The Kingdom is Like:
by Debbonnaire Kovacs
by Debbonnaire Kovacs
submitted July 23, 2014
From Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
The kingdom of heaven is like:
… a mustard seed—
It gets buried in dirt and water, then softens and shrivels and breaks open, and a little rootlet comes out, and then a little stem, and eventually a big shrub…but nobody knows how!
… yeast—
It gets buried in flour and water and it starts to secretly bubble and fizz and make chemical reactions that cause little air bubbles to multiply throughout a loaf of bread, making it soft instead of hard. Scientists know how…
…buried treasure—
X marks the spot! It’s worth anything—everything! Sell your house, your car, your life! But get this treasure!
… a merchant—
That’s funny, I always thought it was the pearl of great price that represented the kingdom. But Jesus apparently said the kingdom was the merchant. Oh, yeah…I guess it was Jesus who found the treasure buried in you and me, and traded his life to get us…
… a net—
Everybody belongs to God, actually. It’s not a choice you get to make. You just get to decide if you do or don’t want to be a conscious, willing, intentional participant in the Amazing Way of Love. I think the good and bad can be in your heart, too. It gives me great reassurance to know the evil will be sorted out and cast away, eventually. I am here to tell you from personal experience, it does take weeping and gnashing of teeth. But then you do get better.
I love this part—
"Have you understood all this?" he asks.
(Uh, yeah, sure, Rabbi! Makes perfect sense to me! Lots of head-bobbing, I imagine, and knowledgeable glances shared. Wouldn’t want to look dumb in front of the kids, who always get his stories!)
They answered, "Yes."
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."
What is new and what is old, among the treasures you bring out to share with those you meet on the path?
