God Always Sees Treasure

Read the Homily

I bought a one-hundred-year-old tracker pipe organ from a church that was closing. There it was in a thousand pieces in the basement. I had to hire a pipe organ builder. The Archdiocese gave me three referrals. I picked a name on the shortlist and made a call. The first guy pulled up in a new Mercedes-Benz. I took him downstairs, and he looked at the parts and said, “This pipe organ is in very bad shape. It is going to take a lot of time to restore it, and the cost will be high.” “Thank you very much,” I answered. The second guy pulled up in a brand new Dodge Ram four-door pick-up with raised tires. I brought him downstairs, and he stated exactly what the first guy had told me. “This pipe organ is in very bad shape. It is going to take a lot of time, and it will cost a lot of money.” I answered, “Thank you very much.”

The third guy pulled up in a rusty Station Wagon. When was the last time you saw a Station Wagon? Twenty, thirty years ago?  He went to the back of the car to get his flashlight. I followed him and looked in the back of his car and asked him if he collected antiques. He said, “No, these are my tools. These are the tools that build pipe organs. They were handed down to me from my grandfather,” I replied, “Oh.” We went downstairs, and as I was showing him the parts of the pipe organ lying on the floor, I told him that I was a handyman and that I could do some of the low-end work. For instance, I could sand out the graffiti marks on the wooden pipes. He went over to take a closer look at the graffiti on the wooden pipes and concluded, “This is not graffiti.” He continued, “These are the names of the men who built your pipe organ. I know these guys and they took pride in their work. That is why they signed it.” Take a wild guess whom you think I hired?” Why? The first two guys had looked at the pipe organ as if it was a piece of junk in need of repair. But this man whom I hired had seen a treasure.

When God appeared to Moses, He told him that He was the God of Abraham. Moses answered, “Abraham, I know Abraham. He is famous. Do you know who Abraham was before he became famous?  He was a wandering nomad.  What exactly is a wandering nomad, you ask? He was a homeless guy in some very far away pagan country. Yet, he was not just another homeless guy, God saw a treasure.

When Peter, James, and John went up the mountain and Jesus was transfigured before them Moses appeared. They thought, “Wow you know Moses; he is famous!” Yet do you know who Moses was before God called him? He was a runaway slave with a rap sheet for murder. You cannot find anyone more despised. There are a lot of reasons not to like this guy. Yet, God saw a treasure.

We read about Peter in the Gospel. He is famous, and people are named after him. I am named after him. The Basilica in Rome is named after him. Every person that was ever born in the last two thousand years would know about his great legacy. But before God called him he was just another sinful man. But Jesus saw a treasure.

I know I look at myself and sometimes I see a mess in need of repair. That is not what God sees. Think of the great things that can happen when God sees a treasure. So why not us? Why can’t we also imitate God? Think of the great things that could happen when we look at someone and see a treasure. 

I bought a one-hundred-year-old tracker pipe organ from a church that was closing. There it was in a thousand pieces in the basement. I had to hire a pipe organ builder. The Archdiocese gave me three referrals. I picked a name on the shortlist and made a call. The first guy pulled up in a new Mercedes-Benz. I took him downstairs, and he looked at the parts and said, “This pipe organ is in very bad shape. It is going to take a lot of time to restore it, and the cost will be high.” “Thank you very much,” I answered. The second guy pulled up in a brand new Dodge Ram four-door pick-up with raised tires. I brought him downstairs, and he stated exactly what the first guy had told me. “This pipe organ is in very bad shape. It is going to take a lot of time, and it will cost a lot of money.” I answered, “Thank you very much.”

The third guy pulled up in a rusty Station Wagon. When was the last time you saw a Station Wagon? Twenty, thirty years ago?  He went to the back of the car to get his flashlight. I followed him and looked in the back of his car and asked him if he collected antiques. He said, “No, these are my tools. These are the tools that build pipe organs. They were handed down to me from my grandfather,” I replied, “Oh.” We went downstairs, and as I was showing him the parts of the pipe organ lying on the floor, I told him that I was a handyman and that I could do some of the low-end work. For instance, I could sand out the graffiti marks on the wooden pipes. He went over to take a closer look at the graffiti on the wooden pipes and concluded, “This is not graffiti.” He continued, “These are the names of the men who built your pipe organ. I know these guys and they took pride in their work. That is why they signed it.” Take a wild guess whom you think I hired?” Why? The first two guys had looked at the pipe organ as if it was a piece of junk in need of repair. But this man whom I hired had seen a treasure.

When God appeared to Moses, He told him that He was the God of Abraham. Moses answered, “Abraham, I know Abraham. He is famous. Do you know who Abraham was before he became famous?  He was a wandering nomad.  What exactly is a wandering nomad, you ask? He was a homeless guy in some very far away pagan country. Yet, he was not just another homeless guy, God saw a treasure.

When Peter, James, and John went up the mountain and Jesus was transfigured before them Moses appeared. They thought, “Wow you know Moses; he is famous!” Yet do you know who Moses was before God called him? He was a runaway slave with a rap sheet for murder. You cannot find anyone more despised. There are a lot of reasons not to like this guy. Yet, God saw a treasure.

We read about Peter in the Gospel. He is famous, and people are named after him. I am named after him. The Basilica in Rome is named after him. Every person that was ever born in the last two thousand years would know about his great legacy. But before God called him he was just another sinful man. But Jesus saw a treasure.

I know I look at myself and sometimes I see a mess in need of repair. That is not what God sees. Think of the great things that can happen when God sees a treasure. So why not us? Why can’t we also imitate God? Think of the great things that could happen when we look at someone and see a treasure. 

