I was in first grade the year Dad was hurt. In a world before Workman’s Compensation and disability insurance, there wasn’t much to fall back on. Granted, we were more fortunate than most families who found themselves in our situation. At least Mom was a nurse so there was an income. But even then it was hard to stretch her salary among six people and all those medical bills.

While Mom and Dad tried to shield us, it was impossible to keep all the worries at bay. So that summer my brother, Keith, and I set out to improve our family’s financial situation. And we knew exactly how to do it. We were going to find a buried treasure! 

The problem was that we lived in the middle of a city. About the only place where we could dig was an empty lot across the street. But that’s where the bigger kids played baseball. Take it from me, you should never argue with a person who (a) is bigger than you and (b) is holding a bat - unless, of course, you can run . . . .  really fast! 

It was all so frustrating. If we couldn’t dig holes in their baseball diamond, how were we supposed to find a buried treasure? 

Then one evening we just “happened” to overhear a discussion Mom and Dad were having. It seemed as though they were about out of money. But the doctors told Dad it would still be several weeks before they could release him so he could go back to work. Mom finally let out a long sigh and said:  I guess it’s time to find that oil in the backyard.

Now, why hadn’t she told us there was oil in the backyard? We had wasted all this time trying to find a place to dig for buried treasure when all we had to do was walk into our own backyard! We agreed right then and there to get up before breakfast and start digging. With any luck, we would all be millionaires by lunch. 

Obviously, we didn’t make our goal. Let’s just say things got a little crazy when Dad discovered the holes! And, looking back, he had every reason to be upset because, despite our good intentions, all we had made was a mess – a really big mess!

Yet, isn’t that what happens when we start looking for treasures in all the wrong places? For several years now we have been dealing with the worst economic crisis since the great depression. While the number of those involved in a regular savings plan has increased, the majority of people report feeling more financially vulnerable than they did five years ago. And while we can continue to place blame on the government, investment institutions, stock brokers, futurists and a host of other folk most of us didn’t even know existed, the simple truth is far too many people spent money they didn’t have on things they didn’t need in search of the happiness they couldn’t find. 

And do you know what is really frightening about all of this? The demand for gambling institutions including casinos, lotteries, racetracks, and bingo parlors is growing at a phenomenal rate. The number of people who are becoming addicted to this “sport” is staggering and there is no adequate way to calculate the impact it is having on society as a whole. 

The point is that far too many of us are still looking for treasures – for happiness, contentment, and a sense of fulfillment – in all the wrong places.  

That is what was happening in today’s Gospel lesson. Remember? A rich young man approached Jesus asking what he had to do to inherit eternal life. Here was a person who was apparently a very good person. There is no indication that his wealth was ill gotten. He obeyed the laws which meant he not only tithed but also gave a percentage of his income to help widows, orphans, and the disabled. As the conversation continued, Jesus finally told him there was only one more thing he needed to do – sell everything he had, give it to the poor, then come and follow him. It was at that point the young man turned and walked away because, we are told, he was very wealthy.  

In other words, he was looking for the wrong treasure. He had the money but he didn’t have the happiness, the contentment, or the reassurance that comes from trusting God and serving others. And, yes, I am convinced he knew the decision he had made was wrong. But, as the Apostle Paul reminded his young friend Timothy, in their eagerness to be ric,h some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains (I Timothy 6:10b). 

But Jesus is offering us the real deal. He is offering us a treasure that cannot be taken from us. Christians, common sense tells us that everything we own, everything we possess, everything we work so hard to obtain is temporary. It is only through our faith – through our willingness to be committed disciples of Jesus Christ – that we discover the true meaning of happiness. 

So, what are your treasures? Do you see them for what they are? Do you recognize and rejoice in the fact that they are temporary gifts from God? Are you willing to let them go so you can give your whole heart to God? The choice is yours.