26 July 2026 9th Sunday after Pentecost

Genesis 29.15-28   Psalm 105.1-11   Romans 8.26-39   Matthew 13:44-58

Have you got a handle yet on what the kingdom of heaven is like yet?  How many of you remember theTV show ‘The Price is Right’.  Contestants guessed the price of a single item but couldn’t go higher than the price.  These parables tell us about two people who ‘knew’ the price of something and were willing to sell everything they had in order to have that one thing.  For the past few weeks, we have heard the Kingdom of Heaven is like a Sower who sowed seeds; it is like wheat and weeds; and now it is like a hidden treasure, a pearl of great clarity, or a net full of fish, and if we look at the two parables mixed in between last weeks’ parable and the explanation, we find it is like yeast hidden in dough and a mustard seed.  But the interesting thing about those last two, which are not part of our readings, but are read in other faith traditions today, is that yeast, or leaven, was considered evil or contamination, it instantly ruined the dough.  Remember Jesus’ warning to the disciples ‘beware the yeast of the Pharisees’.  And mustard was a noxious pest that produced hundreds, if not thousands, of seeds so small they were easily carried by the wind and therefore invaded and contaminated good farming land.

But the thing about parables is that the words themselves are not as important as the feeling and experience they evoke in you.  If I said to you, shut the door, it could be a polite request for privacy, or it could also be a demand to shut out a blistering cold wind.  Depending on the feeling those words evoke in you, based on how they are heard and felt and your history with the person speaking, that simple phrase could affect you in vastly different ways.  Parables can do the same thing.  Each of the stories we have heard over the past few weeks is different, it speaks to us in different ways, sometimes we understand it easily, sometimes we are totally baffled by it.  And maybe that is why Jesus tells so many stories on the same theme back-to-back because they speak to different people in different ways at different times and on different levels.  And the reply from the disciples about ‘knowing’ what is meant by them ‘blows my socks off’, ‘Yes’ we have understood all of this??  Really??

Our gospel, or at least the first two parables, challenge our values and our systems.  Most of us live very ‘settled’ lives, so the thought of ‘selling everything’ to buy a single pearl sounds like pure lunacy regardless of the purity and value of the pearl.  And if, while looking for a nice piece of land to buy you discovered one that was worth a lot more than the asking price, you might find yourself faced with an ethical dilemma.  If you buy it, even though the seller is happy with that price, you might be considered suspicious if not dishonest.  But for those who are not happy with the world around them, those who feel the cultural values, the stereotypes, the prejudices of our culture are less than acceptable, then this gospel, or these two parables, provide them with something worth buying at any cost, even though it may still be disruptive or unsettling.

And this may explain the church’s growth and strength in places, countries, and areas that are most fragile, or threatened.  As Paul tells us, the Gospel seems foolish to those who are contented, the powerful, the self-made man or woman.  But for those who are struggling with illness, or poverty, or disappointment, or angst at the inequalities of the world, then the promises of Jesus are good news and worth sacrificing everything to embrace them.

There is a prayer I came across which says – Jesus leads his people into ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils and opportunities unknown.  A comforting prayer for those facing challenges, but a challenging prayer for those who are contented with ‘their lot’ because it tells us that there is nothing in this world that is beyond God’s ‘reconfiguring’.

But these parables also give us an insight into ‘seeing’ things that maybe others do not see, or maybe they don’t want us to see.  And because we do see it, we act differently, we persevere, we invest in a future others may well scoff at.  Because faith is not about cognitive assent to doctrinal statements, it is about accepting wholeheartedly a promise.  Fath does not rely on knowledge, it relies on trust, and that trust propels us and leads us to act differently.

And the thing is, that promise is that God’s life-changing, disruptive, life-giving, kingdom is coming.  We will need patience, trust and perseverance to wait for it, and when it arrives it may not even be what we expect or want.  But for those who recognise there is more out there than what the world can provide, those who are ready to accept the deep yearning in their hearts for a sense of true, albeit elusive joy, then it will arrive as more than we could ever imagine and it will take over, invade and transform our lives. Here.  Now.

The thing is, parables are just stories, and we can tell our own stories.  Maybe, later today, or tomorrow, or later in the week, you might like to write your own parable about the kingdom of heaven.  Telling a story that blends together a theological need and the context of your own life.  It is an interesting challenge to take.  You may say you are not ‘qualified’ to do something that important, but it is an opportunity to give witness to a specific expression of faith, giving testimony to what the kingdom of heaven needs to be in light of your individual reality, whether it be global, local or personal.

The kingdom of heaven is like a fruit salad, where all the individual fruits have their own personality and flavour but when put into a pot and mixed together they create a dish which is different with every mouthful, depending on the ratio of pieces on the spoon. It is like a world that allows everyone to be accepted for themselves without judgement or prejudice and actively encourages all peoples to ‘flavour’ the world with their own brand of personality, and unlike the proverbial ‘melting pot’ of the song, the peoples are not blended together so they are indistinguishable from each other, I see the pot simply as the place where all peoples can co-exist happily together and remain and retain their individuality.