1 KINGS 3:5-12

PSALM 119:129-136

ROMANS 8:26-34

MATTHEW 13:31-33,44-49a

Sermon – 7/28/02

We are in the third of three weeks of “parables of the Kingdom” as edited and compiled by St. Matthew in his Gospel. In these parables, Jesus tells us something about what the words “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done” mean in the Lord’s Prayer. These parables tell us how different God’s Kingdom will be from the earthly kingdoms of “con artists” who so often try to get us to set our hearts on their schemes instead of on God’s plans.

First, though, let me explain that Matthew’s phrase “the Kingdom of Heaven” does not refer to “heaven” as Christians usually understand the word (i.e. the abode of the blessed after their individual deaths). Rather, “the Kingdom of heaven” in Matthew’s Gospel is what Mark and Luke refer to as “the Kingdom of God”: the complete and unrestrained reign of God over the world after God judges the living and the dead, destroys evil and ends history. (Matthew uses the term “the Kingdom of heaven” because he was raised as a devout Jew who therefore considered the name of God as too sacred to be pronounced, so he uses this circumlocution.) This reign of God over the world will come, the Christian faith declares – although whether it will come this afternoon or a million years from now no one knows.

In any case, the Kingdom of God will be (and already is) very different from the phony “Kingdoms” promoted by worldly thinking, including worldly thinking which focuses on impressive appearances, or makes phony promises of instant results, or is governed by “politically correct” thinking.

We human beings often get wowed by impressive-looking organizations or structures which suddenly vanish, shrink spectacularly or collapse utterly.

For example: Enron, the amazing disappearing multi-billion dollar corporation. Worldcom, which shrank faster than Alice in Wonderland eating that side of the mushroom. The Soviet Union, the “superpower” which wasn’t nearly as powerful as the CIA told us it was for a generation, and which collapsed like a house of cards.

All these wowed us with their wealth and power, much of which was real only because we believed it was, and which because of that left many casualties of family finances ruined in the case of the corporations, and lives changed for the worse due to foreign and defense policies warped by the contest with a nation with a world-class military – and a third world economy. All were far less than they seemed.

On the contrary, the Kingdom of God is far more than it seems. Acts of love, faithfulness and of joy in God seem like small things matched against the woes of the world, but the biggest Evil Empire – that of sin – will be defeated utterly by God on Judgement Day, and the little acts of compassion to people and dedication to God will grow up into a vast forest of righteousness.

At the 10:30 service with the kids, I will talk about Jesus’ image of the “mustard seed” growing up into a mighty bush by using this oak seedling and talking about the enormous tree it could become.

In contrast to worldly empires which are less than they now appear to be, the Kingdom of God is far more than it now appears to be.

We human beings are also often tempted by phony promises which offer instant results. Remember when lottery tickets were something you had to go to New Hampshire to get? Remember when casinos were in Las Vegas and Monte Carlo, and that was about it? Now both lotteries and casinos have proliferated and millions, instead of thousands, are getting seduced by phony promises of instant riches – and even those who do collect big bucks rarely live happier or better lives afterwards.

Some people indeed can “sell all that they have and buy”...nothing. Nothing except despair and poverty.

In contrast, the Kingdom of God really is “the pearl of great price”, the “treasure hidden in a field” which absolutely is worth “all that we have.” Peace, joy, love and healing forever? If that is not worth “all that we have”, what is?

Thirdly, these days especially we human beings are tempted to believe that there will never be a Judgment Day, that God is simply a Santa Claus so soft that every person in the world is on his “nice” list and no one on the “naughty” list.

Theologically, this is called “universalism”, the belief that everyone will be saved no matter how unbelieving, unrepentant or despicable they are. These days, universalism has been championed most by “politically correct” thinkers, who at their most extreme consider criticism of anyone’s beliefs or behaviors to be not allowed since everyone is believing what they believe and doing what they think is right.

Well yes, they are. Christianity thinks that is the problem – that human beings are acting like 6 billion little gods – while the “p.c. police” think that’s the solution to the world’s ills!

Those who think one religion is just as good as another or that no one should condemn anti-social behavior because people should be able to “express themselves” need to hear the Christian Gospel, including today’s excerpt.

“The Kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind,” Jesus says. “When it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets and threw out the bad! So it will be at the end of the age.”

Sounds straightforward – just as straightforward as last week’s parable about gathering the “wheat” into God’s barn but burning the weeds. The “p.c. police” would have us believe there are no weeds anywhere, nor rotten fish. That must be why the world is in such wonderful shape today.

The Kingdom of God will involve judgement, true value and transformation. So to prepare, let us judge our own behaviors with the help of the Spirit and throw out the bad while keeping the good, let us focus on our heavenly treasure and not on worthless schemes for sudden earthly treasure, let us sow the seeds of faith, joy and love God has given us – which will far outgrow those phony empires which once impressed us.

Let us set one foot in the Kingdom of God today by the way we spend our money and our time today, and participate in the beginning of the transformation of the world.

(The Rev. Francis A. Hubbard

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church