Good morning all!  Sunday morning, here we come!

Today’s scripture:

Matthew 13: 44-52 (NRSV)

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.  So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

These are pretty interesting parables.  There is a guy who is in a field and discovers a treasure.  It isn’t his land.  So he re-hides it and goes out and does everything he can to get the land and by ownership acquire the treasure.  He is all in.

Then there is this merchant who deals with pearls.  That is what this guy does.  Pearls, all day long.  Then he finds one that is the pearl of all pearls. So he sells EVERYTHING.  Every. thing.  Everything.  He gives up all for this one value.  For the merchant, he doesn’t need anything else now that he has this pearl of all pearls.  He is all in.

These stories are weird!  What do you mean he sells all for a pearl? What do you mean he does everything for this piece of land??? What do you mean they are all in, Jesus?

Parables will land on you and they won’t let you go.  Parables highlight where the kingdom of God is by what is weird with this picture.  Parables come at us slant.

What is weird is exactly what gets us to think?  What would I value SO MUCH that I would be all in?  What makes me take that leap of faith?

I will let you ponder those…

Peace,
Courtney