Treasure in Heaven

Homily for Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Of the five discourses that appear in St. Matthew’s Gospel, the longest is the Sermon on the Mount from which we are still reading. However, we have reached the point in this discourse where Jesus moves from speaking of the external practices of the law and turns our attention to the interior disposition or orientation of the heart.

The first reading from the Second Book of Kings tells the story of Queen Athaliah. She is so desperate for power and control that she sets about murdering every member of the royal family. Fortunately for Joash, Athaliah’s sister, Jehoshaba saves Joash from his mother’s murderous plot. In the end, Athaliah’s power grab brings her to a sad end.

Her story is not unusual. It is a story that appears frequently in literature, especially in the works of Shakespeare, and in our daily news as well. Clearly, power and control are not treasures we lay up for ourselves in heaven. One must live on a superficial level without self-knowledge to think that something external to ourselves and be what counts most. One commentator of St. Matthew’s Gospel, Thomas G. Long, wrote, “What our hearts really desire, of course, is to count – to count for something, and to count for someone.”

The two images in today’s Gospel—treasure and the eye as the lamp—both point to the same spiritual truth: where we direct our desire determines the clarity of our whole life. If our treasure is earthly, our vision becomes clouded. If our treasure is God, our whole being is filled with light. When our vision is filled with heavenly light, our whole being is illuminated. When we live by faith, we begin to shine that light into the world, helping others see what truly matters, the eternal love of God.