The WORD in other words (2010) by Fr. Chito Lorenzo, SVD – Japan
Wednesday 17th Week in Ordinary Time
Ningen Kokuho. This is the Japanese term which means “Living Human Treasure” or “Living National Treasure”. The government created this title to designate certain individuals who are masters in their craft (such as pottery or sword making). They are treasures because they represent something of importance to the Japanese culture.
The term treasure itself implies something of great value. Some treasures are evident in themselves. The moment we see it, we immediately realize we are in the presence of something great. Other treasures are not so easily discerned. Someone has to explain to us, for example, why some paintings are works of art.
It took Jesus becoming man to make us realize that God truly loves us and that we are part of His Kingdom. Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to a buried treasure. We are all familiar with buried treasures. At times that is what the kingdom of heaven is like for us. We find it and realizing its value we acquire it for ourselves. The person who found the treasure on the field must have been tilling the soil for planting. He found the treasure doing his usual work. The merchant, on the other hand, was searching on purpose. He already knew beforehand what he was looking for. He knew pearls to be of value and he was looking for the best pearl he could find.
We have two persons in this reading: someone who accidentally discovers a treasure and someone who was actively searching for one. However different the circumstances in finding something of great value, the response was the same. Both sold all they had in order to acquire what they found.
This is the challenge for us. Whatever the circumstances were that led us to our faith, the important thing now is to really understand that we have something of great value, a treasure that is worth everything we own. The more we realize the importance of God in our lives, the more we are willing to surrender our lives to God and work for the kingdom of heaven. How much of your life are you willing to commit to this journey of faith?
And perhaps it is also good to remember that God considers us His treasures. God the Father was willing to give us His only Son. Jesus Christ was willing to give up His life for us. The Holy Spirit is willing to dwell in us. That which is divine dwelling in a human being. This is the reason that we are able to know and love God. It is because He loved us first. And that is indeed a treasure we should all cherish.
