Readings
for Proper 12A:
Mt. 13:31-33;44-49a
July 24, 2005
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness…" These are the opening words of our gospel hymn, which summarize the intent of today's gospel. The Kingdom of God (also known as the kingdom of heaven) is a theological term. It describes God's presence, Spirit, and activity in the cosmos. When the kingdom of God comes into its fullness, the whole creation will vibrate in harmony with God's intention. “Behold I am making all things new.” Today's sermon was written with the hope that you will begin to thirst for God's rule in your heart and in the world. And in the midst of this longing for a new creation, you will give all that you are and all that you have, in seeking first, the kingdom of God.
Last week, a parishioner left a little child's book on my desk. The cover had a picture of Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and two little bear-children. At first glance, I thought it was going to be a nice, sentimental story geared for children ages 4-7. But on closer inspection, Papa bear was angry, mama bear looked overwhelmed, and the younger bears were out of control. The title of the Book is: "The Berenstain Bears and too much Pressure." It is the story of a family who is engaged in so many activities, that the family unit begins to break apart under pressure. With soccer, ballet, karate, baseball, swimming, computer club, PTA, council meetings, work, housecleaning, and doctor's appointments, etc, the family no longer has time to visit friends, walk in nature, sit around, and simply enjoy each other's company. By the end of the book, the mother has a meltdown. It is only then that the family members realize they must make major changes in their lives.
Our nature, our passions, our desires, our choices, have gotten so "out of control" that even children's books are pointing out the absurdity of our lifestyles. Just open the newspaper or click on CNN and take an objective look at human behavior. We are obsessed with things, power, money, and violence. We are spinning around in frantic activity which whittles away our zest for life and our intimacy in relationships. It is becoming more difficult for people to hear God's voice among the clutter, and noise, and preoccupations of everyday life. This is why it is so important to pause each Sunday and come together to hear a different story where God is the central character. This is act of hope. Why is that? Because when we stop for a moment to question the status quo; when we finally realize that the world is not in harmony with God's intention; when we hear that peace, justice, and the dignity of every human being can become a possibility; when we open ourselves up to the power of the Holy Spirit; we just might be inspired to seek the kingdom of God first and foremost in our lives.
In today's gospel, Jesus talks about God's kingdom using different parables. A parable is a short, fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or religious principle. "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed…it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree." A mustard seed is about the size of one of those sprinkles that you put on cupcakes to make them look colorful. When full grown, a mustard shrub is about 10-12 feet tall. This parable offers a word of encouragement to those who question their investment in the Christian mission. Looking at the world after 2000 years of Christianity, the reign of God may seem like sheer weakness, a dream, no more than an insignificant mustard seed. But don't be deceived by its modest beginnings. Its final consummation will be great. From the acorn, grows the mighty oak. Small acts of kindness can change the world. With God, all things are possible.
"The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and hid in 50 pounds flour until all of it was leavened…" Imagine the results! This is how the kingdom grows. God is at work in the world today, even though human eyes may fail to perceive what is happening. Remember the events of 1989, when the Berlin Wall was suddenly torn down after decades of oppression? Years of diplomacy by powerful nations were unsuccessful in opening up the East German boarders. Then one day, the people on both sides of the wall, lifted their voices in unison, and the walls came tumbling down. The thirst for truth and justice leavened the souls of the German people for a period of almost 30 years. And then, the light began to shine so brightly, that all falsehood was exposed, and the darkness was finally expelled. Remember, it only takes a spark to get a fire going.
"The kingdom of heaven is like a 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." The kingdom is something of great value, better than anything we could ever have or desire. Understanding this treasure, is perhaps the greatest hump we must get over in our spiritual journey towards transformation. There is an inner reality within each of us that is like a great treasure hidden in the field of our soul, waiting to be discovered. Someone, who finds this inner treasure and recognizes its value, will happily give up all other goals and ambitions in order to make it real in his or her life. This is the moment of true enlightenment.
"The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it." You are the hidden pearls of the kingdom. You are the ones waiting to be discovered so that this world can be blessed by your gift. The only thing that stands in the way of your “true self” is the calcified shells that hide your luster.
While these parables offer many different insights into the kingdom of heaven (or God), they do not specifically define the kingdom itself. Is it here on earth? Is it at the end of time? Is it in our hearts? In the Church? In the world? There are many different models of the kingdom which represent different ideas about how God will save the world.* Seven of these models are presented here:
1. The kingdom of God is a future hope, a new heaven and earth, a cosmic reconciliation, initiated by a final judgement where the bad fish are separated from the good fish. In this model, human history as we know it will end. "My kingdom is not of this world." (Jn. 18:36)
2. The kingdom of God is an inner spiritual experience. In this model, God's presence is experienced in the heart or the soul of the individual believer. "The Kingdom of God is within you." (Lk. 17:21)
3. The kingdom of God is the Church, God's visible institution on earth, which is charge with bringing people to Christ. "You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Mt. 16:18-19)
4. The kingdom of God is a counter-system; a way of conceiving and organizing society that challenges the status quo and the conventional wisdom of the day. It is a way of living now, in radical obedience to the gospel. "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." (Lk. 6:20)
5. The kingdom of God is a political state, a theocracy, where God's commandments become the law of the land and inform all political structures. "Jesus Christ…the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth." (Rev. 1:5)
6. The kingdom of God is a Christianized culture; a culture fully leavened by Christian values, which transform political, economic, and societal institutions. "My servant…will not falter or be discouraged until he establishes justice on earth." (Is. 42:1,4)
7. The kingdom of God is an earthly utopia, a perfect society on earth. "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them." (Is. 11:6)
All of these models of the kingdom envision God’s presence, Spirit, and activity working within the created order. But like the parables, none of these models can fully describe the breath of the kingdom of God. But we need not worry about the exhaustive details. Ultimately, we must come to that place in our spiritual lives, where we realize that the kingdom of God is the kingdom of love. So, "find the door to your heart, and you will discover that it is the door to the kingdom of God." (St. John of Antioch)
*Models of the Kingdom, Howard Snyder, Abingdon Press, 1991.
| Updated 7/30/05 |
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