Lesson from Fr. Paulus | Friendship with Christ Is More Valuable Than Anything Else

Today Jesus is showing us not only what his Kingdom is like in itself, but what it means for us personally. He gives us a snapshot of two men whose lives are suddenly lifted to an entirely different level.

A farmer is plowing a field that is not his own. He is a hired laborer, a farmhand, someone who has to spend his days worrying about making ends meet. As he plows, he uncovers a buried treasure.

Suddenly, he is set free from the chains of poverty and uncertainty; now he can live life to the full.

A businessman spends his career working long hours, travelling, suffering, looking all the while for the deal that will liberate him from 80-hour work weeks and give him security. Finally, he finds the pearl of great price.

He too can now enjoy the peace of stable prosperity, free from the rat race and the worry of living hand-to-mouth.

This is what happens to us when we enter fully into Christ's Kingdom.

When we decide to follow Jesus, to obey his teachings and make his friendship our highest priority, we put ourselves under his protection and his guidance, becoming full citizens of his Kingdom.

And as soon as we do that, suddenly our lives take on a whole new purpose. Suddenly our relationships, actions, and decisions take on transcendent meaning; they are connected to eternal life.

Suddenly, we are free from the frustration and meaninglessness that comes from living only for the passing, superficial pleasures and successes of this life, because we have found something infinitely more valuable: a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, King and Lord of heaven and earth.

That relationship is our treasure and pearl; it alone can give us the joy and satisfaction we yearn for in the depths of our hearts.