17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
1 Kg 3:5,7-12; Ps 119; Rm 8:28-30; Mt 13:44-52
A man who sold all to buy a field with buried treasure. A merchant who sold all to buy a pearl of great price. Both these actions involve a fair amount of risk, situations where we are exposed to harm or loss, leading me to think about how risks play our in our lives of faith. To push this parable further, let’s consider three kinds of risk. Person A takes a risk by betting a huge sum of money on a card game in a casino. Person B takes a risk by climbing a dangerous mountain like Mt Everest. Person C takes a risk by leaving home and taking a job in a new country. All three persons took risks but they’re all very different sorts of risks which can help us gain an insight into how we’re following the Lord.
Person A’s risk in a game of cards seems similar to the two people selling all to get the treasure and pearl. However, Person A’s risk is a pure gamble, a risky action that’s done without much certainty of success. One might also say that selling all one’s property to buy a field with the treasure is somewhat risky as well because something could happen before the purchase is done, or the treasure may not be as valuable as we think. It’s risky because there’s a large element of uncertainty to it.
However, buying the field and the pearl are not pure gambles as the man and the merchant knew what they were buying. There’s knowledge involved. This seems more similar to Person B’s situation because the risk of climbing a high mountain remains but the self-knowledge that comes with the long period of training that precedes the attempt would mean that the person would be going with their eyes wide open, aware of the risks but also confident in the ability to overcome them. We’re often faced with challenges and it’s our self-awareness and knowledge of our strengths and weaknesses that allow us to meet these challenges.
Which leads us to Person C’s risky situation. Going off for a new job or even a vocation can seem risky to some as there’s always the chance of failure and disappointment. However, in most cases, such situations come after a period of discernment, where the self-knowledge grows into an awareness and relationship with God. This was the case with King Solomon in the First Reading who, with a healthy amount of self-awareness asked for a ‘heart to understand how to discern between good and evil’. This ‘heart that listens’ (a direct translation from Hebrew) to the voice of God can help to mitigate the risks that we take in our lives as we grow to be more aware of where God is in our lives.
Selling all to get the treasure or pearl should be understood as taking a calculated risk that comes with self-knowledge and trust in God’s providence, knowing that risks do happen in faith but we do that with God by our side. After all, St Paul reminds us that ‘God co-operates with all those who love him,’ indicating that we don’t face challenges or risks alone but with all the graces that God can give firmly within our hearts. We pray for the grace to trust and live in the Lord’s love, responding to him always as we heard in the psalm, ‘Your will is wonderful indeed; therefore I obey it.’
musings of a brush 
2 replies on “The Risky Business of Faith”
Hi morning Fr Stanley!
I wish to express my thanks to you for all you’ve done.
This blog you’re keeping indeed has helped (is helping) those who is seeking God’s guidance and knowledge.
Discernments, callings, vocations and risks… it is all very tricky and challenging and we’re facing them daily of what we should do when critical decisions need to be made.
In doing so we need to reflect deeply on what are the goals, intentions and values that govern our decisions, what are the trade-offs and what possible gains we can accomplished.
Once we have reflected and prayed ‘sufficiently’ and made that leap of faith, it is also important to regularly return back to that journey of discernment and prayer and revisit what are those same values and goals that helped us made that leap in the first place? Is everything still aligned or has something changed and requires new goals or directions and so on?
Even though circumstances may have changed or newer goals need to be made, I believe that fundamentally our faith in God and our values should hold the same and that with God’s grace and guidance, we will embark on new adventures, taking new risks and bearing new fruits along the way, all with God.
Thank you once again for this sharing. Have a good week ahead!
Thanks for your response, Edwin. You’ve done a wonderful job describing how discernment can work for us. Yes, our faith in God and the values that from from that keep us on the straight and narrow. And what’s important is keep our relationship with God going, so that we can continually hear God’s voice as we seek to do God’s will on a daily basis.
Blessed week ahead!