Readings: Responsive Psalm 128, Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-52
A friend shared a
childhood memory of Sunday School – of all those questions you were asked by
the teacher and not being very sure of what the right answer was. Was it
a trick question, or testing your bible knowledge or how you should
behave. But the children over time realised
something – if they answered Jesus for every question they would almost always
gain a look of approval or at least of ‘you’re on the right track here’.
Do you remember
that service here some time ago when Graeme was talking to the children and
asking them what heaven was like and I think it was Sophia immediately said
‘heaven!’ and Graeme’s response was – well there goes the children’s talk done
and dusted.
The kingdom of
heaven is like: Jesus!
Sermon done and
dusted! No more need be said.
Or does there?
These parables
continue the teachings by Jesus about the world to come and our place in it as
Christ followers. And they encourage us to look beyond our limited vision to
see the immensity of God’s hope for the world.
In the first two, that of the mustard seed and the yeast, Jesus tells us
that the difference between our living out the teachings of Jesus in our
everyday life, in all its ordinariness and sometimes ugliness, and this
extravagant image of a world made right with God is this spectacular growth
explosion that love creates, that God speaks into. And, amazing things can happen from the most
unlikely sources. Because, at the time,
the yeast and the mustard seed were seen as unpleasant things, associated with
death and scraggly choking weeds.
With the next two
kingdom parables, Jesus is talking of the value of the Gospel being such that
people will give up all they have to possess it. At the same time, to us there is a hint of
subterfuge and happenstance with the treasure and the pearl and we can struggle
to relate to the imagery.
And then we happily
read that the kingdom of God is like a full net of fish – abundance and
sustenance – only to falter on the words that follow – some of the fish will
turn out to be bad.
We do realise that
the symbols used in Jesus’ parable were specifically tied to that time and have
a different application to our world now.
The mustard seed, the yeast, the treasure in the field, the pearl, the
fishing by hand with a net will all have their equivalents in our world
today. Trees that are considered to be
weeds - maybe in Dunedin instead of the mustard, the sycamore? So here are the questions – we will take some
time to think about each one and if you come up with a suggestion by all means
share it with us.
What produces
today the abundance of the mustard seed but is commonly seen as something to be
rooted out?
What is like
leaven, disdained as corrupt, but actually an agent of God’s transforming
power?
Like the person
ploughing the field or the merchant searching for the pearl, what would we give
up everything to possess?
For us what might
we want to say the kingdom of heaven is?
We should look at
the other words used here too – kingdom and heaven.
Heaven – what does
that mean for us today? Not, I suspect,
I hope, a little realm in the sky where we will all hopefully end our days in
peace. I remember our asking the children in Amberley to paint or decorate the
ceiling of our Sunday School room with what they thought heaven would look
like. Not that we ever got that far with
it but there were dogs and toys and probably no parents….as you can imagine.
Nor is heaven a
hope for the future with no meaning for us in the present. A futuristic reward, a rest, having survived
the ravages of this world. I am pretty
sure Jesus is not going down that track either.
In our secular culture
it commonly means something that is perfect – often of the moment. Oh, pure heaven – as we sip that first cup of
tea or coffee in the morning.
Here is a thought:
heaven is where justice and shalom and compassion exist, where the Jesus way is
followed and love is extravagantly increased.
Then there is kingdom
– fantasy stories have kingdoms these days but not much else. Simon introduced me to an alternative word
that I have been considering a lot and I like it – commonwealth. Just thing about it – common wealth. A place
for the common good. For the people, of the people.
And it is a word
that helps us think about what it is that Jesus is telling us here – not about
a distant hope but a reality that is here and now. How we strive for this …fantastic place of
living where there is justice and peace and compassion – where the Jesus, who is
the answer to the question, is living fully and completely in everyone we meet.
And we immediately
strike a brick wall. Not possible, human
nature is too strong, we can’t make even a dent in the horror of this
world.
And this parable,
these words and teachings of Jesus is telling us, actually yes we can. That in faith we should be prepared to be
amazed at what can grow and provide sanctuary, sustenance, treasure beyond
belief. He is telling us that the
ordinary and indeed often slightly dodgy, occasionally smelly things of this
world can, with faith and the grace of God, be beautiful and impactful for the
kingdom.
But we still drag
our feet, uncertain, unsure of our role in this, finding excuses for keeping
heaven that safe distant future/place in the sky.
One of the
ordinary things we believe really isn’t enough is our faith – not confident,
not enough, not effective.
No excuses: listen
to this poem from Tom Gordon[1]:
It’s so small, this faith of mine,
too frail, too basic to be called a ‘faith’;
too unformed, too inadequate to make a difference;
but here it is; it’s all I have – even though it still
looks so small, this faith of mine.
It’s so small, this commitment of mine,
too gentle, too diffident to have the name of
‘commitment’;
too uncertain, too incomplete to make a difference;
but here it is; it’s all I have – even if it sounds so
small, this commitment of mine.
It’s so small, this passion of mine,
too weak, too tentative to have the label ‘passion’;
too unglamorous; too unsure to make a difference;
but here it is; it’s all I have – even if it feels so small, this passion of
mine.
Ok, but doesn’t the mustard seed grow into a fruitful
bush?
And your tiny faith…..
And can’t the smallest shoot develop into a blossoming
shrub?
And your smallness of commitment….?
And can’t the tiny bud burst into a glorious bloom?
And your little passion….?
So bring your little faith and see it bear fruit;
bring your little commitment and see it blossom;
bring your little passion and see it bloom.
Remember the mustard seed?
Even such smallness has potential.
The kingdom of
heaven is like this – Jesus, us, love and faith! Amen.
Margaret Garland
No comments:
Post a Comment