Matthew 13:31-33
1|Page Kerrisdale Presbyterian Church “An extravagant gift and an extravagant response” EDITED Scripture: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-50; Romans 8:26-39; Psalm 105:1-11,45b Hymns: Come sing, O church, in joy 757; Seek ye first 625; More precious than silver [insert]; God, whose giving knows no ending 663 August 24, 2014 Rev. Steve Filyk Let us pray. “Lord Jesus, we do the best we can to be your church. Despite our faith, we become discouraged. Our efforts don’t seem to yield many results. We try to reach out to the world, but the world doesn’t seem to respond to our appeals. Though we try to be welcoming and accepting, few will be gathered with us [today]. Help us not to lose heart. Keep us focused upon the work you are doing among us to bring your kingdom into reality. Enable us to see things, not as the world looks at things, but as you see things. Amen.”i Earlier this summer I was chatting with a colleague, Another minister.
She spoke about her husband, an electrician. She noted that the hours are long, And the work is hard, But that the rewards are very apparent. The money is good. So good, it is hard for him to turn down jobs. And he has no problem keeping busy. He doesn’t have a website. I don’t think he even has business cards. His work is entirely based on referrals. People seek him out. My colleague spoke about her husband. And then, reflecting on her own work, asked me: “Wouldn’t it be nice to be part of something successful?” Wouldn’t it be nice to be part Of something successful? Life in the church often seems so different. We have good people, smart people, talented people. We put in the effort; we work hard. But even when we advertise, Few seem to take notice. Few people are interested in buying what we In the church are selling.
We were talking about challenges of our work.
This can be discouraging can’t it?
I know what you’re thinking: For people who work an hour a week Minsters sure can complain a lot.
We don’t want to invest in what is dying We want to invest in something that has a future. Something that will be a success.
She wasn’t complaining about the workload…
2|Page Today we heard some parables from the Gospel of Matthew. These parables speak of the church, That new kingdom that God has inaugurated In Jesus’ ministry. It’s interesting to consider the placement of these particular parables in Jesus’ ministry And in Matthew’s Gospel. As one commentator notes: “Jesus has preached his beautiful sermon on the mount. He has performed some amazing signs and wonders. He has spoken beguilingly about the kingdom of heaven.
What do we think of When someone mentions the word ‘kingdom’? We think of wealth, and prosperity. A place like Buckingham Palace Which has 775 rooms and is decorated With priceless artwork. Or a country like Qatar Whose residents boast the world’s highest per capita income. Whose capital city has 50 tower construction projects on the go. Kingdom…
His disciples have left everything and have ventured forth to follow him.
The word speaks of wealth and prosperity And it connotes might and power.
And yet, a long way into the journey, things do not feel like an outbreak of the kingdom of heaven. From time to time he has attracted some impressive crowds, but one has the impression that by this point in Matthew the crowds are starting to dwindle.
When we hear of Russian forays into Eastern Ukraine, With little repercussions from her neighbours. We start regarding her as an empire We start thinking of her president As her king, her Czar.
How can it be that the kingdom of heaven consists of this unimpressive little band of disciples gathered here?ii
Kingdom…
It’s at this point Jesus teaches his followers A little more about his kingdom: The kingdom of heaven is like: A mustard seed, Some yeast A hidden treasure, A long-sought-for pearl, A fishing net. Interesting choice of descriptors, aren’t they? I mean when Jesus mentions that word ‘kingdom’ Can you imagine what his first listening would have thought of?
Jesus describes God’s work Among his followers as a kingdom. And yet this is a kingdom of ‘heaven’. And it is unlike the other kingdoms we are familiar with. Jesus doesn’t allude To things great and mighty When he speaks of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus describes this kingdom Using examples that are homey and humble, Jesus describes this kingdom by telling tales about items that are small or hidden.
