Sermon Notes for July 27 - Proper 12 - Matthew 13: 31-33; 44-49a May I share some thoughts about this scripture? I do this, not that I am a great homilist, but as a therapeutic exercise for me. Clergy are welcome to use the notes without credit. The Gospel reading for this Sunday concentrates on the Kingdom of God, its composition, attributes, and effects. There are five examples given by Jesus. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed. The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl of great price. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet. One might think there is hardly much connection among these examples, yet when closely examined they appear to build on each other. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed. Jesus describes this seed as the smallest of all seeds but when it is planted in the ground and germinates it becomes large enough in which birds can build their nests. In this parable Jesus is speaking about the small beginnings not to be discounted because with proper nourishment they can grow into something enormous enough to be a place of refuge. You may never know what result may occur from the simplest thing you say, and how your words may affect a listener. As a preacher of sermons you are not alone in questioning what fruit your words produce. When I was a pastor I appreciated the kind remarks people gave at the door regarding my sermons, but what meant most was when a remark reflected a point I had made in the sermon and that small part of the message meant something to the hearer. It may have been insignificant as I wrote it or spoke it, but it took root in a hearer’s life and had meaning. The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven. The dictionary defines leaven as a substance that is added to dough to make it ferment and rise. It can be dough reserved from an earlier batch and using it will start the later one to ferment. As yeast, which is leaven, will cause the dough to rise and improves the quality of the bread, so the Kingdom of Heaven is a pervasive influence that modifies and transforms life. Like the mustard seed, the yeast is not enormous but when it is applied to the dough it makes an enormous difference. There are two Kingdoms in this world. The Kingdom of Darkness is that realm in which evil exists and is in conflict with the other Kingdom which is the one Jesus is describing – the Kingdom of Heaven. One is all good; the other is all evil. As members of the Kingdom of Heaven we will influence those around us, and the society in which we live. As one church’s television commercial puts it, the Kingdom of Heaven will “change the world”. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden and upon finding it no price is too great in order to purchase it. The purchase price may be sacrifices we must make in order to abide in that Kingdom and enjoy its privileges. It may mean a radical change in our thinking, in the way in which we live. The man in the parable found this treasure and pursued its purchase as the most important thing in his life. So our conforming to the Kingdom of Heaven must be the most sort after fortune of all times. There is an unspoken part of this parable. The treasure is the People of God. The field is the world. The man who finds this treasure is Jesus, and the price He pays to purchase that treasure is His crucifixion. At no point is the Kingdom of Heaven void of what Jesus has done for our redemption. His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension are the highway signs for the People of God to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. We do not enter it on our own merit but we gain admission to this Kingdom through Jesus. I recall a humorous story of Saint Peter trying to determine how his census of heaven’s occupants who came through his gates was less than the actual occupancy of heaven. He set up an elaborate security system by which he might learn how people were sneaking into heaven pass him. One night the security system’s alarms and lights activated, and there he found Jesus pulling people over the wall into heaven. Only through Jesus do we get into His Kingdom. The Kingdom of Heaven is the pearl of great price. This parable might well relate to the Church. A pearl is formed when a grain of sand gets into the oyster’s shell. The oyster’s natural reaction is to protect itself and secretes a substance around the grain of sand that eventually forms a pearl. This precious and costly gem is the result of pain and suffering on the part of the oyster. Jesus is the man who finds the pearl of great price, and that Pearl is the Church, the Body of Christ. He gives His life as the price for purchasing the People of God. In like manner as the pearl is formed in the oyster, so our giving our lives over to the control of Jesus produces in us a valuable member of His Kingdom. And finally, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet. Fishermen use a dragnet trolling behind the boat. As the boat moves through the water the net catches fish along the way. When the net is full the fisherman will go ashore and remove from the net what he has caught. In the net may be stingrays, jellyfish, and other marine life that are not marketable and he will discard those, but keep the good eatable fish. In the parable the “sea” is the world and Jesus seeks followers among ALL people. The message of salvation goes out to all but only some will receive it. There will come a time when those who receive and accept the message of Salvation will enter the Kingdom of Heaven while those who ignored the message will perish. It would be normal for us to conclude that this eventual outcome pertains to final judgment, but don’t neglect understanding that when a person is without Christ in his life he has already perished. Jesus gives life. Without Christ a person may appear to be alive but as a spiritual being he is already dead. Jesus does not want any to perish. He has come to give life abundant and eternal. What type of marine life are you? Good fish or a species not enjoying the benefits of the Kingdom of Heaven? These brief parables reveal the extent of God’s love for His world and His desire that we live in the GRACE contained in the Kingdom of Heaven. It is then that we enjoy the gifts He gives His people, and be a life-giving blessing to others.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:13:25 +0000
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