We continue with Jesus in the parables as Jesus teaches the twelve and the many with short illustrations about everyday objects that are deep illustrations about the life of faith. Here, Jesus challenges us, if only we had the smallest amount of faith¸ we would see the kingdom of God. But don’t we?
The kingdom of God is first like the tiny mustard seed. A tiny seed that grows into a large bush, providing shade and space for the creatures around it, namely birds. The mustard seed has caught the imagination of many for thousands of years. This illustration is from Babylon, depicting the mustard seed in its horticultural glory. With many, we romanticize the mustard seed with reverence and jewelry. Anyone have a mustard seed necklace or pin? I have both. We hear the words, if you only had faith the size of a mustard seed…
This all seems right, admirable even, until we realize that neither the mustard seed or the yeast were highly regarded by Jesus’ listeners. Mustard seed was a weed that could quickly take over a field. Imagine kudzu, if you have ever been down south, or crabgrass, or even hostas! The mustard seed seemed to take over everywhere. The mustard bushes taking over fields! The Kingdom of God, when allowed to flourish, starts small and transforms into something that gives shelter to many, even if it is not the shelter they might have preferred, and takes over.
Jesus’ listeners might have also bristled when they heard him suggest that the kingdom of God was like a measure of yeast. First of all, yeast, in other scriptures, is used in associated with sin, as in the yeast of the Pharisees and the scribes, the yeast of Herod’s ways. Yeast was not a desirable illustration. What was Jesus saying about this kingdom to which he was referring? An infectious gospel, one that catches fire everywhere. Good news that might lead you to stand up for someone you might not have noticed before. Gospel that might have us looking out for the little ones among us, those who do not have the power to care for themselves. Yeast contaminates what it comes in contact with. This kingdom has the possibility, and the eventuality, to change EVERYTHING!
The parable of the yeast was not just unique because of the contaminant nature of the yeast, which more often referenced sinners, than the desirable growth of the kingdom of God. But yeast was also unique as an illustration, because it was women’s work! Baking bread was one of the seven roles required of women according to the Mishnah. This is along with grinding corn, washing clothes, nursing children, and the like. This does give support to the suggestion that there were women among the disciples as well as the suggestion that Jesus was willing to challenge some of the most traditional assumptions about gender. Jesus used the yeast, a contaminant, to illustrate the contagious nature of sin or the incidental life of women, usually not even worth mentioning. Can you imagine the figuring that Jesus’ listeners were doing by now? Something small, seemingly insignificant can change the whole. Jesus tells us again and again that is what the Kingdom of God is like.
Perhaps, there are those of us who need to hear this reminder when we begin to wonder how in the world is Jesus’ way going to come on earth as it is in heaven – as in the prayer that you and I offer up regularly in the Lord’s prayer. How is it going to be that this world is changed? When we look around and feel as though we are not seeing steady progress towards God’s way. These parables are a reminder that it may not happened in any way that we have imagined.
The kingdom of God is like a treasure found in a field. When found, the person goes all in, sells all that they have in order to buy the field. The treasure in the field has been hidden to everyone else. Certainly, the seller did not realize that they were letting go of such a valuable property with incredible treasure. There is something about the kingdom of God that is hidden to those of us who do not know what we are looking for. But once the buyer realizes the treasure, the buyer is willing to let go of all else, to focus only on the kingdom of God. Would you be willing to do that? The smallest amount of faith changes the world.
The kingdom of God is like a merchant in search of the pearl of great value, who devotes his entire life’s work to finding this one great pearl. And then when finding it, goes all in, selling everything to purchase it. The Kingdom of God is like those who are searching for God, those looking for the treasure of how to live and then, once they find it, going all in to live just like that. The pearl of great price that is worth going all in, not sitting on the sidelines considering our options, shall I believe this? Is it really worth it to help my neighbor, who may or may not appreciate it, anyway. The kingdom of God is like those who follow and seek God with full abandon.
The Kingdom of God is like a net thrown into the sea that catches good and bad fish alike without regard. The kingdom of God is not just one corner of the world or another. The kingdom of God is not just one people or another. The net thrown in catches fish of every kind. The kingdom of God includes people of every kind. Again, this parable remind us about leaving the judging and the figuring, the sorting and the labeling, not the fellow fish, but ultimately to God. The Kingdom of God begins small, from something seemingly insignificant or even, undesirable. The Kingdom of God is sought after, worth going all in for, and does not distinguish between good and bad.
To Jesus’ parables, I want to suggest two modern parables for today. The first of which is the kingdom of God is like a rotten potato. Nothing desirable about a rotten potato. You can almost conjure up the wretched smell as you think about when you grab up the bag of potatoes and find that one has gone rotten inside. The smell does not quickly dissipate and usually comes from finding one rotten potato is to find a bag full of potatoes with that juicy liquid seeping through and contaminating the whole bag of them. I doubt that many of us relish the image of the rotten potato or would even want to be compared to one; perhaps, we have now captured some of the punch of Jesus’ parables and the controversy of his teaching, turning the undesirable and maybe even repulsive into redeemed and ushering in the kingdom of God. Perhaps you and I, as the church are called to be like a contaminant that transforms everything it touches. Changing the world around us.
One other modern day parable, I suggest to capture the smallest bit of faith required to usher in God’s way, kingdom living. There is a story that has been making the rounds this week. I wonder if it caught up with you. It is not a new story, but it is a timely one. In light of the conflicts raging in the Middle East, with the death toll rising and the posturing growing more severe, it is no wonder that this story from last fall has been revisited. In Ramallah, there is a Palestinian woman who has found a different use for tear gas canisters. She has repurposed those weapons of war into containers for life. She and her family have planted flowers in the spent canisters. They are literally turning instruments of war and devastation into instruments of peace and growth.
I find myself wondering if Jesus was illustrating the kingdom of God today, with images that were familiar to common people. Would one of the parables sound like: The Kingdom of God was like a woman who planted flowers in spent tear gas canisters, even hanging them on divisive barbed wire, so that all who see them might be reminded of the peace of the creator and seek God’s way?
It seems small and it seems insignificant, like mustard seed or yeast or a pearl. But listening again to Jesus’ parables is that not where God is calling you and me to be? May the God of the small be known to you today, so that God’s way be infectious to all.
This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, thanks be to God, amen.