible, wisdom does not simply mean knowing many things. Wisdom means learning to see life through the eyes of God. It means having a heart that can recognize what is good, choose it, and remain faithful to it.
How much we need that wisdom! We need it when we choose our friends, make plans for the future, raise our children, and make important decisions. We need wisdom to know the difference between what makes us happy for a moment and what can truly fill our hearts.
The second lesson is this: Christ is the treasure that gives value to everything else.
Jesus tells us about a man who finds a treasure hidden in a field. He sells everything he has to buy that field. But there is one very important detail: he does not do it with sadness! The Gospel says that he does it with joy.
When someone finds a true treasure, they do not spend their time thinking sadly about what they left behind. They are excited about what they have just found.
That is what it means to find Christ!
Finding Christ does not mean losing our freedom, giving up our dreams, or no longer enjoying life. It is exactly the opposite! It means discovering why we are alive, who we truly are, and where we are going.
When Christ is at the center, our dreams do not disappear; they find direction. Our wounds do not have the final word. Our talents receive a mission. And the things we give up no longer feel like losses, because we have found something much greater.
Some people live their Christian faith with sadness and tiredness. They act as if following Jesus were only a list of rules and duties. But when we truly discover Christ, we understand that the Gospel is not a heavy burden. It is Good News!
Faith is the joy of finding the true treasure!
And the third lesson is this: God can make everything work for our good.
Saint Paul does not say that everything that happens is good. Sickness is not good. Injustice is not good. Sin is not good. What he says is something much more comforting: when we love God and place our lives in His hands, He can take even the things that have hurt us and use them to lead us toward salvation.
God does not waste our tears. He does not abandon our unfinished stories. His plan is to form the image of His Son within us. Even during the moments we do not understand, God is still working.
So today, let us ask ourselves:
Where is my treasure?
Where am I placing my heart?
Have I found what truly matters?
Let us ask the Lord for the wisdom of Solomon: the wisdom to recognize the true treasure, the courage to choose it, and the joy to follow Him.
Because whoever finds Christ does not lose their life.
Whoever finds Christ finally finds the life, the joy, and the meaning they have always been searching for.
Amen.