Parables for 30th July 2017

Matthew 13.31-33, 44-52 (NRSV)

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³¹ He put before them another parable: ‘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.’

The Parable of the Yeast

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.’

Three Parables

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.

Treasures New and Old

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.’

This reflection is based on William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible.

The Kingdom of Heaven begins with the smallest beginnings, but in the end it will be something great. Barclay suggests the following:

Firstly, an idea may well change civilization, but it often begins with one man. In the British Empire it was William Wilberforce who changed the world with the abolition of slavery and he was inspired by reading the book by Thomas Clarkson, who was a close friend of Pitt, who was the Prime Minister; but it took the action of one man – to make all the difference.

Secondly, a witness must begin with one person. In the Christianisation of Africa, the most effective way was not to begin by teaching people to read, giving them the Bible and then convincing them of the truth of the message. Rather, it worked when a Christian family went and lived among the people. It is the witness of one person who often makes all the difference.

Thirdly, reformations often have small beginnings – and someone has to start it all off. Luther began by nailing his 95 Theses on the Church door in Wittenburg – his local church – and the Church and the world was transformed.

The parable of the mustard seed must therefore have been of great encouragement to the disciples, as they must often have despaired. They must often have asked if they could really make any difference. (This makes me think of others like Abraham and Moses and Samuel ... Mary and Joseph). H G Wells commented: No historian can portray the progress of humanity honestly ‘... without giving a foremost place to a penniless teacher from Nazareth.’

Jesus seems to be saying that none of us should be discouraged; we must serve and witness just where we are and that ‘... each one of us must be the small beginning from which the kingdom grows until the kingdoms of the earth finally become the Kingdom of God.’

Barclay helps with our understanding of the Parable of the Yeast ... verse 33:

The Kingdom of God is all about transformation and the following are characteristics of the transformation:

Firstly, our faith transforms individuals – from the most heinous sinners to gracious saints. It is the function and the power of Christ to make bad people good. Christianity begins with individual lives and through Christ, the victim of temptation can become the victor over temptation.

Secondly, Jesus transformed life for women specifically. In Greek culture of the time, women lived in seclusion, with nothing to do beyond the household tasks. Their lives were characterised by drudgery and hardship. In Christ all are one – as Paul explained in Galatians 3:28.

Thirdly, Christianity transformed the lives of the weak and the ill. In the ancient world, those who were weak and ill were seen by society as a nuisance. In Sparta, every newborn baby was closely examined and only the strongest were allowed to survive. Christians in the ancient world made places for the blind and infirm to be nurtured and cared for. ‘Christianity was the first faith to be interested in the broken things of life. ... There is nothing in history so unanswerably demonstrable as the transforming power of Christianity and of Christ on the individual life and on the life of society.’

Almost all scholars would agree that the parable of the yeast speaks of the transforming power of Christ and of his kingdom in both the life of the individual and the world, but there is difference of opinion as to how that transforming power works and operates.

Some suggest that the Kingdom of God works unseen – that we cannot see the leaven working in the dough any more than we can see a flower growing – and that the work of the yeast continues in this way. This is a message of encouragement, meaning that at all times we must take the long view of things. If we look down the centuries we will see the steady progress of the Kingdom. With Jesus Christ and the Gospel, a new force has been let loose on the world and silently, but also inevitably, that force is transforming the world and that God is working his purposes out.

Others, like C H Dodd, contend almost the opposite suggesting that the work of the kingdom can be plainly seen. When you put leaven in the dough, you can see it rise. In the same way, the work of the Kingdom is a disturbing force, plain for all to see. In Thessalonica, the Gospel turned their world upside down. ‘The action of Christianity is disruptive, disturbing, violent in its effect.’ People crucified Jesus because he disturbed all their orthodox habits and conventions. Persecution of Christians has happened in history because it desired to take both people and society and remake them! There is in fact, nothing more disturbing as Christianity – this is why so many people hate it and why they resent it and would wish to eliminate it.

It is not a matter of choosing between these two ways of seeing this parable, because they are both true: the power of the Kingdom of God is always working, even if we do not see or notice it; but there are times when its presence is plainly manifest. Barclay explains:

‘The Kingdom, the power of Christ, the purpose of God is like a great river, which for much of its course glides on beneath the ground unseen, but which ever and again comes to the surface in all its power and its greatness, plain for all to see in its action.’

A few final thoughts on the parable of the treasure hidden in the field ... with Barclay to guide our thoughts.

