Extract from tomorrow's reading (Matthew 13:44-46)
13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,
13:46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Gospel of Thomas (an ancient text, most probably not by Thomas, and not received by the Catholic Church) reads as follows:
Thomas 76: "The Kingdom of the Father is like a man, a merchant, who possessed merchandise and found a pearl. That merchant was prudent. He sold the merchandise and bought the one pearl for himself."
The Gospel of Thomas is particularly negative towards merchants and 'worldly' people: this merchant is considered wise because he gave up his merchandise! However, this change of emphasis does indicate - from a different perspective - what Jesus might have meant. In the version preserved by Matthew, the focus is not so much on one who possesses merchandise getting rid of it in order to gain the Kingdom, but rather on the surpassing value of the Kingdom itself. Matthew's emphasis is correctly brought out by St. Jerome: "Not that the finding of a new pearl is the condemnation of the old pearls, but that in comparison with it, all other pearls are worthless."
St. John Chrysostom further remarks that the point of the parable is that "when a man is dispossessing himself of his goods [for the sake of the Gospel], he is to know that the transaction is gain, not loss."
[Pearls in the days of the Roman Empire were more valuable than they are today.]
This parable does not occur in any other Gospel, yet most scholars believe there is no reason to doubt that it is an authentic parable of Jesus. The exact words that Jesus used are difficult to find, however, since it occurs only in Matthew and Thomas.
13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,
13:46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Gospel of Thomas (an ancient text, most probably not by Thomas, and not received by the Catholic Church) reads as follows:
Thomas 76: "The Kingdom of the Father is like a man, a merchant, who possessed merchandise and found a pearl. That merchant was prudent. He sold the merchandise and bought the one pearl for himself."
The Gospel of Thomas is particularly negative towards merchants and 'worldly' people: this merchant is considered wise because he gave up his merchandise! However, this change of emphasis does indicate - from a different perspective - what Jesus might have meant. In the version preserved by Matthew, the focus is not so much on one who possesses merchandise getting rid of it in order to gain the Kingdom, but rather on the surpassing value of the Kingdom itself. Matthew's emphasis is correctly brought out by St. Jerome: "Not that the finding of a new pearl is the condemnation of the old pearls, but that in comparison with it, all other pearls are worthless."
St. John Chrysostom further remarks that the point of the parable is that "when a man is dispossessing himself of his goods [for the sake of the Gospel], he is to know that the transaction is gain, not loss."
[Pearls in the days of the Roman Empire were more valuable than they are today.]
This parable does not occur in any other Gospel, yet most scholars believe there is no reason to doubt that it is an authentic parable of Jesus. The exact words that Jesus used are difficult to find, however, since it occurs only in Matthew and Thomas.
I was half expecting the first reading to be the one where Abram leaves everything and follows Yahweh's call.
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