Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21 / Matthew 13:44-46
The phrase “give and take” is a phrase that is often heard and used.
A further reflection of that phrase means that there is a giving first before there can be any taking.
But the human inclination is to take first, or what we can get first, before we think of what we want to give.
In the gospel, Jesus used the images of a treasure and a fine pearl to teach about the kingdom of God.
But in order to possess that treasure or fine pearl, one has to give up all he owns.
So, true to that phrase, we have to give or give up something, in order to take or receive something.
In the 1st reading, the prophet Jeremiah laments of his sufferings as a prophet of God.
He had responded to God’s call and given his life to God for the prophetic misson.
Although Jeremiah suffered, God consoled him and in turn gave him the power and the strength to continue his mission.
As we respond to God’s will for us, it will be difficult for us to give up our will to follow God’s will.
But what we give to God cannot be more than what God wants to give to us.
More than any treasure or fine pearls, we will receive the love of God, and that is the greatest treasure and most precious gift.