Barclay suggests that he man who found the treasure, did so, but not by chance. He seemed to stumble unexpectedly upon it when he was going about his daily toil. He would probably have been doing his job well and would have dug deep, and not merely scraping over the surface. Barclay suggests that God becomes special to us when we are about our work and especially when we are doing it to the best of our ability. He writes: ‘... the presence of Christ Himself are all to be found in the day’s work, when that day’s work is honestly and conscientiously done.’

This was the experience of Brother Lawrence while working in the monastery kitchen and he wrote: ‘I felt Jesus Christ as close to me in the kitchen as ever I did at the blessed sacrament.’

This parable also suggests that it is worth any sacrifice to enter the Kingdom of God. To enter the Kingdom we need to accept and do God’s will. This may mean giving up ideas and even visions that we might hold dear, to abandon certain habits and ways of life and accept discipline and self-denial that is never easy. In short, it requires us to take up our Cross and follow Jesus.

Encouraging and challenging thoughts.

I heard Professor Levine speak on this parable when I was in Nashville, Tennessee a few years ago.

Professor Amy-Jill Levine (Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, Vanderbilt University:

A short biography from the Vanderbilt University website to introduce Professor Levine:

“A self-described ‘Yankee Jewish feminist who teaches in a predominantly Protestant divinity school in the buckle of the Bible Belt’ … Levine is an award-winning teacher who combines historical-critical rigor, literary-critical sensitivity, and a frequent dash of humor with a commitment to eliminating anti-Jewish, sexist, and homophobic theologies. Her special interests include the Bible, the historical Jesus, the intersection of religion, gender, and sexuality, and the Jewish context of Christian origins.”

Levine offered ways of using the Bible as a resource for building character. The essence of her method is the point that it is important for people to note that one does not have to agree with everything in order to get something important and valuable out of a text.

In commenting on the parable of the Pearl of Great price she reminded us of the importance of not taking things literally and the importance of ancient hyperbole. Any savvy merchant, realising the value of something he found would only ever sell what he did not need – never everything – because he knows the value of everything. She suggested that this simple verse is rich in meaning – not only for Christians – but for all who reflect on it. It asks us to discover what really matters to us – our ultimate concern – and to take stock to ensure that this is our focus. The hiddenness of the treasure implies the need to search and to dig deep to find it. When we discover our purpose, we need to commit ourselves to getting it. The reference to ‘kingdom’ suggests that we need to consider others as well in the process, and implies respect for all irrespective of status, class or gender. In discerning what really matters to me, requires me to understand what really matters to others, for I can only really love my neighbour when I understand what concerns them ultimately as well. When needing to give something up for what matters more or most, also helps us to appreciate who we are and what we have. The process demands that I examine whether what matters to me is ‘good’ and able to withstand critical analysis; it should lead to the question: “Is what is concerning me ultimately really of value?”

Levine made the point that the Bible never spoon feeds us, because it has too much respect for us, it gives us the dignity of enabling us to discover the truth for ourselves, especially as we engage with others, are open to their views and the teachings of those who have devoted their lives to studying it.

Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23 (NRSV) SERMON

The Parable of the Sower

¹³That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. ²Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. ³And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. ⁴And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. ⁶But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. ⁷Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.⁹Let anyone with ears listen!’

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹⁸ ‘Hear then the parable of the sower. ¹⁹When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. ²⁰As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. ²²As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. ²³But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’

My text this morning is written in Matthew 13:23:

²³But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’

There are different ways of accepting the Word of God and the fate of any spoken words depends on the hearer. This is evident in the work of comedians: if the spirit of the gathering is receptive – if people want to laugh – even those jokes that in a different context will fall flat, get a laugh. I have found this to be true when watching comedians on television with others. Those of us at home have less laughs than those in the audience.

The image of stony ground represents those whose minds are shut – people like Richard Dawkins – who refuse to listen or hear anything to do with God. Prejudice can make a person deaf to everything. An unteachable spirit is a barrier that cannot easily be broken down. This sort of attitude can be the result of the following:

-          Pride that thinks that it does not need to know anything;

-          Pride that thinks it has already found all the answers. (This is often true of some in the Church who feel that they know it all and their theological approach is the only way);

-          Fear of new truth;

-          Refusal to adventure and to discover new ways of thinking;

-          An immoral character and way of life;

-          The truth often condemns the things people love, and so they reject it.

The old saying holds true “... there are none so blind as those who deliberately will not see ...” These are the people who are like stony ground.

