DAY 20

CLEAR VISION

Genesis 49 & 50 and Matthew 13:31-58

The readings today, while at first they may seem obscure, give a clear view of life.

Matthew 13:31-58 causes me to try and imagine sitting and listening to Jesus. I think just as I was pondering one parable, he would be offering another; today in fact six! With them written in front of us – Mustard Seed and Leaven, Weeds Explained, Hidden Treasure and Pearl of Great Value, and the Fish Net – I see three groups and three challenging points:

First, don’t underestimate a small start to God’s Kingdom, it will take some time, but it can have a big effect.

Next, God’s Kingdom isn’t just worth a lot, a close read of the parables show that it is worth everything!

Lastly (and this tends to be an unpopular point) is that there is an end and an accounting, not everyone is entering the Kingdom.

Most people like Jesus’ parables, they seem quaint. That is however until they think about them. As I think about these three points, added to the parable yesterday of needing good soil to grow, they run counter to our culture. I like going through drive-through windows and getting the extra-large soda immediately. I am taught to “pad my bets”, not staking my life on just one thing, and finally I don’t want to really think about the fact that I will have to give an accounting. The really bad people need it, but I would like “a pass”.

So think about living according to these parables. You sell everything to follow the Kingdom, but you need to realize the Kingdom (at the least the bit you are in the middle of) will be like a mustard seed – small. It will take some time to grow. And in the end…well you get the picture.

This seems true, but it is hard. I resigned from my job seven years ago to become a priest. It wasn’t as dramatic as selling everything, but it felt (and still feels) like it. I am restless with the smallness of things. I am at a big Cathedral, but it is certainly not full and we wrestle daily with making a go of it. Add to that reality that the Western Church seems to measure everything in terms of size (how many people come on Sunday and how big the offering is). Then there is the end. Is it worth it? These parables help today; they remind me that God’s economy is different than mine and that His way really does make the most sense. His love is forever. Jesus makes that clear. We must not however confuse God’s love with an easy path. The parables help me see that clearly.

 Genesis 49 & 50 closes a story and sets the stage for what will be the next big story, Moses and the Exodus. As the curtain falls Jacob blesses his sons. As I read it I was left wondering; wondering about sins of the past. Jacobs blessing of each of his sons is extremely specific. Is the blessing this way because of their past mistakes, or because they have not changed? As I was pondering that question my eyes went back to Jacob’s blessing for Judah. You remember Judah and that unfortunate moment in with his daughter-in-law. Apparently Jacob’s blessing is less about the past, and more about the future…this is certainly true of God.

Whether it is the parables or Jacob’s blessings, seeing clearly, getting straight in my head and heart a realistic view of following God is a challenge. I have grown up with the “they all lived happily ever after” motif. I have grown up with TV shows that resolve issues within an hour. Life and following God just doesn’t work that way.

The Good News is that following God is not about getting an A+, a 100%, it is about following. When we err, His mercy and forgiveness is endless. The point in all this is quite simple: Know God loves you…and follow…it is worth everything…for that is seeing life clearly.