What is Treasure?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0w-BmhomDU

The scripture readings for today are extraordinarily rich—so rich, in fact, that they offer almost too much material for a single Sunday sermon. During the quiet stretch of late summer, it can sometimes be difficult to discern what to focus on, but today the choices are abundant. Each of these passages invites us to read slowly, pray deeply, and linger over the text—much like the ancient Christian practice of Lectio Divina (a method of prayerful scripture reading).

A helpful window into all of our readings today comes from the Collect—the opening prayer of the liturgy:

"Increase and multiply upon us your mercy, that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal."

What a timely prayer for the world we live in today. How do we navigate all the temporal things that surround us—the anxieties, the daily demands, the constant noise of the world—without losing sight of that which is eternal?

An Understanding Heart

Perhaps the answer begins with King Solomon in 1 Kings. God comes to Solomon in a dream and poses an astonishing question: "Ask what I should give you."

Imagine being asked that by God. What would you ask for? Solomon could have requested wealth, prestige, power, a long life, or the defeat of his enemies. Instead, Solomon recognizes his own limitations in a deeply moving way. Admitting that he does not know how to govern on his own, he prays: "Give your servant an understanding mind."

Other translations render this phrase as "an understanding heart." Solomon was not merely asking for intellect; he was asking for wisdom and discernment—the ability to listen deeply, to distinguish good from harm, and to recognize what is temporary versus what is eternal.

Scripture notes that this request pleased God immensely. In a world overflowing with information, opinions, outrage, and constant noise, Solomon’s prayer remains profoundly relevant. Within minutes of looking at our phones or turning on the news, we encounter a hundred different voices instructing us on what to fear, whom to blame, or what to believe.

Wisdom asks us to pause and listen. As Psalm 119 reminds us: "The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple." Like the psalmist, we can pray: "Steady my footsteps according to your promise."

That image of steadiness is deeply comforting when we feel off-balance or overwhelmed. Praying for God to steady our footsteps offers quiet confidence, anchoring us when the world feels confusing.

The Intercession of the Spirit

This leads us to Paul’s magnificent letter to the Romans. Paul acknowledges an experience common to us all: sometimes we simply do not know how to pray. Circumstances become too complicated, our hearts become too heavy, or we cannot discern what the right outcome should be.

Paul reassures us that we do not need to have all the right words: "The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words." Even when words fail us, God knows our hearts.

Paul then offers one of the greatest assurances of Christian faith: "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God... For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Perhaps godly wisdom begins right here: knowing what cannot be taken away from us.

Recognizing True Treasure

This brings us to Jesus’ parables in Matthew’s Gospel regarding the kingdom of heaven: a mustard seed, a little yeast mixed into flour, a hidden treasure buried in a field, and a pearl of great value.

Jesus implicitly asks us: Do you know what real treasure is? Can you recognize it when you see it?

The kingdom of God does not always arrive with grand fanfare or blowing trumpets. Sometimes it arrives quietly, like a tiny seed or yeast working invisibly through dough. God’s kingdom often appears in simple, daily acts of faithfulness: a gesture of forgiveness, feeding the hungry, offering a warm smile to a stranger, comforting someone who grieves, advocating for justice, listening with genuine compassion, or offering a small token of encouragement.

Wisdom is learning to recognize these moments for what they truly are: treasures of the kingdom.

We spend so much of our lives passing through "things temporal"—jobs, possessions, achievements, disappointments, and plans that seem overwhelmingly critical today, yet may fade in importance over time. Jesus continually invites us to look deeper and discover the enduring treasure underneath it all: love, mercy, justice, compassion, gratitude, and the abiding presence of God in our midst.

A Prayer for the Journey

May Solomon’s prayer become our prayer today:

Not, "Lord, give me all the answers," or "Lord, make everything go my way," but rather:

"Lord, give me an understanding heart. Help me to discern what really matters, and steady my footsteps in your promises. Help me recognize your kingdom when it appears in small, unexpected places. When I do not know how to pray, let your Spirit pray within me. Through all the uncertainties and changes of this life, keep me anchored in the eternal truth that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus."

That, indeed, is true treasure.

Amen.