A Price So Great

Our five parables from Jesus today use a simile, “the kingdom of heaven is like,” to make their comparisons. While Matthew has grouped them together we cannot be sure that Jesus said them at the same time. Although, if you think about it, Jesus probably said theses parables multiple times. In his three years of traveling about and teaching different groups of people he most likely used many of the same stories and parables. That may be why we have them. The disciples heard them many times and therefore remembered them. So what is Jesus telling us here in these parables?

We begin with a much loved parable of the mustard seed. Is the kingdom like the seed or the shrub? It seems that it may be both. The kingdom of heaven begins out small, almost too small to be seen and then grows to allow many birds to make their home in it. We could see this to mean a kingdom that started out with one nation now includes many. It may be about the kingdom starting out in a small region of the world and growing to include the whole world, which might be the meaning of the parable of the yeast. While some here see a reference to Passover (where all leavening was to be removed from your house) and thus a message to the Jews or about Jesus’ death during Passover, it most likely is about the wonder of increase. This may also be a component of the mustard seed. In our science-minded world where we have unlocked many of the secrets of life, we lose the wonder of the story because we know what yeast is and how seeds grow. But for the people Jesus taught they saw God working in the seed and the yeast. It is God who will grow the kingdom and the mustard shrub. Jesus is saying, “Do your part. Do not worry. God will take care of the growth.” The next two parables talk about possessing the kingdom.

While we could debate over the ethics of finding a treasure in another person’s field and not telling him about it and buying it from him in order to obtain that treasure that is not Jesus’ intent. This parable makes sense in that, it seems, the treasure is more valuable than the finder’s present possessions. By selling all that he had to obtain the field, he has gained. On the other hand, the parable of the pearl is not about gaining anything it is just transferring the value of the many things you own to one thing. To group these two together means it is not about increasing wealth. They are about possessing something that is worth giving everything up to have. The kingdom of heaven is such a thing. To obtain the kingdom you are willing to give up your old ways, habits, and possessions. These first four parables are about your life and the kingdom. Reminding you that no matter what happens, God is in control and you are called to devote your whole life to the kingdom by using those things first given to you by God; yourself, your time, and your possessions. Signs of a gracious God. So where in this scheme does the net fit in?

We are reminded of the parables of our last two Sundays. The sowing of the wheat everywhere and the bad seed sown amongst the wheat. If the kingdom of heaven is like the net why would God throw some who are in the kingdom out? Did Jesus only tell the first part of this parable to say the kingdom would include all nations and races of people? Did Matthew add the part about good and bad fish as he seems to have in the wheat and tares? We leave that to ponder. What we can say is that the kingdom of heaven will gather many peoples – and some of them will be those we did not expect. Therefore we are called to be those who, possessing the great treasure of God, share what we have with others. We do so with great joy, not counting the cost, or even deciding who deserves it. We are called to give of ourselves to others by being Jesus’ body. An impossible task for us, but with the leavening of God within us we cannot do anything else but share God’s love to a world desperate and in great need.