Year A Proper 12 24 July 2011
Genesis 29: 15-28 Psalm 105: 1-11, 45c OR Psalm 128 Romans 8: 26-39 Matthew 13: 31-3, 44-52
When we look into God’s word we find that it isn’t only Jesus who used parables, but that often peoples’ lives were a parable for the promises and the working of God. We find this often and most obviously in the writings and the recorded lives of the prophets, but in this week’s readings we find it also in the 1st reading – in the story of Jacob.
The Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven is the theme running through the readings. One thing that we read about in the Gospel is the parable of how the kingdom is like a mustard seed. It begins tiny and grows to be something of magnitude and a blessing to those in contact with it.
Matthew 13:31, 32 “He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
The kingdom of God is not just a blessing to those who are part of the Kingdom, i.e. us, but when the Kingdom of God grows in our community we find the whole community will be blessed as the Kingdom impacts by showering the community with God’s love and justice. An organisational example of this is the community work of the Salvation Army, the Uniting Church’s Blue Care, Anglicare, St. Vinnies, Lifeline.... just to name a few. But beyond these organisations is the impact that we Christians have as individuals in the lives of those around us. Hopefully, we stand out in the community as true friends, those who are reliable and someone to turn to when the chips are down. Hopefully, we are those in whose company people delight to be because we are people of hope and of Spirit and show the love of God also.
In our first reading we follow the story of Jacob. Here we find the mustard seed. This is the beginning of one of God’s Kingdoms.... the beginning of the Israelite nation. In this story we discover that right there at the beginning was something that Jacob saw as being of great worth. Jacob was in love with Rachel he was prepared to work seven years to make her his wife, but as it turned out he happily worked fourteen years to make her his wife. Wow! Try telling that story to the young couples who are eagerly marrying!
Jacob saw such a treasure in Rachel that he committed his whole life and being into gaining her. Our Gospel tells a similar parable about how the Kingdom of God is like a man who found a treasure and sold all that he had to buy that treasure.
Matthew 13:44-46 ““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.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.””
Do we realize what a treasure the Kingdom of God is? Are we prepared to commit our live and being into gaining the Kingdom of God?
I believe that we forget how great a treasure we have, but if we look at our 2nd reading we are reminded of the amazing gift that we have.
Romans 8:28-30 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
This is an amazing statement of positivity. It doesn’t matter what happens in our life, good or bad.... somehow throughout all, we know that God works all things for the good of those who are called according to his purpose.
Last week we read the psalm that speaks about God knowing us and calling us from the womb (Psalm 139). We find in the reading this week that God foreknew us and he also predestined us to be called. He also has justified us and in this he qualifies us for glory. It is the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice that justifies us. But what do we mean by being justified? Too often we don’t fully grasp the amazing gift and what it means to be justified.
We, in and of ourselves, fall short of God’s glory and are therefore separated from God, but Jesus died as one who was perfect and in union with God. We speak of the belief we have in the one baptism for the forgiveness of sin.... that one baptism is the one that Jesus spoke of when he said, “But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!” Luke 12:50. Jesus was referring to his baptism into the sins of the entire world that he would take to the cross.
The Old Testament explains this forgiveness of sins by means of a “scapegoat” – a goat “baptized” with the sins of the nation. This too was a parable for the role of Jesus. Leviticus 16:21-22 “He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness.”
When hands were laid on the goat it was “baptized” or “immersed” in the sins of the nation. Jesus is our scapegoat, he was immersed in our sins and through his sacrifice we are justified.
Finally we have yet another parable, that of the net. Matthew 13:47-50 ““Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Without taking things too literally, we read that in the 1st reading, although Jacob saw Rachel as his “kingdom”, he ended up with two wives and Leah was caught up into the kingdom of God also. In fact the lineage of Jesus was through Leah.
When we read the parable of the net we notice that all kinds of people are part of the Kingdom of God and not all are considered good. This is similar to the parable of the wheat and the weeds, where both were permitted to grow together and were separated at the end of the age. A wrong interpretation of this parable could lead to judgment within the Kingdom of God. Note that we are not those who collect the good and throw away the bad – this is solely the job of the Angels. If it was up to us we’d have probably accepted the “Rachels” of the Kingdom and left out the “Leahs” therefore crippling the Kingdom and thwarting the will of God – if that is possible.
If anything, this parable holds a message to understand that all are given every chance and opportunity to accept God’s grace right up until the very end. And don’t forget that those who’ve accepted God’s grace are justified. It isn’t about perfection, because none of us will ever be perfect – but it is about resting in the knowledge of the completed sacrifice of Jesus. We rest assured because we are told that nothing can separate us from the love of God that we have through the sacrifice of Jesus..... NOTHING!
Because Jesus has justified us we will not be condemned – our sins can not condemn us – they have been paid for. This is wonderful Good News and is a treasure that is worth committing our lives to gaining. But just to let you know that I’m telling the truth in this – because it really does sound too good to be true, I’m going to leave you with the quote from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans that affirms this wonderful good news:
Romans 8:33b-39 “It is God who justifies. Who then can condemn? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
No comments:
Post a Comment