Matthew
13:31-33, 44-52
Like
Nothing We Have Known
The kingdom of heaven is like so
many things, yet it is like nothing we have ever known. The kingdom is so different that the best
Jesus can do is to give us images, images which might allow us a peek. Glimpses of that which can be illuminated
through so many things - yet is unlike any thing we have ever seen. The kingdom of heaven is like so many things,
yet it is unlike anything we have ever experienced.
Even so, Jesus realized the
importance of giving his disciples a glimpse.
Jesus felt the need to share with those who would follow him an insight
to this mysterious thing called the kingdom.
He understood how important this would be to them as they continued the
ministry of proclaiming the kingdom's arrival.
It was important for them; it remains important for us.
In Mark, Luke and John, the
reference is to the Kingdom of God.
Matthew, the Jewish writer of a gospel, finds it difficult to freely use
the proper name. Thus, he prefers to
substitute "kingdom of heaven." A concordance check reveals how often Jesus
spoke of this "kingdom" as opposed to speaking of heaven itself. The kingdom of heaven is wider and more
inclusive than the image we carry in our minds of an exclusive country club,
reserved for the righteous. The kingdom
may be like some of our mental images, but it cannot be fully captured in those
images either.
Our first parable makes precisely
this point. The kingdom of heaven is
like a mustard seed, it may appear very small in its beginning, but it
quickly grows into something larger than believed possible. The kingdom of heaven appears to be an
innocent reference to a place were God reigns - but it rapidly expands to
include so much more.
Remember the story of Jesus as he
approaches the city of Jerusalem? He
laments over the city's inability to receive her prophets. He acknowledges that Jerusalem stones those
who are sent to her; the inhabitants of the city murder those whom God
sends. Jesus knows this, Jesus
acknowledges this, and yet he cries for the city. He will not feel bitterness against them.
Contrast this with how quickly we write
off those whom we consider to be uncooperative with God and God's plan. We are very fast to cry out against the
sinners. Thomas Aquinas wrote that it
would bring the Christians in heaven an added joy to watch the evildoers burn
in hell. The kingdom of heaven does not
include such past-times. The inhabitants
of the kingdom lament the fate of non-believers.
Seemingly small - the kingdom which
Jesus describes is large enough to encompass more than we realize. It grows and provides shelter to all those in
need of rest. The kingdom of heaven is
not exclusive - it is inclusive. It
welcomes all to come and live within its shade.
The kingdom of heaven is like
yeast. It does not exist for itself;
rather its purpose is to have an impact on that with which it comes into
contact.
Heaven, and talk of heaven, so often
centers on MY getting to that blessed and promised place. All too often, talk of heaven becomes some
sort of a pep-rally, encouraging us to strive for the prize. The kingdom of heaven is different. In the kingdom, one loses oneself in the
process of impacting the lives of others.
The yeast interacts until the whole loaf is leavened.
This is one of my favorite measures
of faithfulness. I find myself listening
to religious talk with an ear trained to pick up on references to what the
individual thinks they will get from all of this - - - as opposed to references
to the good which will come for others.
In the kingdom, we are the leaven which makes the loaf rise.
It is important to me to consider
the impact the followers of Jesus have upon the world, especially as we
consider the next two parables. In
these, Jesus addresses the insurmountable worth of this kingdom. It is like a treasure found in a field or a
pearl of great value. In these, Jesus is
stating what he will repeat time and again; Seek ye first the kingdom of God. There is nothing which is to be a higher priority.
But I can only imagine myself making
the kingdom my first priority - I can only believe that it is the pearl of
great worth - when I am allowed to see the kingdom as a reunion of all
that God has made. It can only be the
precious treasure, hidden in a field, if it includes more than the pious few.
Don’t you just hate it when you hear
someone expounding their “I got mine, too bad about you” theology? It is so disappointing to encounter that
mindset which seems to rejoice in the leaving behind of others. How terribly self-centered, to allow
ourselves to fixate on our eternal fate while ignoring the ones whom Christ
came to save.
We Protestants are quick to
criticize the Roman Catholic Church's practice of veneration of the
saints. But in our criticism, we may
have lost the very important lesson contained in this veneration. The Saints remind us that there is no greater
act of faith than to pray for others.
When we call upon the saints, we are asking those who have proven their
faithfulness to include us in their prayers.
Calling upon a saint is a reminder that God's most faithful children are
those who devote their lives to intercession on behalf of sinners. In asking the saints to pray for us, we are
reminded that salvation will only come when all are saved.
A wide net is cast into the
sea. It catches fish of every kind. Our fifth parable acknowledges that contained
within the net are the bad and the good.
The kingdom of heaven is like such a net - it reaches out to gather
everyone. It pulls them in and does not concern
itself with differentiating between the good and the bad.
Heaven may be the exclusive country
club for the pious. But the kingdom of
heaven welcomes us all, leaving the final division to God and God's angels.
The kingdom of heaven is like so
many things, yet it is unlike anything we have ever known. Jesus asks his disciples if they have
understood this. He tells them that to
understand means they will pull out of their resources much which is old, much
which is new. It is this blending
together which makes them priests of the kingdom.
We can hold on to our tried and true
notions of what heaven is like. We can
bring those old images out and share them with others around us. But as scribes for the kingdom, we must also
set before others this new vision of a kingdom where God's reign is secure,
where all of creation is welcome.
The kingdom is like so many things,
yet it is unlike anything we have ever experienced. May these glimpses move us ever closer to
this marvelous gift of God.
Amen.
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