Matthew 13:44-51
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and reburied; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all this?”
In today’s reading Jesus uses a sequence of images to show how astonishing and surprising God’s kingdom is. The story of the pearl says the kingdom is hidden but very precious. The comparison to yeast suggests that, although it is invisible, it is effective. Anyone who’s been fishing knows how unpredictable that activity can be, and the kingdom of heaven is like that. And although the mustard seed is so tiny, it can produce a plant over 3.5 metres high.
The kingdom of heaven, God’s rulership, and reign is always surprising. Even though it often appears that evil triumphs and injustice goes unchallenged, Jesus assures us that God’s will is going to be done. And he assures those doubting him that he really is bringing the influential activity of God into the world, even if that does look highly improbable in certain seasons.
Do you sometimes think the world, or your own life, is out of control? Today we are reminded that no matter how serious things look, you can rest confidently in the assurance that our God reigns.
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