Small But Priceless: Your Kingdom Come
Matt. 13:31-33, 44-46 July 6, 2003
Intro:
Joanne, Thomas and I spent most of our vacation in the US, in the Columbia River Gorge between Washington and Oregon. We had a good time! It has been a while since I was in the States, and I really noticed a change. For the first time, I really felt like I was in a completely different country. Their were flags everywhere – on houses, in vehicles, on stores – far more than we see in Canada. Their were signs everywhere too – “Support our troops!”, “Buy US grown fruit and vegetables and support our farms!”, “Proud to be American!” Now I know Americans wouldn’t like me using the word “kingdom” to describe their country, but in a very real way I felt like I was in a different kingdom from what I was used to.
Over the course of the summer, I want to explore with you another Kingdom that we might find quite a bit different from where we live – the Kingdom of God. There are quite a few instances where, as Jesus was teaching, He would say: “The Kingdom of God is like…”, and would then tell a parable illustrating one aspect of what the Kingdom of God is like.
We believe that we are living in the Kingdom of God already. We have been talking about that over the past several months – how the Kingdom of God is the reign of God, and to the extent that we seek this Kingdom and choose to live in obedience, we experience that reign and that Kingdom in our lives. We recognize a greater fulfillment after this life – we look forward to living completely and without opposition and without hindrance in the eternal Kingdom – that is a great source of encouragement and hope which we should not feel shy about holding onto. But we also recognize that we begin living in that Kingdom here and now as we seek to let God reign. It is basically like the eternal is invading the now.
And so I want to take a deeper look at what this Kingdom of God looks like – how it works – what that means for how we live.
Expectation v. Reality:
As we jump into the four parables I want to look at today (don’t worry, they are each only a verse or so long; and together they make only two main points…), we need to begin by recognizing the context. The Jews were desperately waiting for the Kingdom of God. They had great expectations – great anticipations of what this Kingdom was going to look like and was going to do for them. They believed that it would be a great and mighty Kingdom, that it would come in great and sudden power, and that it would put all their enemies under their feet and deliver them from oppression and servitude. They thought this would come with the raising up of an earthly leader who would lead them all in battle and dominate the world, as David had done, perhaps even accompanied with a mighty heavenly deliverance such as the nation knew under the leadership of Moses. The Kingdom was going to be one of power and might – it would be unmistakable and would unsettle the entire political landscape of the world.
But Jesus had a different idea in mind…
Matt 13:31-33
All four of the parables I want to look at are recorded in Matt. 13. The first two are back to back in vs. 31-33, and they make the same point – a point radically different from the current Kingdom expectations. read
Mustard Seed/Yeast
Those of you who like to garden or who like to bake bread can identify with the images Jesus is using. Jesus says the Kingdom is like a tiny, almost un-noticeable mustard seed. Easy to miss – easy to ignore. Certainly not impressive as you look at it in its present form. Yet, contained within, is life. And given time and the proper conditions, it will grow into something which is definitely noticeable and impressive, and useful.
So also with the yeast. Yeast is an organism, again minute and un-noticeable. Easy to miss, certainly not impressive. Yet again, contained within, is life. And if we take just a small amount, and knead it into a large amount of flour, it will work all through the dough and cause the loaf to rise. It will have a huge impact far beyond it’s size.
Jesus says that is what the Kingdom of God is like. It starts small. It takes time. It grows from within. And it permeates and changes and benefits others all around.
What does this mean for you?
How do you react to that? Jesus says the Kingdom of God is not going to parachute into our world like a mighty army, designed to shock and awe our adversaries and overwhelm them with a grand show of might and power. It isn’t a case of a snap of the fingers and everything is different. It isn’t a 60 minute galactic confrontation to which we have front row seats. It isn’t march into a place where people don’t know Jesus and call everyone together for a 3 point sermon followed by a couple of miracles and then bam – everyone goes home saved. Instead, it is like a mustard seed. It is like a little bit of yeast.
I think I’m generally a patient person, but this stretches me. I find myself like the people of Jesus’ day, wanting the Kingdom of God to come in great power immediately. Wanting God to parachute in and snap His fingers and squash His enemies and save people. One of the underlying lies of our Western culture is that that is the way things should be – quick and easy and overwhelming. But character is not like that, and our character is what God is interested in and what identifies us as part of God’s Kingdom – a Christ-like character.
Instead, the Kingdom of God needs to be planted in us and nurtured over time. It needs to be worked through us like the yeast – kneaded until it permeates our whole being.
What does this mean for your neighbour?
The same is true for those around us, with whom we desire to share the good stuff of the Kingdom of God. It starts small, it grows over time, it has to permeate and work from within. This takes place in the context of relationships of trust, which we build and then use to enable conversation. The results are noticeable – powerful – life changing! The mustard seed grows to a large bush, the yeast causes the whole loaf to at least double in size. But they both do so over time and not in an instant. The power is revealed as we look backwards and see how much has changed over time.
