Today's Gospel

Don’t Keep Your Options Open

Welcome back to Radical and Relevant, where we're exploring the genius of Jesus in the Gospels. Today's reading is from Matthew 13:44-46. "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it." This reading very often is used in relation to vocation. Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man finds it, he covers it up, he goes and sells everything he has and buys the field. And the same with the merchant, finds the pearls, sells everything he has, buys the pearls. What does it teach us? It teaches us something of great worth requires that we separate ourselves from all the other options, from all the other options. And one of the reasons so few people in this world finding vocation, one of the reasons, so few people in this world finding joy is because we like keeping our options open. And keeping our options open closes us off from the one thing God wants for us more than anything else.

That's true in vocation, but that's true in many, many, many situations in life. Ask yourself, are you keeping your options open? Why are you keeping your options open? Because keeping your options open is opposed to commitment. And commitment is where we find God. What is God calling you to commit yourself to, to recommit yourself to at this moment in your life? Maybe something big like vocation, but it may be something small. It may be something every day. It may be something today. Have a great day. Remember, don't just be yourself, be the very best version of yourself, all that God created you to be.