Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 Commentary

The lectionary has gathered for us here the rest of the parables about the Kingdom in Matthew 13. God’s Kingdom is like a mustard seed, yeast, a treasure that can be buried, and a pearl—all small things that have the potential to lead to big changes. The Kingdom of heaven is also like a net full of all kinds of fish which will be sorted in the end. And, the Kingdom is made up of old and new treasures that are meant to be put on display and knowledgably shared (verses 51-52).

The first four images share the trait of being small but potentially impactful. We begin with the mustard seed. It was the smallest seed known in the region, but it could grow into a rather lush—and large—bush (almost treelike!) that was solid enough for bird nests. Unimpressive at its origin, like a baby born in a stable, the mustard seed will become home for many living things. So it is that the Kingdom of God welcomes many into the security of its branches.

And just a small amount of yeast, as it is mixed and made indistinguishable (hidden) in the flour, will make the dough rise. It is such an effective image of change that, based on the biblical imagery, during the sixteenth-century English language usage“leaven” began to be associated with anything that “produces profound change by progressive inward operation; a pervasive influence that transforms something” (Oxford English Dictionary). As Jesus himself notes to his disciples, (“Watch out, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Matthew 16.6) the yeast and its leavening effect can be good formation or malformation; not all inner transformation is Kingdom transformation. But! Even a small amount of goodness and hope, a small dose of the Kingdom, has the ability to spread itself throughout our lives and leaven, change, our entire existence… not to mention how much others might enjoy us! Like believing that just a touch of his cloak is enough to heal us…

Then there’s the treasure that is found and then purposefully hidden in a field. The treasure-keeper decides that this treasure is worth keeping safe and so they do whatever they must to be able to buy the field in which they have hidden the treasure. In order to preserve this seemingly small treasure (they are able to bury it without much toil, it seems), they sell everything they have in order to own the field.

Jesus is transitioning our focus on the small-beginnings-but-big-impact of his Kingdom to a sense of its priceless value. Once we’ve gotten to experience it, we’ll want to hold onto it—if we know what we’ve got. Apparently, burying precious things was a common practice, so it was quite possible that you could be walking around (and over) priceless things all the time, completely unaware. And isn’t that what the Kingdom of God is like? Us, walking around and missing its presence all the time? We miss out because we cannot see what is waiting just below the surface of things, both in our own lives and all around us. Like the little children that the disciples tried to keep from Jesus, the Kingdom belongs to those we do not have the eyes to see. If we knew what we were missing, we’d run to secure it so that we’d never miss out ever again.

The last comparison of the Kingdom to a small thing is to the pearl. Here, the one who searches for it is rewarded, though they still have to invest in order to enjoy it. But, the merchant knows what they are looking for, and knows how much it is worth, and is ready and willing to give up everything else in order to keep the pearl of great value. Like Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy one of God.” (John 6.68-69)

The yeast and the mustard seed imagery remind us that the Kingdom has a powerful transformative effect. The way that the treasure in the field and the pearl are bought through the willingness to part with everything else of earthly value, reminds us that God’s Kingdom is not of this world and requires thorough commitment and sacrifice—a putting away of the old self so that the transformed new self can thrive.

The final comparison makes one more turn and helps us look at the Kingdom from a new perspective. Thus far, the images have helped us take an internal look, but the net draws our attention to the eschatological reality of the Kingdom (just like the parable of the wheat and the weeds last week). Here, we are told that the Kingdom is a big ol’ net which doesn’t care what it catches and impacts with its goodness and transformative presence in the here-and-now. The time will come (on judgement day) when the good and the bad stuff will all be sorted and whatever does not belong in the Kingdom of God will be dealt with. But for now, whoever gets caught up in its movement, gets caught up in its movement.

Of course, it’s a warning about what’s to come, but I think it’s and advisement too. That in the meantime, as Kingdom people, we indiscriminately sow the seeds of the Kingdom, like the Sower in the field does. We don’t choose who deserves to be caught up in the net, we seek to be people of the good leaven wherever we are, to whomever we are around. We are people so focused on what we’ve got, trained as the merchant is, for the Kingdom of heaven that we are so well-versed in its goods, both old and new as the Spirit moves, that we bring the blessings out to be shared, proud of what we have and who we are becoming.

Textual Point

The lectionary has mish-mashed the texts over the last few weeks, pairing parables with their Jesus-provided interpretations in the previous weeks and giving us the rest today. That may result in losing sight of audience: the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast are told to the crowds, but the parable of the treasure in the field, the pearl, and the net are all told to the disciples after Jesus has left the crowds and gone into the house.

I’m not sure it is especially significant, but maybe there is something to Jesus’s words to his disciples that helps us understand the reference to the merchant with old and new treasures (verses 51-52). Since the treasure in the field and the pearl both involve selling/giving everything one has in order to secure the small-yet-valuable find, perhaps Jesus is helping the disciples understand that they will need to implement all that they have learned, both from the old way and the new way, in sharing what the priceless-and-precious Kingdom of heaven is all about. Their treasure of knowledge as privileged disciples, in particular, is not to be hoarded but to be shared.

Illustration Ideas

There was a great little show from BBC called Detectorists, which centered two hobby metal-detectorists, Andy and Lance, as they looked for buried historical artifacts in the British countryside. The show’s theme song was “I’m Waiting for You,” by Johnny Flynn, and this montage of scenes from the show with the song captures the essence of things. What I like most about it is that it reminds us that our search for the things of the Kingdom is a reward in itself and inevitably enfolds others into the experience.

By using the pearl as one of his examples of the Kingdom, Jesus opens up another image of the Kingdom for us. Pearls are the result of saltwater oysters and freshwater mussels trying to protect themselves from a parasite; and we don’t know that they are present until we end the mollusk’s life by opening them up. In other words, this treasure so precious to us comes at great sacrifice from its maker. But the one who made the sacrifice for the Kingdom “thrills when someone picks and pockets it.” Read more from poet, Susan Wharton Gates:

“Spirit in the Oyster Shell”

Deviously hidden

from view

in black river mud

by the maker

who longs to greet the few

hungry enough

thirsty enough to

fish it up and

pry apart the

mournful, craggy shell –

the oyster

is God’s humblest vessel.

A seemingly uninspired afterthought

pieced from nature’s scrap,

it is (admittedly) a hard sell.

But tucked inside

like the prize in crackerjack

is the pearl.

Heaven thrills when

someone picks and

pockets it.

 

Sourced from Biologos.