Quick review of the 5 parables last week, because these next two participate in the Big Picture story. I would have added them last week but I just didn’t have enough time.
Parable of the Sower - Ideally, the seed of the Word/Truth of God grows in good heart soil and yields fruit,[1] but that’s not always the case. When the heart is hard, the ‘wild birds’ of the evil one snatch it away. When the heart is shallow, the seed will not take root. When the heart is compromised, the other things that have been sown in it will overpower the seed. So, have a heart ready for the truth.
The Weeds And Wheat - But be alert: more than one sower is competing for the hearts of people. In the sower’s field of the world (and the church?), the wheat will grow amidst counterfeits that threaten to ruin the harvest. Don’t panic. The wheat will grow and survive in a mixed field. The weeds can’t stop the wheat from being the wheat.
The Seeds - Be humble: remember, this good crop of wheat is patiently and steadily flourishing thanks to the work of the Sower, work we don’t understand and wasn’t done in our power.
The Mustard Seed - The kingdom of God will grow such that it offers safety and shade to all – even the ‘wild birds’ who once sought to stop it from growing (like the Apostle Paul).
The Yeast - Just a few people can make a huge difference in the growth of the Kingdom.
This all sounds great! What’s not to like about the vision for global change? And his disciples are the yeast in that last parable, so how cool is that to be on the front end of this movement that is going to grow so large and be so compelling that even your former enemies will find rest in the branches of this Kingdom tree? The Zealots probably weren’t happy – they wanted to fight – but it sounds like followers of Jesus can be a part of this organic growth of the Kingdom into all the world. Woo hoo!
Then Jesus wraps up this section of parables with a sobering and encouraging assessment.
Treasures And Pearls (Matthew 13:44-45)
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.
In other words, the kingdom of Heaven is unparalleled and glorious; also, being a part of it will cost you everything. Both people in the parables sold all that they had in order to have the Kingdom in their possession.
Jesus’ point isn’t that you can purchase your way into heaven. After all, “It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32). Jesus is just using an analogy to make the point that it’s important to count the cost. Luke records in the 14th chapter of his book that once when a large crowd was following Jesus, he gave them a reminder that I suspect thinned the crowd:
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate [esteem less; renounce in favor of another][2] father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27)
This blunt contrast was a Jewish style of teaching to make a point about preference and allegiance. If we agree to follow Jesus, Jesus gets preeminence. He is the center of that kingdom treasure. But things must be given up to have this treasure. After telling two stories about how people don’t start building projects or go to war without first counting the cost, he says again:
“Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” (Luke 14:33)
The availability of the Kingdom of Heaven was made possible at great cost – the life of Jesus. The experience of the Kingdom in our lives comes with a costly trade as well: our life surrendered to the King in order to experience life in the Kingdom
[3] So, the Kingdom is a gift we can never buy. No amount of money, power, intelligence, achievement or social status does us any good. But to really live in the Kingdom, we must prize the kingdom more than we prize anything else. The point of selling everything in this parable is simply to show where our heart is, because “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
Let’s clarify what this treasure is. It’s the spiritual state where we surrender heart, soul, mind and strength to grace-filled reign of the King, Christ Jesus.
Because it’s a spiritual state, the kingdom of heaven is advanced by the good news of the gospel. The kingdom of heaven Jesus is talking about in these parables can’t and won’t be found among the nations on the earth. It’s not a country or empire.[4] The kingdom of heaven is not in a geographic area where all things have become Christianized. It’s not a vision of Christian nationalism. Jesus said (John 18:36), “My kingdom is not of this world, else my disciples would fight.”
Side note: I’m not talking about God’s future reign on earth when He wraps up history as we know it and ushers in the New Heaven and New Earth in which His kingdom reigns forever. This is about the kind of kingdom we live in until then, the one Jesus said was here now.
The kingdom of heaven is advanced when those who have been saved, sanctified, and transformed increasingly into the image of Jesus spread the good news of the gospel message of Jesus Christ in word and deed.
When we truly see and experience the treasure that is the kingdom rightly expressed, the loss of all the things we have traded will be an exercise in joy [grace recognized][5], not regret. Paul said it this way:
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:7, 8)
What is so great about this Kingdom that the cost is worth it? In addition to things I’ve already mentioned – salvation, sanctification, etc - Peter talks about what should characterize those who are followers of the King:
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3-8)
Envision, if you will, a community of Christ-followers in which this characterizes life together.
We participate in the divine nature.
We are freed of corrupt, evil desires.
We have, in increasing measure, faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love.
How would this not add joy [grace recognized] to the response we have already had to being made righteous thanks to Jesus? If this is really what is happening in us and in those who surround us in church community, that’s an oasis of life and hope in the desert of the world.
But it’s not a cheap joy in response to the grace of God: to really live like this is going to cost us. Self-control is hard. So is perseverance. And love. Yet we experience the richness of the Kingdom when are willing to offer what God has given for His kingdom above all else: our gifts, our talents, our resources—they all go on the altar. And as we experience it, the joy of the Lord is our strength.
So, let’s make the cost and benefit practical. What must we ‘sell’ in order to experience the goodness of the Kingdom? What must we put on the altar?
I started making a list this week, and it turned out something like this. I’m sure there’s more to add. I hope this inspires you to think about other ways we trade other treasure for the Kingdom treasure. I also hope it inspires you to talk about more of the nuance in each point, because there’s always more to say.
