20240621 THE TREASURE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
21 June 2024, Friday, 11th Week In Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Kings 11:1-4,9-18,20 |
Saved from the massacre, the true king is anointed by the high priest
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah learned that her son was dead, she promptly did away with all those of royal stock. But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, secretly took away Jehoash, her brother’s son, from among the sons of the king who were being murdered, and put him with his nurse in the sleeping quarters; in this way she hid him from Athaliah, and he was not put to death. He stayed with her for six years, hidden in the Temple of the Lord, while Athaliah governed the country.
In the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds of the Carians and of the guards, and had them brought to him in the Temple of the Lord. He made a pact with them and, putting them under oath, showed them the king’s son.
The commanders of hundreds did everything as Jehoiada the priest had ordered. They brought their men, those coming off duty on the sabbath together with those mounting guard on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. The priest equipped the commanders of hundreds with King David’s spears and shields which were in the Temple of the Lord. The guards formed up, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the south corner to the north corner of the Temple, surrounding the altar and the Temple. Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown and armlets on him, and he anointed him king. They clapped their hands and shouted, ‘Long live the king!’
Athaliah, on hearing the shouts of the people made for the Temple of the Lord where the people were. When she saw the king standing there beside the pillar, as the custom was, with the captains and trumpeters at the king’s side, and all the country people rejoicing and sounding trumpets, Athaliah tore her garments and shouted, ‘Treason, treason!’ Then Jehoiada the priest gave the order to the army officers: ‘Take her outside the precincts and put to death anyone who follows her.’ ‘For,’ the priest had reasoned, ‘she must not be put to death in the Temple of the Lord.’ They seized her, and when she had reached the palace through the Entry of the Horses, she was put to death there.
Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and king and people, by which the latter undertook to be the people of the Lord; and also between king and people. All the country people then went to the temple of Baal and demolished it; they smashed his altars and his images and killed Mattan, priest of Baal, in front of the altars.
The priest posted sentries to guard the Temple of the Lord. All the country people were delighted, and the city made no move. And they put Athaliah to death in the royal palace.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 131(132):11-14,17-18 |
The Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling.
The Lord swore an oath to David;
he will not go back on this word:
‘A son, the fruit of your body,
will I set upon your throne.
The Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling.
If they keep my covenant in truth
and my laws that I have taught them,
their sons also shall rule
on your throne from age to age.’
The Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling.
For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his dwelling:
‘This is my resting-place for ever;
here have I chosen to live.
The Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling.
There David’s stock will flower;
I will prepare a lamp for my anointed.
I will cover his enemies with shame
but on him my crown shall shine.’
The Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn8:12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mt5:3 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
How happy are the poor in spirit:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 6:19-23 |
Store up treasure for yourselves in heaven
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
‘The lamp of the body is the eye. It follows that if your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light. But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be all darkness. If then, the light inside you is darkness, what darkness that will be!’
THE TREASURE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 KgS 11:1-4, 9-18, 20; Mt 6:19-23]
What is your treasure in life? This, perhaps, is the most important question everyone must honestly ask ourselves. The reason is clear, for as the Lord says, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart also.” Whatever is our treasure in life, we will give our heart and soul to it. We will invest all that we have, our time, our energy, our resources and our life in it. For most people, their treasure is making more money, becoming rich and wealthy. For others, it is about power to control the lives of others, making decisions so that others fear and serve them like kings and queens. Being successful is important, whether in studies, business or politics, or even in religion, so that we can be honoured and glorified. Of course, for those who have no goals in life, their only treasure is pleasure and fun. They are just interested in having fun, indulging in the pleasures of the world.
This was the case of Queen Athalia. After the death of her son, King Ahaziah, she seized the throne by massacring all her rivals, killing all the descendants of the king. She was obsessed with power and glory. When it comes to the pursuit of earthly kingdoms, ambition knows no restraint. This is why they say that politics is dirty because foes can be friends overnight if they serve each other’s interests, and friends can be foes overnight as well, when there is disagreement. There are no real friends in politics. In the case of Athalia, she did not know that there were forces working against her. Jehosheba, a courageous woman, took away Joash, Ahaziah’s son and a true heir to the kingdom, and hid him in the Temple for six years.
