Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 Commentary

Comments, Questions, and Observations

Our text today closes with this beautiful description: to truly be instructed in God’s kingdom is to be able to share new treasures alongside old. Our faith isn’t just an “old-time religion” but a living one that continues to grow and have impact. Each generation adds to the treasures of heaven and lives in the hope and promise of hidden, humble faith as a blessing in the world. Our lives with God and for God become the treasures that future generations (old) will talk about alongside what they experience with God for themselves (new).

These pithy parables vividly describe the subtlety of God’s Kingdom ways. Often, the measurable impact of living the Kingdom could be thought of as natural or normal, but if one actually takes the time to stop and reflect on what has happened, the wonder of the way God has made things to work speaks to the power of God on the move!

Take the little mustard seed that goes from potential to a shrub big enough to be mistaken for a tree. But it’s not only the size that is the point; more significantly is its impact. The little seed that would be lost from sight the moment you dropped into it the dirt becomes the place where birds make their home.

In the same way, yeast is mixed and lost into the dough in small proportion to the overall amount of the flour, no longer able to be separated. And yet, without it, the dough will not rise. According to others who have done the math, sixty pounds of flour make enough bread for over 100 people. Again, the wonder is not just that the process works but that it is pivotal to the abundance.

Granted, for both the mustard seed and the yeast to be so productive and fruitful, other conditions have to be right. These are not magic beans growing into towering beanstalks overnight; instead, there is a man who plants and presumably tends, a woman who kneads and patiently waits for the time to shape the loaves. God’s Kingdom of Heaven is a partnership with us, its citizens.

So how do we become part of the action? Alongside living by our God-given design, it starts with our awareness of how precious and lovely and important the ways of God are in this world. That’s where the second set of verses come in. Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to treasure in a field and to a fine pearl; both lead their discoverers to give up all else in order to ensure that they receive their newfound fortune—big “spend a little to make a lot” sort of attitude. And at least in the case of the man who found the treasure in the field, the process of giving up all else for the opportunity to be part of the Kingdom is one of joy, not heart ache or hesitation or indecision.

Then there’s the fish in the net image. This too is a way to think about the Kingdom of Heaven. Here we return to an aspect of last week’s lectionary passage: God’s Kingdom in progress can handle interlopers because the final establishment process (Judgment Day) will handle the sorting of what or who belongs. The mustard seed that becomes the home to the birds does not control which birds come to nest. Relatively speaking, the fishermen do not have the ability to control what fish get caught in their net. God’s okay with this, in fact, we might even say that this is God’s design for the Kingdom’s growth. And doesn’t that make sense? That Jesus wants to have more people come into contact with him and his ways than not? This is the essence of impact!

And we’re reminded yet again that being able to live in this tension is being part of the Kingdom. Jesus asked them if they understood and they said yes. And then he told them that those who believe that they understand will be able to live in that tension of old ways or beliefs with new ones. Do we understand?

Textual Point

These two sets of parables consider the Kingdom of Heaven from two different but related directions. The first set makes clear the positive impact of the way of God, even as it may seem hidden or small from the outset. The second hones in on what it is like to discover the value of such a small thing and know what its true worth is. The final parable is a little different than both of these sets but still plays on imagery of abundance from just one starting act. It is also worth noting that the parable of the net connects to last week’s parable of the weeds and wheat: both underscore God’s judging and sorting at the end of the age. Again we are reminded that though these are separate parables, their themes draw our attention to key truths and we ought to pay attention to Jesus’s emphasis on inclusion and the power of the Kingdom to grow.

Illustration Idea

My local children’s hospital has been running an effective fundraising campaign for a number of years using the idea of smallness having strength and impact. The “Small is Mighty” material features children who are patients and bravely fighting their medical challenges with the small support and gifts of donors. Donors are invited to remember that by joining with these kids through funding research, future discoveries, and treatment options for the children of BC and the Yukon, they are doing a small thing that will have big impact. The campaign uses phrases like, “Greatness starts small,” “Fight big together,” and “Might starts with you” and is full of stories that underscore how normal but impactful joining the work of the hospital can be.