The Kingdom of Heaven Through the Parables

Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew is filled with parables which were a teaching technique at the time of Jesus and are just as powerful today. They begin with, “The kingdom of Heaven is like…” Notice, also, another form of teaching, the metaphor (or simile if you prefer). Saying “the kingdom of Heaven is like” means that it is beyond our human understanding and so we need to compare it to something familiar.

What is the kingdom of Heaven? It is a time of peace and joy. Where sin, sickness, and death will be no more. Now, how will the parables help us to understand it? In summary, they tell us that the kingdom is something of great worth, that it takes time to form within us, and is what to expect in our final days.

For us, today, right this moment, Matthew 13 offers hope and healing to the aged and infirm by emphasizing inner spiritual growth over physical decline, the quiet and powerful work of God's kingdom, and the promise of a glorious future renewal.

* The Mustard Seed: The kingdom of heaven grows from a tiny seed into a large tree. Like any tree, this growth is slow—it has occurred throughout your life in quiet, unseen acts of faith that carry immense, lasting power.

* The Yeast: God's healing and transforming grace works quietly from within, much like yeast hidden in dough, working steadily even when the body is resting.

* Next is the treasure hidden in a field and the pearl of great value. The kingdom is the hidden treasure that you have searched for and found during your lives. It is this striving that counts. Having this treasure is greater than anything you have in your lives and why it is worth everything to possess.

* Finally, there is the harvest, the net thrown by angels to draw you up into the kingdom. It is Jesus’ promises that at the end of the age, the righteous will "shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father,” offering ultimate comfort where physical weariness gives way to glorious eternal life.

This, then, is the kingdom we long for:

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21: 3-4

Delivered to our dear friends at Water’s Edge nursing and assisted living home.