In today’s Gospel reading, we see Jesus taking a moment to teach his disciples about the Kingdom of Heaven. Like he did when he was preaching to the crowds earlier, he was speaking to them in parables. A parable was usually a short fictional story that illustrates a moral or spiritual truth.

When Jesus was alone with his disciples, He was teaching them something more deeper, then what he told the crowds. He describes the experiences of two wealthy men, and a fisherman. I mean He and his disciples were at the Galilee, how could He not throw in a fisherman into the parables. We hear of two men, one who stumbles on a field that hold a treasure buried beneath its surface. The other man, an expert in gems and pearls it appears, comes across a truly beautiful pearl, and he knows it’s true worth. Both men goes out to gather the funds they need to purchase what will give them possession of the treasure and the pearl. And they are paying a lot. But both will realize a greater profit from their actions, undoubtedly more than what they shelled out to get what they wanted. Now the fisherman, Jesus tells the parable of how this man goes out to fish, trusting in his skills and expertise to bring in a huge catch. When he brings his catch, he sorts through it, keeping the better fish, discarding the “junk” fish. Now he could have sold the inferior fish at a much lesser price, but he trusted his instincts, knowing what will sell. And I am sure he would have come out with good payout for his catch.

Now we who live in the land of Yankee business sense, would think we instant what these parables are teaching, but I think we would find that we are mistaken. What Jesus is really teaching, what He is asking of His followers, are what are you, what are we willing to pay, to give of ourselves, to enter the kingdom of Heaven? And I am not just talking about entering Heaven itself; but what are we willing to do bring about the Kingdom here and now. What are we willing to give up, what changes in ourselves are we able to make, what price are willing to pay, to help bring about the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. And we begin with ourselves, the daily small changes, the conversions we can strive to make within ourselves. And then going out and helping each other bring about the conversions needed to the Gospel life.

This was the work that Jesus invited His disciples to take up. This is the work that He invites us to take, no matter if it small efforts or large. As individuals and as a community of believers, we answer the call to bring out from our “storerooms both the new and old” ways of living together the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ.