Scripture Reflections

For the last three Sundays, our Gospel readings have come from Matthew 13, which is the third of five great “discourses” in Matthew. In each of these discourses, Jesus teaches on a particular topic. As an itinerant teacher, Jesus gave way more than five extended sermons (read the Gospel of John for some that Matthew leaves out), but Matthew only records five, because he wants us to see Jesus as the new and greater Moses, and Moses wrote five books.
 
This third discourse, which is made up entirely of parables, is about the kingdom of God. It answers the questions, “Why aren’t more people responding to the kingdom of God, and what will God do about it?” Jesus had been announcing the kingdom of God and demonstrating it by healing and delivering people, and yet, strangely, most people rejected the message. The disciples must have been struggling with a sense of failure, and so Jesus tells them a string of parables to explain what is happening.  The soils, the wheat and tares, the mustard seed, the leaven, the hidden treasure, the pearl of great value, and the dragnet all answer the questions, “Why is the kingdom so small? Why are people walking away from it? Will it ever grow? What will God do about the people who are working against it?”
 
In a simple sense, all of these parables call for the disciples to have patience—not the patience that comes from resignation or despair, but instead the patience that springs from hope and faith. The kingdom looks small? Have patience; it grows slowly but will become huge! Some people are fighting against the kingdom? Have patience; God will sort things out in the judgment. The kingdom is tiny and overlooked? Have patience; pearls are like that, even though they are worth more than everything you own!
 
We need this sort of patience when we examine our own lives. Each Christian is a microcosm of the kingdom of God. Parts of our lives are like the bad soil, the weeds in a field of wheat, a piece of as-of-yet unleavened bread. We wonder when we will be fully committed, fully transformed, fully cleaned out. Just as he said to his disciples, through these parables Jesus says to us, “Have patience. The yeast of the Gospel will leaven the whole of your life in due time. The seed will grow. The tares will be torn out and thrown away. The good soil will bear fruit.”
 
As you are made aware of the places where your faith is weak, your obedience clumsy and half-hearted, and your heart still impure, have patience! But again, not the sort of patience that springs from resignation, but instead the patience that comes from expecting God to continue working out his kingdom in your life as you submit to him.
 
In Christ,
Steven+