The Courage to Give Up All to Possess Eternal Treasure

by Fr. Elario Zambakari  |  07/26/2026  |  Weekly Reflection

What particular gift would you ask of God if he spoke to you in a dream tonight and gave you your choice? Many would ask for badly needed health for themselves or for a family member. Others may ask for financial help just to pay off debt and keep the family comfortable. Others would wish to live for many years. But those who would ask for the gift of true wisdom to govern their earthly lives according to justice and charity may be a small percentage. Yet this is the only gift that has eternal value.

With these three parables today, we complete the chapter we began two Sundays ago. The parables of the treasure and of the pearl could be classified as twins, since they basically teach us the same thing: a man discovers a treasure and sells all he owns to buy it. But there are a few significant differences between the two parables.

The readings invite us as Christians to imitate these two wise people in the gospel and surrender all possessions, if necessary, to gain eternal life. Heaven is within the reach of all who follow the ordinary vocation of life and partake of the world’s joys and pleasures within the framework of God’s commandment. We should choose heaven as our greatest treasure in life, and by choosing heaven, our lives would be regulated by the wisdom and commandments of God. If we have everything we need in life and fail to reach heaven, our life would not have been complete.