Matthew presents two parables on the great joy of possessing the Kingdom of Heaven: the parable of the Treasure Buried in a Field and the parable of the Pearl of Great Price. In the first parable, the man may be a “treasure hunter” or probably just happens to find the treasure buried in a field not his own; he sells all that he has, buys the field, and take possession of the treasure. The other man is really searching among the bazaars when he finds the right pearl. Like the first man, he sells all that he has to possess the pearl. The point of both parables is the extreme value of the Kingdom of Heaven. The person who understands it will let go of anything that will hinder him or her to possess the Kingdom. To possess the Kingdom is the greatest joy; to lose brings unhappiness without end. Pope Francis speaks of the condition of finding the treasure: “The attitude of searching is the essential condition for finding. The heart must burn with the desire to reach the valuable good... Faced with the unexpected discovery, both the farmer and the merchant realize that they are facing a unique opportunity, which should not be missed; hence, they sell all that they own. Assessing the inestimable value of the treasure leads to a decision that also implies sacrifice, detachment and renunciation… The Kingdom of God which is made present in the person of Jesus. He is the hidden treasure; he is the pearl of great value. He is the fundamental discovery who can make a decisive change in our lives, filling it with meaning” (Angelus, 30 July 2017).

As Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands, he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant while he conversed with the Lord. When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Moses and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become, they were afraid to come near him. Only after Moses called to them did Aaron and all the rulers of the community come back to him. Moses then spoke to them. Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him, and he enjoined on them all that the Lord had told him on Mount Sinai. When he finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses entered the presence of the Lord to converse with him, he removed the veil until he came out again. On coming out, he would tell the children of Israel all that had been commanded. Then the children of Israel would see that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant; so he would again put the veil over his face until he went in to converse with the Lord.

“Holy is the Lord our God.”

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”