It Costs Everything!
This is the reflection sent to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church. What are your thoughts?
47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” 52And 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.”
Pearl
Gospel: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
31[Jesus] put before [the crowds] another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field;32it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
44“The kingdom of heaven is like 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.
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
44“The kingdom of heaven is like 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.
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.51“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” 52And 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.”
In the movies, haven’t we seen people hiding money in their mattresses? When Jesus physically lived on the earth, it was not unusual for people to hide valuables in “safe” places, like the ground. We see an example of this in the third parable. That hidden treasure was so important and precious that when someone found it, he sold all he had to purchase the entire field.
The next parable, that of the pearl is paired with the hidden treasure parable. It too was about finding one thing of value—something for which one would give up everything.
“The kingdom of heaven is like…” We cannot see in these parables exact correlations between the images in the parables and life in the reign of God, but it is the entire story in a parable that is like the kingdom of heaven—not just the hidden treasure or pearl, but those things and the finding of them and the sacrifices made to possess them. They are parables of discovery.
The sacrifices are what we may call the way of the cross. In each of these parables, those who have found the treasure or the pearl have in essence, traded up. Nothing they may sacrifice can compare to the awesome value of the treasure or pearl they have gained.
Isn’t it like that when we follow Jesus? There is sacrifice and giving of ourselves. But what we may give up pales in comparison to Jesus’ sacrifice for us and it’s nothing compared to what we receive; not just in the life to come, but in this life. Personally, I don’t know how I would manage in these stressful days if it wasn’t for the Lord Jesus and his life in me by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s pray. Dear Lord, in uncertain times such as these, help us to hear your voice guiding us, showing us the way, and whispering to us your words of love and care. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Buried treasurePearl
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