Value Proposition

Jesus gives us two ways of looking at the Kingdom of Heaven in today's Gospel.  And then he tells us why it is an important discovery.

Jesus put before the crowds 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.” - Matthew 13:31-33,44-52

The first image is of the mustard seed growing into a huge bush that becomes a home for the birds.  

What in our lives is like this?  Something we thought so minor turns out to be a major part of our lives, if not the purpose of our whole life.

The second image is a bit different, but on the same theme of discovery.  It is when we discover something so valuable to us, that it becomes the focal point of our existence.

Jesus is telling us how we come to our faith.

At first we may not think about it at all.  It is minor and insignificant in our lives, but then, our eyes are opened and we see there is nothing more important to us.  We become obsessed.

We tend to focus on the second part of the reading, where Jesus talks about throwing out the bad and keeping the good, but instead of seeing it as a judgment time, perhaps we can look at it from the point of the discovery of the kingdom and our faith.

Those of us who have found the purpose of our lives is linked to God and our faith will find joy in God's kingdom, but those who fail to give up what is unimportant for what has true value will not.

In the end, it is all about our choices.

So, let us go look for the thing of great value that we have overlooked.

More to come...