Jesus said to his disciples:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,
which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore
and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age.
The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
“Do you understand all these things?”
They answered,
“Yes.” And he replied,
“Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven
is like the head of a household
who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”

Do you understand all these things” They answered, Yes. And he replied, Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.

When people comment on this passage they often focus on the first 2 analogies of the Kingdom of Heaven, the treasure and the pearl. But there are 3 analogies in this passage, and I contend that they all in various ways explain how people come to know the Lord. It is not always the same way or sequence of events that bring us to God. Some us are out there searching for an answer to the questions of who we are and how we are created. We dont know exactly what we are looking for, and that is like the man digging for treasure. Some of us know that we are looking for God, but don’t what His name is. We bounce from one faith to another, searching for the true faith, and when we find christ, it is like the pearl of great price.

The third example is the most desperate though. Those that don’t know God, and don’t search for Him, and live their whole lives without ever finding Him. They will find at that time, either on their death or at the final judgement…, Jesus will cast a net and draw all souls to Him. Their lives will then be judged and will be assessed by how much they followed the teachings of Christ and His Catholic Church. Those saints that are caught up in His net will be brought into His kingdom, and the sinners that lived lives of rejection of Jesus will be thrown into hell. But for these souls, they will be left completely to the mercy of Jesus and the perfection of His judgement, and will not be able to do anything to change their outcome.

Jesus ends the parable asking “Do you understand all these things?” And they answered Yes. Jesus then gives the enigmatic response… “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” The scribes are His apostles and the instruction is Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom, and the old and the new are the two testaments of the bible. Jesus is very clearly instructing His apostles to teach His Gospel in light of the old testament, and to study the old testament in how it prefigures and prophesies what Jesus said in His teachings. And He is telling all of us that we must search for the truth wherever we can find it, whether it be in the teachings of the great church fathers, or even modern day scholars. But to search so that we understand the truth, because only those that understand the truth and where it all comes from, can educate the rest of us about Jesus and who He truly is.

If I can make a plea to you, this day! I suggest that you do not leave your life to this last moment. Do not gamble your eternity with the hope that you will be saved or by the hollow consolation that “you are good person.” Seek God today, and start a relationship with Him. Get to know Him now so that when the time comes to be judged, at the end of time, you will know your fate. You do not want to be in the firery furnace of hell, so do what you have to today to assure your place in heaven. Get baptised, if you are not already. Become a catholic, if you are not already. Get to know your Lord, and never stop learning. Stay close to him, through the sacraments of confession and the eucharist.

But most importantly, like the examples above, when you find the Lord, you must give all, to posses Him. And when you do you must then devote your life to showing others the way to the lord as well. If you do these things, then your reward is that you can be assured of your place in heaven and the eternity of joy with the Lord in Heaven forever. And that reward is worth more than anything this world can offer.

oh lord, help me to be like that head of house hold that pull from the old and the new. Seeking and studying you, so that I can come to better know you, show others the way as well,  and ultimately be with you for eternity in heaven.