Community Church Sermons
Year A
July 24, 2011
Pentecost 6
Have You Understood This?
Matthew 13:31-33;
44-52
Rev. Dr. R.
Tim Meadows
“Have you understood this”? Jesus asked the group around him. “Oh yeah, sure, we got this, no problem.” Somehow I doubt that was true. As a former teacher anytime I got that kind of response, I knew to be suspicious. I knew that with rather complex material that I was not that good and they were not that smart.
“Have you understood this”? Jesus asked, and I must tell you that I would be the honest student at this point, because despite wrestling with this text for this sermon and at other teaching opportunities my understanding is at best limited. I have learned some things. Like how miniscule a mustard seed really is. How arborist of the day viewed it’s product as a “trash tree” best cared for by elimination. I learned a lot about leaven. It uses. Why you would hide it. Why, in some cases, you would wait until it was nearly putrid before doing so. I learned a lot about the seeking and hiding of treasure in this day. I learned a lot about the fishing habits of the day. Yes, they lied as often as you do about the one that got away. But, ultimately, this passage is still puzzling.
This is one of those passages where I find handy the pointed reminder of Will Willimon, the Methodist Bishop of North Alabama, issued once to a group of preachers among whom I was present: “Remember, all of your preaching failures are not your fault. Sometimes, Jesus just did not give us much to work with.” That being said let me tell you what I do understand about this rather odd New Testament lesson.
What you plant will grow beyond its original size usually, often beyond what you could have imagined. If you plant good things, this growth will be good, if not, you will have to deal with growth you would rather not have. So, how is your planting going? What kind of growth and harvest do you anticipate from your efforts? We will all know soon enough.
What you hide will eventually be found. If what you hide is of value, then its finder will invest in such gladly and speak well of you and your legacy. If not, you may face accusations of fraud, misplaced values, and a tarnished legacy. What kind of things are you leaving behind for others to find? We will all know soon enough.
What you catch in a net will always be a mixed mystery and blessing that will require sorting, but the mystery should not discourage you from fishing, for without that nothing can be caught. So, when was the last time you cast out your net to see what you could catch? What did that catch look like after it was sorted? We will all know soon enough.
As I said at the beginning, just what all of this has to do with the things of God is not completely certain, but at least the following makes some sense. The Kingdom of God will grow unimaginably from what we plant, so we should plant wisely. The Kingdom of God will be a great treasure for those who discover and invest in such, so we should be leaving things of value for those who come behind us to find. The Kingdom of God will always attract a variety of people, some of whom will be a source for blessing. Are you one of those people?
Have you understood this? Well, maybe a little bit. So, do something good with what you do understand and leave the rest to mystery. May God help us understand how to advance the kingdom for the benefit of others. AMEN!