The Kingdom of God comes to all; seeking it and not seeking it

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen!

Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs, in his commentary on Matthew, interprets these parables in a specific way. The person who finds the treasure or the pearl in these parables is Jesus. Jesus is the one who comes into the world, sells all He has and thereby redeems us, His treasured people. For the preacher who interprets the parables in this fashion, the sermon offers an opportunity to change the perspective of the hearers. Some preachers approach these parables with the assumption that people need to do something (e.g., “I need to give up all I have to follow Jesus”). They will be surprised and comforted when they have nothing to do. Jesus has done it all. He has found us, given up all for us, and now claims us as His own.

In the meditation of this text, however, I will not follow that interpretation. For me, the treasure in the parables is the Gospel. These parables offer us a glimpse of a pattern we see in the ministry of Jesus. The pattern has three parts to it that teach three truths.

First, God’s Kingdom comes by grace to those who are searching and to those who are not. As the parables open, they are not similar. In the first parable, we have a person who is not searching for a treasure. He is merely there in someone’s else field. Suddenly, he comes across a treasure, unexpectedly. In the second parable, we have a person who is described as searching for a pearl. He is a merchant who can calculate a pearl’s value and his intent is to find one of great price. For both men, searching and not searching, however, the kingdom comes. It happens to them. They suddenly discover it, regardless of whether they were seeking it or not. And it does not depend on their seeking or not seeking. It doesn’t depend on their work at all. It is the grace of God.

In the ministry of Jesus, God’s Kingdom comes to those who are searching (see Acts 17:27) and to those who are not searching. Some of the people Jesus encounters are searching for the Kingdom. Nicodemus, Zacchaeus, and the rich young ruler to name a few. To these people who are searching for the Kingdom, Jesus comes for them. Others, however, are not looking for it at all. Peter, Andrew, James, and John are fishing. Matthew is collecting taxes at his booth. The Widow of Nain is burying her son. To these people who are not searching, the Kingdom also comes. Whether you are searching or not searching, God’s Kingdom comes by grace for you.

So, it continues today. A child baptized as an infant is not seeking the Kingdom, but an adult convert may have struggled for years to find meaning in life before encountering Jesus. Whether you are seeking or not seeking, God’s Kingdom comes to you in Jesus by grace, not by your works.

Second, when God’s Kingdom comes, it causes you to value all of life differently. In both parables, once individuals encounter the Kingdom, they sell all they have. There is not one aspect of their life that does not have value in relation to this kingdom.

So, too, in His ministry, Jesus taught His disciples to see their lives differently. Rather than lay up for themselves treasures on earth, they give up all they have and follow him, that is, laying up treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-20). The call to discipleship involves losing one’s life for the sake of Christ. When a disciple loses one’s life, the disciples find true life in Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:39).

This continues today. As God’s people, we have a different view on life. With Jesus, our lives are suddenly transformed. The poor in spirit, the mourning, and the meek are blessed and our lives are a witness of God’s work in the world (Matthew 5). A child in the womb, a child without parents, a needy child, is a life to be protected. An elderly person, a widow, a widower, is not someone who God will forget but, rather, one for whom God cares. When the Kingdom comes, all of life is valued differently.

Third, discipleship is learning to live in the grace of God in His kingdom. Some parables in Scripture are open-ended. They leave you wondering. Will the elder son return to his father and join the prodigal son’s party (Luke 15:31-32)? Will the barren fig tree bear fruit (Luke 13:9)? These two parables in Matthew leave us in a paradoxical situation. How will these people live? They have sold all they have to possess the treasure. They will need to rely on the treasure for the necessities of life. The Gospel is the treasure, it provides for us all what we need. It points and forgives sin; it points us to Jesus Christ and Him Crucified for us; It is Jesus for Us.

In a some denominational culture, Christians can reduce the gospel to a commodity; something they possess like the Bible they keep on their shelf. Brothers! The reign and rule of Jesus, however, is not a commodity. It is a present experience at work in our lives. In daily repentance, we come before Jesus to receive forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation; which He offers through His Word and Sacraments; we walk in His grace. Having sold all we have, we live only in relationship to Him. We live only in His grace alone, in His faith alone, and in His Word (Gospel) alone.

These parables invite us to consider the mysterious way of the reign of God. The Kingdom of God comes by grace to those who are seeking it and to those who are not seeking it. When it comes, it causes you to value all of life differently. And remember, discipleship is learning to live in the grace of God in His kingdom. Amen!