Pentecost 11, 07/27/2008

Sermon on Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, by John H. Loving

Parable of the Mustard Seed

31 Another parable Jesus put before the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; ³²it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.'

33 He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with^* three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.' 44 ‘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. 45 ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; ⁴⁶on 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; ⁴⁸when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. ⁴⁹So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous ⁵⁰and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 ‘Have you understood all this?' They answered, ‘Yes.' ⁵²And 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.'

The parable of the Mustard Seed in St Matthew's Gospel comes from that collection of stories and anecdotes in the 13th chapter, all of which deal with the Kingdom of God--its abundance and richness as well as the certainty of its fulfillment in God's good time. In these parables there is always a contrast: the field that grows up in briars or weeds, the little bit of yeast that seems so worthless, the tiny mustard seed. For one who sees only the surface of things, all of these are insignificant to say the least. "But," the Matthean Jesus urges his hearers, "you cannot always judge by first impressions". Our attention is then riveted by the bountiful harvest that completely obliterates the memory of the briars or weeds. In the parable we are studying this morning the tiny mustard seed, which can barely be seen by the naked eye, springs forth into a bush some eight to ten feet tall. (In the Holy Land today, around the Sea of Galilee the mustard bush can still be seen and the birds are still taking advantage of the shade that it offers as well as its seeds.)

Likewise, a tiny bit of yeast seems worthless in comparison to a great heaping bushel of meal. Yet the Palestinian housewife mixes it, covers it with a cloth, and leaves the mass to stand overnight. When she returns in the morning the whole mass of dough is leavened and is ready for baking.

In these images, so readily grasped by his audience, Jesus gives an analogy to his own ministry. How insignificant this must have seemed in the great sweep of international currents--of powerful Roman armies and rulers, of the sophisticated Greek culture and civilization--and even petty in terms of Palestinian affairs in comparison with the ambitious Herods, the fanatical zealots, the aristocratic Sadducees, and respected Pharisees. One scholar has said that the little flurry around Jesus must have seemed at the time to be nothing more than a "tempest in a Galilean tea-cup"! The central figure himself had no credentials whatever--a humble peasant, a self-appointed prophet with an untutored Galilean accent to boot! And look at his Twelve closest companions--fishermen, still smelling like their nets, a tax-collector of all things, rough, unlettered peasants--the whole bunch. And many of those who followed after them were not much better--former prostitutes, beggars, and common folk who because of their poverty or their occupations were scorned by respectable people. It is little wonder that this movement did not turn the world upside down in those three years or so of Jesus' public ministry.

Those who responded to Jesus' proclamation of God's Kingdom were a minority in that day and they are minority again in our own. And yet we cannot deny the spiritual hunger so prevalent throughout the world today.

Underneath the outrageous consumerism of western society is a real quest for meaning, for healing and wholeness. People are still looking for a sense of belonging, for hope, for transcendence.

The seductive attraction behind advertised potions and elixirs, the "ultimate ride" of certain automobiles, the "real thing" tasted in various beverages, the "eternal youth" promised in many salves, perfumes, and pastes, betray the deepest innate desires: a thirsting for what has ultimate meaning and what will truly satisfy. The market is very revealing. Many people who seem determined to avoid the superstructure of organized religion are desperately seeking for the infrastructure of faith in the living God.

But how is God to be found, known, and worshipped? Before we try to answer the question too quickly, let us honor the seriousness and depth of the question. We are living in a world that seems to avoid the God question altogether. It's OK to be honest about our own struggles and questions. We are all on this planet together, with all its beauty, its complex web of relationships, and its mystery.

Probably the most helpful thing you can do is to "tell your own story"-how you got from there to here. What is most important in your life? When was God most real to you? In what way has the risen Christ touched your life?

The quiet witness that we can make is just like that tiny mustard seed. We have no way of knowing what will come from this. Christ teaches us that some things cannot be reckoned by statistics. It all depends on the dynamic involved--the effect of the yeast on the dough, the spark of light in an enormous, dark room, a pinch of salt in a large bowl of soup.

The results are not really our concern, for we know that God can take the smallest gesture and use it to draw individuals and families into communion. But as long as the salt remains in the shaker, as long as the light is under a bushel, as long as the mustard seed goes unplanted, their power remains hidden. As long as we sit back and fail to make our own quiet witness, God's power within us atrophies and we drift into muteness.

Like the mustard seed, the ministry of Jesus and the working of his Church today do not present an earth-shaking impression to those who try to view them from outside. But those who have responded to the teaching and person of Christ and those in every age who have glimpsed, even at a distance, the glory of the Kingdom of God, and have tasted God's forgiveness and enabling power, know that their lives will never be the same again. This is a vision that transforms all human relationships, our various vocations, family ties, civic responsibility, and spiritual discipline. It can even transform the Church--if we will let it--and send us forth to proclaim God's love and grace in everything that we do--until in the fullness of time we share in the fulfillment of God's purpose. AMEN.

Rev., Interim Assistant Rector John H. Loving
The Church of the Good Shepherd (Episcopal)
Austin, Texas

E-Mail: jloving3@austin.rr.com

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