Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it 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.’
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.’
‘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.’
Reflection
"We went walking in the bushes!" This is a common quote from my grand-daughter Kaiya when she talks about any hike we take in any woods. In the bushes which for sure there are bushes, there are trees, there are small plants and even animals of various kinds.
Jesus parable tells us about the mustard seed and how it becomes a bush and even a tree. The mustard seed develops into something that even other animals can sustain life from when needed. Something small over time develops and becomes something new and different and useful and valuable. Not that it wasn't so very valuable even when it was small. Even then it had great value. Just as the pearl has great value when found and just as the yeast brought forth great growth.
All this talk of smallness that gets pulled into the net of the love of Jesus and developed into something far beyond what any one of us could ever imagine. Yet as the small seeds and the small pearls exist, they exist likewise with the good and the bad. Not all of the "bushes" are wonderful "bushes. Some things of this world have been tricked into sin by the wiles of the devil. Sin still exists and we have to deal with it like it or not.
This is where the separation of good and the bad takes place. Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea. The angels will come and separate the good from the bad, the evil from the righteous. And the evil will be thrown into the furnace of fire. Yes, it will be a grand time when evil will be cast out forever. A time we can all look forward to. Even the sinful will have the evil cast out forever. And we know that we all qualify as being one of the sinful.
How we need Jesus to cast out the evil from this earth! How grand it will be when we can walk in the bushes and all will be just as God intended for it to be from the beginning. But until that time, we must live with the evil in this world and the evil within ourselves and live in the hope that a time will come when Jesus will cast out evil from this world and from our sinful selves once and for all.
Now that's some hope to live for! That's our God! The one who loves us like a pearl and hunts us down to rescue us from sin, death and the devil through the life, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. All for you! All for me! All for all the people of this earth!
Parable to Art and Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvFU69u0mjM
Prayer
Lord, as I walk in the bushes of life, help me to get over myself and live my life for you. Guide me and direct me. Give me pause to stop and hear your Word and heed your commands. Give me pause to live my life for other's as you gave your life for me. Show me how to walk among the bushes of this life of mine in my own sinful nature that my faith may grow into that great and awesome tree that brings forth fruit that gives glory to you. May I see and love those you give to me with the love you have for the smallest of the pearls of life... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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