What Are You Hearing?

Sunday Readings for July 24 2011                                      

 17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

          How much is your faith in Christ worth to you?  This Sunday’s Gospel continues to look at the Kingdom of God and why God reaches out to us in a ‘behind the scenes’ manner.  Jesus uses three analogies with His disciples to describe the Kingdom of Heaven: A hidden treasure, fine pearls and a fishing net.  We take from the first two parables the fact that the Kingdom of Heaven is not something we can see with our naked eye, nor is it a reality that hits us over the head.  

The Kingdom of Heaven can only be seen when we look deeply for it, when we take the time to search for it.  Once we know what we are looking for, and that it is indeed hidden from us, we realize that the Kingdom of Heaven is worth selling everything for because it is worth more than anything else we have.  Many people struggle with God’s hiding, and would rather that He just show Himself clearly to us.  God, however, is motivated by pure love, and wants us to have the same purity of love that He has.  What kind of love would spouses have for each other if they were not willing to love each other even when they did not feel like it?  

So in the same way, we are called to love God completely, even when we do not see or feel Him.  In the next parable, Jesus makes the point that the Kingdom of Heaven will try to gather everyone together, but some will not be worthy of the Kingdom and will be thrown away.  Jesus uses the language of the Kingdom to point to a simple concept, that Jesus Himself is the Kingdom of Heaven.  Lest we think that the Kingdom is something we can’t reach, or that it is a this-worldly reality, the Kingdom of God centers around a person, Jesus Christ.  

Being a Christian is not about scoring high on a test, or having the most talents, or being the most popular: Being a Christian is about loving Jesus.  Our lives, as His disciples, are about making Him the Number One priority of our lives, despite what the world is saying.  Few people realize the importance of total obedience to Jesus.  Many followers of Jesus say that they belong to Him, but are not willing to abandon everything to Him.  

Many today want to dismiss Christianity as either outdated or full of hypocrites, and go to great lengths to get themselves off the hook from following Jesus.  Our Faith is about loving a Person, Jesus, and when we take our eyes off of Him in any way, we get on the wrong path.  May we have the ability, through the strength of the Gospel, to keep our eyes 100% focused on Jesus, despite the spiritual storms that surround us.  If we do so, then we will have the joy of an everlasting treasure kept for us in heaven to last us for an eternity. Summary of the Gospel by YM Central

Reading 1           1 Kings 3:5, 7-12

5 The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” 7 Solomon answered: “O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act. 8 I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. 9 Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?” 10 The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request. 11 So God said to him: “Because you have asked for this— not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right— 12 I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you.”

Questions for Discussion:

1.   Why do you think the Lord told Solomon to ask for whatever he wanted?

2.   Why do you think Solomon ask God for Wisdom?

3.   By giving Solomon more than he asked for, what was God saying?

4.   What was the toughest decision you’ve had to make lately? Do you feel now that your decision was wise?

5.   If you could have one prayer request answered today, what would it be?

Reading II           Romans 8:28-30

28Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.

Questions for Discussion:

1.   What confidence does verse 28 give you about events that occur in your life?

2.   In verses 29-30, what five verbs describe what God has already done for you?

3.   Do you tend to see the glass half empty or half full?

Gospel according to St. Matthew            Matthew 13:44-52

44 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. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 46 When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. 47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. 48 When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. 49 Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. 51 “Do you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes.” And he replied, 52 “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.”

Questions for Discussion:

1.   What did Jesus mean when He said, “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”? Who are the scribes? What is ‘both the new and the old’?

2.   How would you respond to someone who said that God is bad because He throws the wicked ‘into the fiery furnace’? What would we be saying about God if He gave bad people a good reward?

3.   What do people today have a hard time giving up in order to allow Christ to work in their lives? Describe Be honest: Would you sell everything you have just to have the Kingdom of God?  Why/Why not?

4.   What relation does our faith have to Jesus’ ability to be at work in our lives?  Why does He look for faith?