1. Control for surrender. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1) This is trading Kingdom ruled by Self for Kingdom ruled by Jesus. I willingly and freely agree to transfer the deed of my life to a new owner because I believe that He is a better caretaker and King than I can ever be.
2. Pride for humility. “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” (Romans 12:3) We learn to be okay with not being perfect or even amazing. We learn to be okay with not being okay. There is freedom and growth in honest self-assessment in transparent and honest community.
3. Independence for interdependence. “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Romans 12: 4-5) Our individuality is not obliterated like the Borg in Star Trek. We matter as individuals. But we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. I like a puzzle analogy: each piece is its own beautiful self, but it’s made to be part of Big Picture. The Big Picture needs it to be complete, and the piece needs the puzzle for context.
4. Life hyper-focused on self to a life focused on others. “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.” (Colossians 3:12-17) Similar to my previous point, this does not obliterate our individuality. Part of that involves stewarding our own health so that we don’t burn out. That hurts us and short-circuits our ability to be present with others. This is once again about seeing that we are part of a body. Yes, we seek to keep our part of the body healthy, but remember that staying healthy is about more than just us: it participates in keeping the whole body in perfect harmony.
5. Rights-based living for responsibility-based living. “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (Galatians 5:13) “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 10:45). We have been freed fromthe power of sin so that we are free to be who God has made us to be. Whenever our freedom hurts us or others, it’s no longer being used as God designed freedom to be used. We are designed to offer loving service filled with truth and grace to those around us.
Paul starts off 1 Corinthians 8 by saying, “We all possess knowledge, but knowledge puffs up but love builds up.” He then begins to talk about those who know that eating meat offered to idols is not a big deal.
“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge [about what is sin and what is not], eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?
So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.” (1 Corinthians 8:9-13)
6. Hard-heartedness for repentance. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) In order to confess our sins, we need to own our sins. In the Kingdom, it is honorable and noble to admit wrongdoing and acknowledge weakness. It isn’t weakness to admit it; it’s a display of the power of God at work in you. Yes, it may well be embarrassing and humbling, but there is a purity of heart and (hopefully) restoration of relationship on the other side. That’s a good trade-off.
7. Vengeance for justice (guided by mercy). “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone… Do not take revenge [full vindication], my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge [full vindication]; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21) “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8) In the Kingdom, we give up the right to take full vindication into our own hands when someone wrongs us. It’s not that we get in the way of true justice: if someone has, say, burnt your house down, it’s a good idea that justice guided by mercy has a say in what needs to follow. But that’s different from you exacting that justice yourself, or demanding a full vindication that looks like what you want it to look like. We give up the right to make people pay like we want them to pay. Instead, we have the freedom that comes from remembering that injustice will not stand. God will have the last word no matter what happens on this side of eternity.
8. Self-indulgence for self-control. “Here’s my instruction: walk in the Spirit, and let the Spirit bring order to your life. If you do, you will never give in to your selfish and sinful cravings. For everything the flesh desires goes against the Spirit, and everything the Spirit desires goes against the flesh. There is a constant battle raging between them that prevents you from doing the good you want to do... It’s clear that our flesh entices us into practicing some of its most heinous acts: participating in corrupt sexual relationships, impurity, unbridled lust, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, arguing, jealousy, anger, selfishness, contentiousness, division, envy of others’ good fortune, drunkenness and drunken revelry, and other shameful vices that plague humankind. I told you this clearly before, and I only tell you again so there is no room for confusion: those who give in to these ways will not inherit the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit produces a different kind of fruit: unconditional love, joy, peace, patience, kindheartedness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control.”(Galatians 5:16-23). Okay, seriously, which list looks better? Which one looks like a list for a life well lived? God has our flourishing in mind when He gives us Kingdom guiderails for the road of life. When we stay within them, that’s good for us and those around us. A whole community characterized by the fruit of the Spirit? That’s community gold.
1. Grudges for forgiveness. “Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” (Colossians 3:13) This isn’t saying that we must forget things that have happened, especially if it’s important to remember patterns in people’s lives lest we put ourselves or others in danger. It’s also not saying that consequence shouldn’t play out if that’s part of what justice looks like. One can hold tough boundaries with a gently heart. But there is so much freedom in letting go of bitterness and anger.
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In the end, I keep coming back to this imagery of transferring the deed of our life. This is, I think, what we are being called to do: transferr the deed of our life to a better landowner - a King, in fact, the best one there is, who will not only take ownership of our life but invite us into the royal family.
This king is not going to force us; it’s an offer we can take or leave. God will not coerce us into His kingdom. But if we enter in response to His gracious offer, the cost of what we let go will pale in light of the goodness of life lived at the center of His grace.
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[1] “If the goal of the Christian life may be stated as Christlikeness, then surely every trait developed in us that reflects His character must be fruit that is very pleasing to Him. Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit in nine terms in Galatians 5:22-23, and Peter urges the development of seven accompaniments to faith in order that we might be fruitful (2 Peter 1:5-8). Two of these terms are common to both lists: love and self-control. The others are joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, virtue, knowledge, endurance, piety, and brotherly love.” https://bible.org/illustration/what-fruit
[2] HELPS Word Studies definition.
[3] A lot of thoughts on the next page of notes I found at https://reformedwitnesshour.org/broadcast/the-kingdom-of-heaven-is-the-treasure/.
[4] “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)Jesus makes clear to Zaccheus that it’s spiritual: (John 3:3), “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
[5] HELPS Word Studies