3|Page
Jesus talks about a lowly mustard plant. Its seed is a symbol of the tiniest thing, and the plant it produces is a trash tree, or more accurately, a trash bush, no matter how tall it gets.iii Jesus then leaves the garden and moves to the kitchen. He describes the kingdom in terms of leaven Which may be useful when it comes to baking bread But in his own religious tradition symbolised corruption and impurity. Of course there is an incredible power An effectiveness in both seed and yeast. The seed grows into a bush that becomes a safe haven for winged creatures. The yeast works among the flour and water Until there is enough food for a wedding feast. And yet this kingdom’s power and effectiveness is so easily overshadowed by those grandiose displays of other kingdoms. For the growth of this kingdom is organic and the action of this kingdom is slow. These great gifts will remain unnoticed by most Unless like a treasure in a field, They are stumbled upon by accident. These incredible gifts will remain unnoticed by most Unless for some reason they are looked after, sought after Like a merchant on the hunt for a rare gem. The kingdom of heaven is not readily apparent, Like all the other earthy kingdoms.
But when we notice it When that kingdom grabs our attention… At the start of my sermon I mentioned how my colleague was reflecting on her husband’s business. How she was lamenting that her own work in the church Seemed so much less successful than his work, Outside of it. Somewhere in the conversation, Or one before it, she told me another story. She spoke of a visitor who came to worship one Sunday morning. He was wearing a bright orange track suit. He was scruffy in appearance. She thought he had just come by for a handout. He looked scary. He looked like he had just gotten out of jail. But he wasn’t looking for money. And he showed up again the next Sunday. It was then that an elderly couple in the community reached out to him, Had him over for dinner. And soon he was a regular part of the community: Mowing the church lawn, Sitting on the church board. As it turns out he had been living on the edge; He had nearly found himself in jail. The church seemed to be a place of refuge: A place for him to get his bearings And get sorted out.
4|Page He’s since moved on. But he seems to be in a better place. The elderly couple, who first reached out to him, later told their minister That they think the church was simply That next step forward for him. Is this a story of success? It somehow withers in comparison To Buckingham Palace’s marble staircases, Or Doha’s exotic skyline. It doesn’t draw attention like one nation’s Occupation of another. This success, if you want to call it that, is somehow more akin to a shrub that takes root in your backyard and becomes a home for a family of chickadees. i
Prayer written by William H. Willimon “July 27, 2014 -Small Is Beautiful; 7th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12)” Pulpit Resource ii William H. Willimon “July 27, 2014 -Small Is Beautiful; 7th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12)” Pulpit Resource
It is akin To a batch of fresh-baked bread Coming out of the oven. Less spectacular than the achievements Of the world’s other kingdoms. And yet there is something incredibly powerful About God using a community To bring someone just another step forward to wholeness. Maybe this is the sort of success That we should be paying attention to. Maybe this sort of success Is worth a greater investment of our own lives. Amen. iii
See Talitha J. Arnold “Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52; Pastoral Perspective” Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary - Feasting on the Word – Year A, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season After Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16).
She spoke about her husband, an electrician. She noted that the hours are long, And the work is hard, But that the rewards are very apparent. The money is good. So good, it is hard for him to turn down jobs. And he has no problem keeping busy. He doesn’t have a website. I don’t think he even has business cards. His work is entirely based on referrals. People seek him out. My colleague spoke about her husband. And then, reflecting on her own work, asked me: “Wouldn’t it be nice to be part of something successful?” Wouldn’t it be nice to be part Of something successful? Life in the church often seems so different. We have good people, smart people, talented people. We put in the effort; we work hard. But even when we advertise, Few seem to take notice. Few people are interested in buying what we In the church are selling.
We were talking about challenges of our work.
This can be discouraging can’t it?
I know what you’re thinking: For people who work an hour a week Minsters sure can complain a lot.
We don’t want to invest in what is dying We want to invest in something that has a future. Something that will be a success.
She wasn’t complaining about the workload…
2|Page Today we heard some parables from the Gospel of Matthew. These parables speak of the church, That new kingdom that God has inaugurated In Jesus’ ministry. It’s interesting to consider the placement of these particular parables in Jesus’ ministry And in Matthew’s Gospel. As one commentator notes: “Jesus has preached his beautiful sermon on the mount. He has performed some amazing signs and wonders. He has spoken beguilingly about the kingdom of heaven.
What do we think of When someone mentions the word ‘kingdom’? We think of wealth, and prosperity. A place like Buckingham Palace Which has 775 rooms and is decorated With priceless artwork. Or a country like Qatar Whose residents boast the world’s highest per capita income. Whose capital city has 50 tower construction projects on the go. Kingdom…
His disciples have left everything and have ventured forth to follow him.
