The Surprising Kingdom of God – Matthew 13

A text – Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

13:31 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field;
13:32 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.”
13:33 He 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.”
13:44 “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.
13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls;
13:46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
13:47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind;
13:48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.
13:49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous
13:50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13:51 “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.”
13:52 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.”

A reflection:

Jesus used these tiny parables to try to describe the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven that was breaking into people’s world here on Earth. This kingdom was different, unexpected. This kingdom that Jesus was describing in all of these comparisons was a kingdom that could surprise you and bring you abundance. This kingdom of heaven was ruled by a God who was continually creating a trustworthy world instead of one ready to harm you or take you captive or control you, the way most kingdoms (like Rome) did.

The mustard seed is small, much smaller than an acorn, for example, but it becomes a big tree or bush, large enough to shelter creatures. The yeast fills less than a spoon but it leavens 2-3 loaves of bread. The treasure is small enough to hide, to bury, but it’s worth the price of the whole field to have it, and the buyer is overjoyed when he has come up with the money to buy it. The pearl is more precious than all the other jewels the merchant has, so he eagerly trades everything just to own it. And the net, as Peter and his fisherman friends all know very well, is an ordinary net that miraculously caught a mighty number of fish of all kinds.

These are examples of a small or ordinary thing producing an amazingly large result, producing joy, producing abundance. Everything that is of value God will provide for us in this Kingdom of heaven. And we will have joy living in it.

The latter verses speak of those who reject the Kingdom of God. But the prevailing message remains: notice all the good and abundant things, know they are from your trustworthy God who has already promised them to you, and accept this goodness and enjoy it. It is yours, abundantly. Who would refuse it?

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for providing the Kingdom of Heaven, for promising it to us, and for keeping your promises so abundantly. Help us to see the joy in your Kingdom and to accept your great gifts with pleasure.  Amen.