Secondly, hearers who are like the shallow ground: These are the people who fail to think things through. As a result they are at the mercy of every new craze; they take things up quickly and then just as easily drop them. They feel the need to always be in fashion. They begin things with enthusiasm, but when things become difficult, they just abandon them. They are swept off their feet by emotional preaching or some experience, but the truth of the matter is that no person can live only on emotion. Barclay adds: “People have minds and it is a moral obligation to have an intelligent faith ... Christianity has its demands, and these demands must be faced before it can be accepted.”

Thirdly, there are the hearers who have so many interests, that the most important things get crowded out. Our modern lives are so busy, that we often do not have the time to read and to pray – in fact – a recent statistic revealed that even the majority of Christians do not find the time to study the Scriptures other than on Sundays. Meier writes: “faith is strangled by the silken chord of deceitful wealth or suffocated by a pile of anxieties over worldly success.” There is also a danger that even doing ‘good’ things can get in the way and can be done for the wrong reasons and at the wrong time. So it is not the things that are obviously wrong that are always the danger – as Barclay states: “... second best is always the worst enemy of the best ...”

Lastly, there is the reference to the good ground. Here the person’s mind is open and fresh and cleansed. There is a willingness to learn. Understanding comes when a person thinks things through and discerns what it means to them personally. But this is not all, there is the final, most important part, allowing the word to transform action, producing good fruit from the good seed. Barclay concludes: “The real hearer is the person who listens, who understands and who obeys.” Meier states that the good ground represents true disciples – those who understand and do what it commands.

This parable not only has an important impact on those who hear it; it also has an impact on those who are already members of the Church; not only did it have something to say to the crowds; it also had something to say to the disciples.

At times the disciples would have been discouraged. Humanly speaking, at the time, Jesus would have enjoyed little success: he was being excluded from the synagogues, the most important religious leaders of the day were against him, and few lives had changed significantly. It is true that many came to hear, and to receive the blessings of healing and deliverance, but most went away unchanged when they had got what they had come for. The disciples can be excused for being disappointed and discouraged from time to time. And for disciples, today, read the members of the Church. We too can easily become discouraged, because we seem to be such a small minority, and our numbers seem to be declining rather than growing.

The good news is that the harvest is sure. Our job is to be faithful and to plant the seed: some will fall by the wayside, some might appear to grow and develop only to die out, but we also know that there will be some that will deliver good, rich fruit.

But we need to pause here, and ask an important question: Are we sowing good seed?  Are we sowing seed at all? J C Ryle warns: “He must sow the pure word of God, and not the traditions of the Church, or the doctrines of men. Without this labour will be vain.”

What is our message? Are we wrestling with the Scriptures? Are we searching the Scriptures? Are we, as the author to the letters to Timothy reminds us, ‘... rightly explaining the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15)’.

It is all too easy to slip into the confidence of fundamentalism, claiming that we just take everything in the Bible as literal truth. But we know that it is never as simple as that. God wants us to wrestle with it so that we can hear Him speak to us, as a Church and as individuals.

When a sower sows seeds, they do not look for quick results - it takes a long time before an acorn becomes an oak. It may take a long time before a seed of truth planted into a person’s heart, takes root and grows and flourishes into something beautiful, as one’s life is filled with God’s love. We live in an age that looks for quick results, simple answers, and easy certainties. None of these are part of a life of faith. Craig Keener comments:

... in the long run drawing crowds is less significant for the kingdom than training those who will multiply the work by training others in turn. Perhaps many of us prefer numbers in the short term over spiritual depth because we lack the faith to believe that such depth is essential; ... but 50 disciples with spiritual depth will produce greater numbers in the end than a million raised hands without commitment ever could.

There is only one evidence of hearing the Word rightly – it is bearing of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Without this, our religion is worthless, no matter how committed we might seem to be – it is like the sound of a gong or the tinkling of a symbol. Jesus has made it clear to us, as recorded in John 15:16 where he stated: “... I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the father will give you whatever you ask him in my name ...” and ending with verse 17: “I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”

J C Ryle adds: “We must never be content with barren orthodoxy, and a cold maintenance of correct theological views; we must not be satisfied with clear knowledge, warm feelings and a decent profession; we must see to it that the Gospel we profess to love produces positive ‘fruit’ in our hearts and our lives. This is real Christianity.”

The letter to James reminds us in chapter 1 and verse 22:  “Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.”

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Galatians adds: “... for you reap whatever you sow ... So, let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap and harvest-time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for the family of faith.” (Galatians 6: 7b, 9-10)

Jesus put it this way:

²³But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’

Amen