The Point:
With both of these parables, Jesus is making the same point. The Kingdom of God is here. It might not look the way you expect – it might seem tiny and insignificant – but it is here. And it will change the world.
Two Treasures – Matt 13:44-46
The second two parables are back to back in vss. 44-46. Now the setting has changed a little bit – the first two parables were public teaching, but vs. 36 tells us that Jesus is now alone with His disciples inside a house. read
The first treasure is hidden in a field, and then discovered, it seems, quite by accident. It was somewhat common in Jesus day to hide a valuable treasure by burying it, and there is some evidence that poor people dreamt about finding these in a similar way that today people dream about winning the lottery. Having stumbled across this treasure, the man sells everything so that he can buy the field and with it, the treasure that is hidden within. The second parable speaks of another treasure – one that a merchant has been earnestly seeking, deliberately trying to discover. This treasure is a pearl, apparently considered even more valuable than gold. He too, upon discovery, sells everything to buy this one pearl of great price.
Still small, but also priceless
I see these two parables picking up the point of the first two. Once again, the Kingdom of God is described by Jesus as something small that many might pass by. A pearl is not very large. A treasure buried in the ground is not going to command the attention of every passerby. But these two take us one step deeper: not only is the Kingdom something that others might miss, it is of incredible value. In fact, it is worth giving up everything for.
A Little Extreme?
Does the response of the two people in these parable seem a little bit extreme to you? I mean, surely the merchant at least should know better – he’s a business man, he should know something about diversification of assets. What if the bottom falls out of the pearl market? He should spread it out, cover his investments, plan for unexpected contingencies.
But that is exactly the point. The treasure is of such great value that it is well worth giving up everything to get it.
And that is the Kingdom of God.
We talk about the cost of discipleship, and so we should. We read about Jesus saying, “take up your cross and follow me,” and, “whoever wants to save their lives must lose it,” and we read about Paul talking about crucifying our old selves. And we are right to talk about those things. But I really like how Jesus positions this truth in these two parables – it is worth it! The Kingdom of God is a priceless treasure. Others around you might think you are crazy, they might counsel you to keep this whole religion thing in its proper perspective and not get fanatical, they might react strongly against you selling everything to get the treasure. But once you’ve discovered the treasure, once you’ve tasted it, once you’ve experienced what it is like to be under the reign of God as a child of His Kingdom, you know the truth. It is worth it!
So yes, it is a little extreme. It is complete. They do sell it all to take hold of the treasure. And they know it is worth it.
To The Heart:
Jesus’ teachings, especially in the parables, have a way of getting right to the heart. With respect to these last two especially, they ask us some pretty demanding questions.
Where do you find yourself in the story? Maybe you are like the merchant, and have searched long and hard for the treasure of the Kingdom of God. You’ve read, investigated, conversed, and finally caught a glimpse of the truth and beauty and value of the Kingdom. Or maybe you are like the other guy, and you found the treasure without ever having to embark on long search. But you also have now found the treasure.
Now what? That I think is Jesus’ question hidden in the parable. Now that you’ve found it, what are you going to do with it? You’re not going to steal the treasure, so you hide it in the ground again and go away, or you leave the pearl with its original owner while you make a decision. Notice in the parable that Jesus told, there is no interval of indecision – no hesitation. The response is swift, and it is complete. That makes sense to me for this reason – when we meet God and encounter His Kingdom, we are always faced with decision. And if we walk away, we start to second guess our experience. “Maybe that treasure in the ground was fake… Maybe I’ll sell everything and buy the field, and when I get back someone else will have found it and taken it… Maybe I’m better off just staying where I am and not taking the risk of change.”
Let me encourage you not to delay deciding in favor of God’s Kingdom, whenever you encounter it. When you hear God speak, obey at once! When you have met Him and caught a glimpse of His Kingdom, go with your Spirit and act on what you have seen.
And let me encourage you with this also: the cost is worth it. Both of these people sold everything to obtain the treasure. That is the price. That is what Jesus asks of us still. You see, since the Kingdom of God is God’s reign in our lives, being a part of His Kingdom means letting Him reign over every part. Over our time. Over our money. Over our family relationships, our business relationships, our social relationships. It means letting Him set our priorities. It means living in obedience rather than in rebellion. It means selling everything.
And the point Jesus is trying to make in these two parables is simply this: what you receive in return is far more valuable. The Kingdom is worth it!
In Joy
Let me make one closing observation from verse 44: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” Three little words I want you to notice: “in his joy”. This was not a reluctant sacrifice, but rather was an act of joy. It wasn’t pulling teeth, it was celebration.
And that is what the Kingdom of God is like. It might be small like a mustard seed or a bit of yeast, but it is here. And when it is discovered, we have the great privilege of joyfully selling all we have here – all that is temporary and transitory – for the incredible treasure of God.
If you have stumbled upon this treasure, you understand what Jesus is talking about, and I encourage you to place everything under His reign. If you haven’t, I encourage you to seek it with all of your heart. You will discover how great it really is.
