Matthew 13:31-33,44-52
Pentecost 9A
The Rev. Dr. Bruce Roth
Beloved People of God…
Frederick Buechner, one of my favorite writers, once wrote, “The Kingdom of Heaven is more a condition than a place, not a destination on a map. Rather, the kingdom of God is an experience, like you feel when you glimpse the thing.” The “thing,” of course, is really several things like the presence of God, the movement of the Holy Spirit, a brush with the Holy. If that were the case, then the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of heaven, used interchangeably, is like…one big “Aha! God Moment!”
The kingdom of God is like…something ‘this-worldly’ that points us to something ‘other-worldly.’ In the series of five parables Jesus was trying to shrink the immensity of God’s amazing truth to make it manageable for those to whom he spoke—to understand, to catch a quick glimpse of what the Kingdom of God is. The kingdom of God is like …how do you envision the kingdom of God? Maybe the kingdom of God is like…a long nap on a summer afternoon. The kingdom of God is like a cool breeze, a great song in worship, a surprise party, your child’s face when they come to the communion rail for a blessing, a warm kiss, a verse from Matthew that hits home when you read it, a big hug, a baseball mitt that is perfectly warn for your hand, a chocolate shake on a hot July night.
For me, the kingdom of God is like being on vacation, sitting on the beach as the sun rises. The kingdom of God is like…the time my father and I got to spend some time bonding while casting our lines to catch the next perch on Lake Erie. The Kingdom of God is like holding my child moments after they were born. The kingdom of God is like…recalling the day Kelly and I were married. When everyone realizes that love is love and all are welcome and invited to experience God’s love. What is the Kingdom of God like for you?
Jesus knew his students well and Jesus understood the power of language, image and story better than anyone. Image wasn’t everything for Jesus—but it helped convey what was. Jesus had a way of making intangibles tangible. Twenty-one centuries later, it still works that way—the kingdom of God is like…. We catch a glimpse of Jesus’ teaching skills in Matthew 13. He knew that the world of the disciple was a world of image and comparison, contrast metaphor and simile. Jesus was/is the master. This is how Jesus taught: the kingdom of heaven is like….
Jesus was telling earthly stories with heavenly meanings. But with these parables there was a little twist that helped to demonstrate just how radical God’s love was for people like you and me. Take for example, the story of the tiny mustard seed. The radicality of this image is that for the typical Jewish person in Jesus’ day, the mustard seed was more of a weed than a plant to be harvested-it wasn’t even supposed to be found in the field where other produce would grow. Yet, he used its image to convey the idea that even this supposed weed was given substance and meaning by God as the birds used it for a safe haven.
Or, take the image of the yeast where a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened. Perhaps the most surprising thing about Jesus’ leaven parable is that customarily the leaven image was used to denote the insidious spread of evil. In many Old Testament examples—in ancient, near-eastern understanding in general—the pervasive work of leaven within foodstuffs was a symbol of evil’s influence. Like a little bit of rot that spreads its disease throughout a storehouse, a little bit of leaven would corrupt or infect a whole community. The radical nature of this parable is that through it, Jesus reclaims the power of leavening for good. Its ability to completely alter the environment into which it’s introduced is a power Jesus likens to the kingdom of heaven. In each instance, a known image—is taken up a notch, in order to convey a radical message.
There are two questions that I want to ask about this story. The first is, “Why did Jesus compare the kingdom of heaven to all of these familiar things?” And, secondly, “Why was the kingdom so important that Jesus would teach about it in a way that we would not miss it?”
Why? So that which has seemed mysterious might be revealed. So that people might know that God has broken in and realize its glory. Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to all of these familiar things so people would get it—so they would understand the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said these things about the kingdom of God because, for followers of Jesus, the kingdom of God is where life gets lived. The kingdom of heaven is the hope and promise that breaks into daily life and make it possible to go on. When there is war and threats of war—it gives assurance that peace will reign. When there are (name issue)—it is the promise that God is with us. The kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, breaks into the office, the school room, the relationship, the car, into daily routines, conversations, even arguments, and brings purpose and power to our lives.
The second question is a bit more complex. It comes out of verse 44 where it says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, that someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” When I read this I wondered what treasure of mine, in my discovery of it, in my unearthing of it, would point me to the kingdom of God.
Let’s open the treasure chest and see—
1. Picture of my family: where I experience love and acceptance, forgiveness and mercy, purpose and direction.
2. My Ordination: where I am told I am to be set apart for the building of the kingdom—to lead graciously and serve faithfully
3. The Cross: the place where I experience hope, grace, purpose, and see the glory of God.
This is what the kingdom of God is like. My prayer is that we may all experience its glory. Amen.