We have received, through the grace of baptism certainly but also through the grace of revelation, a knowledge or awareness of the mystery of the kingdom of Christ. Giving us this grace and blessing was the Father’s good pleasure. In other words, God the Father delights to give us knowledge, insight and revelation into the deeper mysteries of Christ. The greatest gift we have is that of being in a relationship with Jesus Christ: believing in him, knowing him and serving him. This is heavenly treasure, this is true riches.
We will be judged according to our response to this gift. ‘Everyone to whom much is given, of him will much be required‘ (v. 48). One of the things that God desires of us is that we should be alert and waiting for Jesus to return. Christ will judge whether our hearts are ready and waiting for his return or are unprepared, unengaged and preoccupied with the things of this world. Truth be told, we don’t think much along these lines. Although the teaching of the Church is that the return of Christ is imminent, we have grown dull and weary and have lost a certain liveliness to this truth. Of course, the Church also warns us against a kind of doom and gloom approach — you know, ‘The end of the world is nigh’. St Francis of Assisi was once asked what he would do if one morning he was told that Christ would return that day. So ready was he for Christ’s second coming that he replied that he would plough his field as planned.