Yet, as the gospel warns us, such pursuits will only bring fleeting victory with no lasting satisfaction. Those who have power become even more insecure than ever because there will be people waiting to eliminate them and take over their position. Powerful people have no freedom to do what they want, go where they want, because they need the security guard to be around them all the time. There is no peace, no real honour or respect. More often than not, people respect us only because of the office and power we hold. Once we lose the office, we are of no more use to them. We will be discarded and treated like everyone else. Like Queen Athalia, her reign was short-lived. She was killed by her adversaries in the end. Evil breeds evil. Killing breeds killing.
Pursuits of pleasure and success also do not last. Pleasures do not last long. Once it is finished, we feel saturated and tired. They come and go. Such entertainment can be tiring too. It can be an escapism from entering deeper into oneself or cultivating good friendships. Even the feeling of being great when successful, does not last. Once we receive the honour and the rewards, life carries on. The feeling of success and achievement is all forgotten. What matters is not what we had done but what we are doing today. We are rewarded not for yesterday’s work but for today’s performance. We can do very well in our studies and get all distinctions, but we will not be paid for our academic achievements but rather how much profits we can bring to the company.
Indeed, like Athalia, we lack understanding. She was blinded by her ambition and bitterness against her perceived enemies. Through treachery, she placed herself on the throne, only to be dethroned later and killed. What was ironical was that upon discovering that Joash was put on the throne and acclaimed by the people, she accused them of treason, not realizing that she was the real traitor and had committed treason to gain the throne. She had abandoned the Lord and His ways and so became blind to her own sins, greed, ambition and revenge. When evil consumes us, we cannot distinguish between right and wrong.
We too are blinded by our short-term needs and are deceived by short-term gains. Our selfishness and greed allow others to deceive us, even as we think that we are deceiving them! We buy into empty promises of success, get rich schemes, easy victory, only to discover that we have been cheated. Indeed, we lack perception because we trust the world too much and are easily impressed by external signs. If we do not know what the real treasure is, we will end up chasing after illusions that can never be realized. Indeed, most of us are short-sighted. We tend to see things superficially. This is why we are vulnerable to modern advertisements and are easily persuaded into buying their products or services. Advertisers are good at making everything look so attractive and desirable.
But there is also another group of people who do not even have any treasures in life. They have no interest in anything. They just go through life drudgingly. They have no passion for their family, for their community or sincere love for their friends except when they need them. Life has no purpose, no meaning, no goal, no excitement. They go through life without direction. Such people also do not live. They are really blind. They are merely keeping themselves alive.
This is why the Lord warns us, “The lamp of the body is the eye. It follows that if your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light. But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be all darkness. If then, the light inside you is darkness, what darkness that will be!” The human eye is the window to the heart, soul and mind of a person. How we view life and see reality will affect our vision of life, reality, and how we see the world, suffering, pain and joy. The way we see and judge situations will show our true character and our moral being. If we see life, work, relationships, suffering and joy in its proper perspective as God sees it, then we will find happiness, otherwise, we will distort the beauty of God’s creation.
The Lord today shows us where our treasure should be. He warns us that earthly treasures will disintegrate and be destroyed. This is not to say that we should not have any earthly ambitions or be passionate about our work or business. Rather, we are called to subordinate all earthly treasures to the greatest of all treasures, which is the kingdom of God. We can be materially successful but personally, we might be impoverished because we lack time for quality relationships with our loved ones and with God. Because of work, we can treat our staff and subordinates as tools for our success rather than as persons working together with us to help us realize our potentials and contribute to the good of humanity. If we direct all that we do for the building of God’s kingdom, a kingdom where there is justice, compassion, love, progress and prosperity, we would have kept our eyes in the right place.
Let us not deceive ourselves into thinking that evil can triumph over goodness. Today’s tragic story of Queen Athalia reminds us that goodness ultimately triumphs and evil will be destroyed. This is why we must direct all our energy and resources, indeed our whole life, to do good and to give glory to God. To place God as the centre of our life, is where our true treasure should lie. There is no greater life than a life lived with God and in Him. This is the only treasure that gives us peace, joy and happiness in this life and hereafter. In Jesus, as St Peter tells us, we receive “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Pt 1:4f) St Paul describes this kingdom in terms of peace, joy and righteousness in the Holy Spirit. (Rom 14:17)
So let us put our heart in this kingdom. If Jehosheba could risk her life to save her nephew, Joash, and Jehoida, the priest, in leading a coup d’état, and the captains by supporting Jehoida (2 Kgs 11:2-4), we too must be ready to risk our lives for not just the earthly kingdom but for the eternal kingdom. We must be ready to give ourselves completely to the service of this kingdom so that we can find eternal life.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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