The Special Way of Salvation
"Poverty is an extraordinary way of salvation, since it nourishes humility, the root of perfection. Its fruits are manifold, though hidden. This is the Gospel treasure hidden in the field. To buy it we have to sell everything, and what we cannot sell, we should consider worthless in comparison to the treasure." --St. Bonaventure, Major Life, 7:1
The verse St. Bonaventure is referring to is Matthew 13:44: "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." His statements, "poverty nourishes humility" and "humility is the root of perfection" truly sums up what is necessary to come to God since He only gives grace to those who recognize their need for Him. I've read that Jesus used money as a metaphor more often than anything else in his teachings. I'm not surprised. Everything seems to come down to money because it represents our life in the flesh. Without it we die. But the thing is, we're all going to die sooner or later anyway. Whenever I read that a very rich person, who could well afford the best medical care, has died from some disease, I'm reminded that money isn't the answer to a person's troubles. Yes, we need money to live in this world, but we need the kingdom that God offers more.
But I think the more profound statement St. Bonaventure makes is, "What we cannot sell, we should consider worthless in comparison to the treasure." On January 27 I wrote about this very thing--that after selling or giving away all the things someone else might be able to use, I'd still be left with "a house full of things to dispose of." I was thinking only in terms of physical possessions then. Now I'm hearing that there is other "clutter" in my life--the time, energy, and thought stealers--the things that have no value whatsoever in our life--the things that keep me from enJOYing the freedom that living in Christ brings.
"Poverty is an extraordinary way of salvation, since it nourishes humility, the root of perfection. Its fruits are manifold, though hidden. This is the Gospel treasure hidden in the field. To buy it we have to sell everything, and what we cannot sell, we should consider worthless in comparison to the treasure." --St. Bonaventure, Major Life, 7:1
The verse St. Bonaventure is referring to is Matthew 13:44: "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." His statements, "poverty nourishes humility" and "humility is the root of perfection" truly sums up what is necessary to come to God since He only gives grace to those who recognize their need for Him. I've read that Jesus used money as a metaphor more often than anything else in his teachings. I'm not surprised. Everything seems to come down to money because it represents our life in the flesh. Without it we die. But the thing is, we're all going to die sooner or later anyway. Whenever I read that a very rich person, who could well afford the best medical care, has died from some disease, I'm reminded that money isn't the answer to a person's troubles. Yes, we need money to live in this world, but we need the kingdom that God offers more.
But I think the more profound statement St. Bonaventure makes is, "What we cannot sell, we should consider worthless in comparison to the treasure." On January 27 I wrote about this very thing--that after selling or giving away all the things someone else might be able to use, I'd still be left with "a house full of things to dispose of." I was thinking only in terms of physical possessions then. Now I'm hearing that there is other "clutter" in my life--the time, energy, and thought stealers--the things that have no value whatsoever in our life--the things that keep me from enJOYing the freedom that living in Christ brings.
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