For some, shopping is a competitive sport. Their heart beats for a good bargain. They search stores with a practiced eye, quickly selecting standout pieces. Their Christmas gift lists are a work of art.
There is no greater Guatemalan shopping ground than Chichicastenango Market. Just a few hours north of Guatemala City, this market is a vibrant cultural landmark. Hundreds of vendors sell delicious fruit, fresh flowers, handmade huipils, live animals, and clay pottery. Tourists and locals shop the stalls, seeking unique treasures. The bargaining is fierce and the joy contagious.
In the book of Matthew, Jesus shares a parable of two people finding a treasure of their own:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.”
-Matthew 13:44-46
Both men recognized a treasure when they found it. They eagerly sold their old possessions to claim their new prize. These riches would be life-changing. The fortune before them was far greater than anything they might leave behind.
When Faith In Practice offers Guatemalans medical treatment, they gladly accept. The journey to Obras or HHG is not easy, but patients will travel hours by chicken bus for the promise of better eyesight, a replaced knee, or a repaired back. The inconvenience of travel and the pain of recovering from surgery are a small price to pay for healing. Jesus offers entrance to his kingdom. It is a miraculous invitation, a pearl beyond price, a treasure beyond our wildest imaginations. In God’s kingdom, we will be treated as beloved children. We will live in eternity with him.
What do we give up to claim our prize? Jesus does not ask us to sell our earthly possessions, not all people are called to be Frailes. Instead, we must leave behind old ways of life. We can discard our possessions of self-reliance, self-righteousness, and self-indulgence and claim grace, freedom, and mercy.
The kingdom of heaven is a priceless pearl, a vast treasure, waiting to be discovered