The word speaks of wealth and prosperity And it connotes might and power.
And yet, a long way into the journey, things do not feel like an outbreak of the kingdom of heaven. From time to time he has attracted some impressive crowds, but one has the impression that by this point in Matthew the crowds are starting to dwindle.
When we hear of Russian forays into Eastern Ukraine, With little repercussions from her neighbours. We start regarding her as an empire We start thinking of her president As her king, her Czar.
How can it be that the kingdom of heaven consists of this unimpressive little band of disciples gathered here?ii
Kingdom…
It’s at this point Jesus teaches his followers A little more about his kingdom: The kingdom of heaven is like: A mustard seed, Some yeast A hidden treasure, A long-sought-for pearl, A fishing net. Interesting choice of descriptors, aren’t they? I mean when Jesus mentions that word ‘kingdom’ Can you imagine what his first listening would have thought of?
Jesus describes God’s work Among his followers as a kingdom. And yet this is a kingdom of ‘heaven’. And it is unlike the other kingdoms we are familiar with. Jesus doesn’t allude To things great and mighty When he speaks of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus describes this kingdom Using examples that are homey and humble, Jesus describes this kingdom by telling tales about items that are small or hidden.
3|Page
Jesus talks about a lowly mustard plant. Its seed is a symbol of the tiniest thing, and the plant it produces is a trash tree, or more accurately, a trash bush, no matter how tall it gets.iii Jesus then leaves the garden and moves to the kitchen. He describes the kingdom in terms of leaven Which may be useful when it comes to baking bread But in his own religious tradition symbolised corruption and impurity. Of course there is an incredible power An effectiveness in both seed and yeast. The seed grows into a bush that becomes a safe haven for winged creatures. The yeast works among the flour and water Until there is enough food for a wedding feast. And yet this kingdom’s power and effectiveness is so easily overshadowed by those grandiose displays of other kingdoms. For the growth of this kingdom is organic and the action of this kingdom is slow. These great gifts will remain unnoticed by most Unless like a treasure in a field, They are stumbled upon by accident. These incredible gifts will remain unnoticed by most Unless for some reason they are looked after, sought after Like a merchant on the hunt for a rare gem. The kingdom of heaven is not readily apparent, Like all the other earthy kingdoms.
But when we notice it When that kingdom grabs our attention… At the start of my sermon I mentioned how my colleague was reflecting on her husband’s business. How she was lamenting that her own work in the church Seemed so much less successful than his work, Outside of it. Somewhere in the conversation, Or one before it, she told me another story. She spoke of a visitor who came to worship one Sunday morning. He was wearing a bright orange track suit. He was scruffy in appearance. She thought he had just come by for a handout. He looked scary. He looked like he had just gotten out of jail. But he wasn’t looking for money. And he showed up again the next Sunday. It was then that an elderly couple in the community reached out to him, Had him over for dinner. And soon he was a regular part of the community: Mowing the church lawn, Sitting on the church board. As it turns out he had been living on the edge; He had nearly found himself in jail. The church seemed to be a place of refuge: A place for him to get his bearings And get sorted out.
4|Page He’s since moved on. But he seems to be in a better place. The elderly couple, who first reached out to him, later told their minister That they think the church was simply That next step forward for him. Is this a story of success? It somehow withers in comparison To Buckingham Palace’s marble staircases, Or Doha’s exotic skyline. It doesn’t draw attention like one nation’s Occupation of another. This success, if you want to call it that, is somehow more akin to a shrub that takes root in your backyard and becomes a home for a family of chickadees. i
Prayer written by William H. Willimon “July 27, 2014 -Small Is Beautiful; 7th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12)” Pulpit Resource ii William H. Willimon “July 27, 2014 -Small Is Beautiful; 7th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12)” Pulpit Resource
It is akin To a batch of fresh-baked bread Coming out of the oven. Less spectacular than the achievements Of the world’s other kingdoms. And yet there is something incredibly powerful About God using a community To bring someone just another step forward to wholeness. Maybe this is the sort of success That we should be paying attention to. Maybe this sort of success Is worth a greater investment of our own lives. Amen. iii
See Talitha J. Arnold “Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52; Pastoral Perspective” Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary - Feasting on the Word – Year A, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season After Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16).
