The Kingdom

Rev. Barry W. Szymanski, J.D.

July 24, 2011

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday's Gospel: Mt 13:31-33, 44-52 [NSRV]

Jesus put before them a parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’

Jesus told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’ ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.

So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ‘Have you understood all this?’ They answered, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’

SERMON

The Gospel this morning is rich in every way. Jesus gives us glimpses of the Kingdom of Heaven. What is it like? And how much should we want it? And is there any downside to not wanting it? The first story that Jesus tells us of is that the kingdom of heaven, that is, the Kingdom of God, is like what happens when a farmer plants a mustard seed in a field.

Jesus then tells us that although a mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds, it grows larger than any garden plant and becomes a tree. Jesus speaks of ONE mustard seed --- not a handful, just one! Agriculturalists tell us that a mustard tree grows up to 15 feet in height. That is a pretty tall tree to grow from a tiny seed. Jesus' audience was learning that they, individually, and as the nation of Israel, are a Kingdom, a Kingdom of Heaven, and that from almost insignificant size, can grow proportionally, perhaps a million or more percent.

Then look at what Jesus said next, "Birds even come." Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is attractive, and that people will want to come to it, just as birds come to a large mustard tree. But birds do not just come to eat from the tree, but also to be comforted within the branches of the tree, for Jesus said that the birds will "nest on its branches." The Kingdom of Heaven is a place for us to go to, and to build our home, a place to live,

a place where we belong, a place of refuge and safety, a place of rest. Then Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a woman mixes a little yeast into three big batches of flour. When bread is baked, the yeast works with the flour and the bread rises. People who know such things have said that three measures of flour in Israel 2,000 years ago is the same as 50 pounds of flour now.

And these people who bake state that 50 pounds of flour mixed with a little yeast will produce enough bread to feed 100 people. So we are not talking about just some bread rolls to go along with our turkey and stuffing, but enough bread to feed us as an entire meal. Jesus is saying that just a little bit of yeast, which is full of vitamins and protein, will produce enough to feed 100 people! That is what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.

Then Jesus talks about how much a person, once they realize what God's Heaven is like, will want it. Jesus says "God's kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic — what a find! — and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field."

"Or, God's kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it." Jesus is telling us that if we only knew what God has in store for us, then we would sell everything we own, and put all our energy, into the one goal of wanting to live in God's Kingdom of Heaven.

But then Jesus continued his story with a message that is not very popular at all – even with preachers. Churches want to whitewash the Gospel. Churches want to make the Gospel only one of love, mercy, and compassion, with no other side to the coin.

But look at what Jesus himself said, God's kingdom is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. When it is full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put into containers to be taken home, but those unfit fish are thrown away. Jesus said that is how it will be when history ends. The angels will come and pull out the bad fish and throw them away. There will be a lot of desperation... a lot of complaining, but it won't do any good." I think that is pretty clear on its face. People will be weeping; but it won't do any good.

This is not the Jesus we are regularly told about. But these are his words! The last part of the Gospel, when Jesus asked his disciples if they were starting to understand what he was talking about, and they answered, "Yes," is a little hard to comprehend.

It is this:

A scribe is like a student of the law. Think of a scribe as a librarian. We can think of a clerk who works at a shoe store. You walk in and ask if the clerk can help you find a certain shoe. The clerk says, 'I know exactly what you are describing, give me a minute and I will find it for you.' In other words, the clerk can put her hands on anything you need, exactly as you describe your need for it.

What Jesus was getting at was that students of God's law are able to search the Old and the New Testament and find out about God, and how Jesus is the incarnate Word of God, and how the Holy Spirit of God works in our lives.

Therefore as we read Scripture, we will see God's hand throughout history – including today's world. What Jesus spoke of in these parables was the ordinary stuff of life -- no power, no shock, and certainly not the might of empires. The examples he used were actual, the substance of life as lived by real people.

Jesus tells us that God's kingdom is as close as a tree, or a bagel, or something found which was lost in a closet. Jesus tells us that God's Kingdom is also unpredictable, not easily foreseen or predicted. We may come across God's Kingdom without any planning on our part. It is just as if we were walking across a field, or down a sidewalk, and there is the treasure!

What these parables do is to force us to make a decision: ‘Do we buy into the simplicity God; or do we buy into power, prestige, and glitter?' In the parable examples that Jesus gives us, the finders and searchers of treasure, once they discover the treasure, devote all of what they have to obtain the treasure -- and they want it now -- not the future!

The apostle Paul wants us to know God's Kingdom now -- just as he discovered God's Kingdom in his lifetime. He gave up his life because he saw the treasure that is God's Kingdom. This is brought home in Paul's discourse to the Romans [8:26-39] Paul prays for God's Holy Spirit to guide us in achieving God's Kingdom. Paul tells us that God's Spirit is right alongside of us. God's Spirit is helping us.

If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. God's Spirit can do our praying for us. God's Holy Spirit can make prayer out of our wordless sighs, and our aching groans. The Holy Spirit knows us far better than we know ourselves. Because of the Holy Spirit of God we can be sure that every detail in our lives is worked into something good.

God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. As Paul wrote, from his own experience, that with God on our side, how can we lose? God did not hesitate to embrace our condition and expose himself to the worst by sending his own Son. Therefore there is nothing else that God would not gladly and freely do for us. Paul is convinced that Jesus, who died for us and who was raised to life for us is in the presence of God at this very moment. And is now at God the Father's right hand interceding for us, pleading for us, mediating for us, in other words, sticking up for us.

What Paul is striving to get across to us is that no one, and nothing will be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us. Paul says that no trouble, no hard times, no hatred, no hunger, no homelessness, no threats, not even the worst sins. Nothing will faze us. Why? Because Jesus loves us. "Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." That is one compelling powerful statement. If Paul were standing here today we would call what he says a 'witness statement.'

We would be in awe of him -- and we should be. But we should be in greater awe of the person that Paul is pointing to: Jesus himself. If you take the Order of Service home today, re-read the Psalm, which we prayed earlier. It is powerful when reflected upon in light of what Jesus tells us about the Kingdom of Heaven.