The kingdom of heaven is like… Mustard seed: “from little things big things grow”. Yeast: unseen as it spreads its effect far and wide. Hidden treasure: bringing great joy and worth giving up a lot to obtain. A fine pearl: worth all that we have. A fishing net: catching both “good” and the “bad”. In the first two word pictures, God’s work is alive and active in the world. We don’t regulate it or control it. The hidden treasure and the pearl urge us to make it our costly priority to be part of this joyful work. The net, as in last week’s parable, points to “sorting out”, or judgement, often uncomfortably there in Jesus’ teaching. Once again, sorting is not our job! Matthew concludes with Jesus’ encouragement to discover “treasure” in these new teachings, alongside the “old” of the Hebrew scriptures and traditions. There’s a challenge for us!
David Reeve
Hobart North UC