I bought a one-hundred-year-old tracker pipe organ from a church that was closing. There it was in a thousand pieces in the basement. I had to hire a pipe organ builder. The Archdiocese gave me three referrals. I picked a name on the shortlist and made a call. The first guy pulled up in a new Mercedes-Benz. I took him downstairs, and he looked at the parts and said, “This pipe organ is in very bad shape. It is going to take a lot of time to restore it, and the cost will be high.” “Thank you very much,” I answered. The second guy pulled up in a brand new Dodge Ram four-door pick-up with raised tires. I brought him downstairs, and he stated exactly what the first guy had told me. “This pipe organ is in very bad shape. It is going to take a lot of time, and it will cost a lot of money.” I answered, “Thank you very much.”

The third guy pulled up in a rusty Station Wagon. When was the last time you saw a Station Wagon? Twenty, thirty years ago?  He went to the back of the car to get his flashlight. I followed him and looked in the back of his car and asked him if he collected antiques. He said, “No, these are my tools. These are the tools that build pipe organs. They were handed down to me from my grandfather,” I replied, “Oh.” We went downstairs, and as I was showing him the parts of the pipe organ lying on the floor, I told him that I was a handyman and that I could do some of the low-end work. For instance, I could sand out the graffiti marks on the wooden pipes. He went over to take a closer look at the graffiti on the wooden pipes and concluded, “This is not graffiti.” He continued, “These are the names of the men who built your pipe organ. I know these guys and they took pride in their work. That is why they signed it.” Take a wild guess whom you think I hired?” Why? The first two guys had looked at the pipe organ as if it was a piece of junk in need of repair. But this man whom I hired had seen a treasure.

When God appeared to Moses, He told him that He was the God of Abraham. Moses answered, “Abraham, I know Abraham. He is famous. Do you know who Abraham was before he became famous?  He was a wandering nomad.  What exactly is a wandering nomad, you ask? He was a homeless guy in some very far away pagan country. Yet, he was not just another homeless guy, God saw a treasure.

When Peter, James, and John went up the mountain and Jesus was transfigured before them Moses appeared. They thought, “Wow you know Moses; he is famous!” Yet do you know who Moses was before God called him? He was a runaway slave with a rap sheet for murder. You cannot find anyone more despised. There are a lot of reasons not to like this guy. Yet, God saw a treasure.

We read about Peter in the Gospel. He is famous, and people are named after him. I am named after him. The Basilica in Rome is named after him. Every person that was ever born in the last two thousand years would know about his great legacy. But before God called him he was just another sinful man. But Jesus saw a treasure.

I know I look at myself and sometimes I see a mess in need of repair. That is not what God sees. Think of the great things that can happen when God sees a treasure. So why not us? Why can’t we also imitate God? Think of the great things that could happen when we look at someone and see a treasure. 

I bought a one-hundred-year-old tracker pipe organ from a church that was closing. There it was in a thousand pieces in the basement. I had to hire a pipe organ builder. The Archdiocese gave me three referrals. I picked a name on the shortlist and made a call. The first guy pulled up in a new Mercedes-Benz. I took him downstairs, and he looked at the parts and said, “This pipe organ is in very bad shape. It is going to take a lot of time to restore it, and the cost will be high.” “Thank you very much,” I answered. The second guy pulled up in a brand new Dodge Ram four-door pick-up with raised tires. I brought him downstairs, and he stated exactly what the first guy had told me. “This pipe organ is in very bad shape. It is going to take a lot of time, and it will cost a lot of money.” I answered, “Thank you very much.”

The third guy pulled up in a rusty Station Wagon. When was the last time you saw a Station Wagon? Twenty, thirty years ago?  He went to the back of the car to get his flashlight. I followed him and looked in the back of his car and asked him if he collected antiques. He said, “No, these are my tools. These are the tools that build pipe organs. They were handed down to me from my grandfather,” I replied, “Oh.” We went downstairs, and as I was showing him the parts of the pipe organ lying on the floor, I told him that I was a handyman and that I could do some of the low-end work. For instance, I could sand out the graffiti marks on the wooden pipes. He went over to take a closer look at the graffiti on the wooden pipes and concluded, “This is not graffiti.” He continued, “These are the names of the men who built your pipe organ. I know these guys and they took pride in their work. That is why they signed it.” Take a wild guess whom you think I hired?” Why? The first two guys had looked at the pipe organ as if it was a piece of junk in need of repair. But this man whom I hired had seen a treasure.

When God appeared to Moses, He told him that He was the God of Abraham. Moses answered, “Abraham, I know Abraham. He is famous. Do you know who Abraham was before he became famous?  He was a wandering nomad.  What exactly is a wandering nomad, you ask? He was a homeless guy in some very far away pagan country. Yet, he was not just another homeless guy, God saw a treasure.

When Peter, James, and John went up the mountain and Jesus was transfigured before them Moses appeared. They thought, “Wow you know Moses; he is famous!” Yet do you know who Moses was before God called him? He was a runaway slave with a rap sheet for murder. You cannot find anyone more despised. There are a lot of reasons not to like this guy. Yet, God saw a treasure.

We read about Peter in the Gospel. He is famous, and people are named after him. I am named after him. The Basilica in Rome is named after him. Every person that was ever born in the last two thousand years would know about his great legacy. But before God called him he was just another sinful man. But Jesus saw a treasure.

I know I look at myself and sometimes I see a mess in need of repair. That is not what God sees. Think of the great things that can happen when God sees a treasure. So why not us? Why can’t we also imitate God? Think of the great things that could happen when we look at someone and see a treasure.