Consider the Word, July 23, 2020

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Readings:

• Genesis 29:15-28;
• Psalm 105:1-11, 45c Or Psalm 128;
• Romans 8:26-39;
• Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Collect

O God,the protector of all who trust in you,without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy,increase and multiply upon us your mercy,that with you as our ruler and guide,we may so pass through things temporal,that we lose not the things eternal;through Jesus Christ our Lord,who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reading: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

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.’

Reflection Questions

The Gospel reading can be thought of as an invitation to cultivate the practice of seeing God’s work among us:

• What do we expect to see?
• And where do we expect to find it?
• Have there been times when our expectations have been overturned?

Closing Prayer

Seed-planting, fish-netting, bread-baking, pearl-hunting God,you shape us into living parables.Pray with your Spirit in usso that we may understand our experiencesas healing metaphors,and become creative and abundant stewardsof the environment you entrusted to our love. Amen.

The Message

^31-32 Another story. “God’s kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it.”
³³ Another story. “God’s kingdom is like yeast that a woman works into the dough for dozens of loaves of barley bread—and waits while the dough rises.”
⁴⁴ “God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field.
^45-46 “Or, God’s kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.
^47-50 “Or, God’s kingdom is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. When it is full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put in a tub; those unfit to eat are thrown away. That’s how it will be when the curtain comes down on history. The angels will come and cull the bad fish and throw them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won’t do any good.”
⁵¹ Jesus asked, “Are you starting to get a handle on all this?”
They answered, “Yes.”⁵² He said, “Then you see how every student well-trained in God’s kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it.”

The Message (MSG)

Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson