17 OTA.11; 1Kgs 3:5-12; Rms 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like….
The gospel says, the Kingdom of Heaven is like…..
Every hour in the 24 hours that make up any day on earth, the words are heard countless millions of times. Millions pray these words each week in worship & some pray these words every day.
Do you know them? … "Thy kingdom come ...."Of course you do. These words come from the best known prayer in the Christian world, The Lord's Prayer. But let me ask you a question.
When you pray, "Thy kingdom come," what exactly do you mean by this "kingdom?" What is it that you want to come? It would seem to be a pretty straight forward question with an easy answer. The "Thy" in the phrase refers to God, so obviously it is God's kingdom we want to come, isn't it?But do we understand all that is involved in the coming of the Kingdom? What will it mean to live in the presence of God? And aren't we already supposed to be doing exactly that? (Adapted; esermons.com/ Jewell)
Most people I know believe that heaven is some far, distant place. When describing heaven they generally speak of some favorite place, like the Florida Keys, Hawaii, the Smoky Mountains or a cabin in Canada. The Book of the Revelation talks about a place where there are "streets of gold, walls with precious stones and pearl gates." Our images of heaven tend to be some form of paradise where everything is beautiful & wonderful.
But here in the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus does not describe "heaven" as a place. He is speaking in parables & in each parable he refers to heaven as an activity. Heaven is not a destination … but a journey.
For Jesus, heaven has to do with planting seeds, discovering treasure, selling everything you have & being caught up in a huge net. In other words heaven is not a place where we end up but a process we participate in. (Source: sermons.com/Wagner)
Heaven is a lot closer than you think. Heaven is all around us at this very moment. There is only one creation & we participate in it now.
Creation is our present, an on-going, divine reality!
While today’s gospel presents us with images of the kingdom, reading between the lines we see that the focus of the parables isn’t hidden treasure, pearls, or fish. It is the actions of…
the treasure hunter, the merchant, & the fishermen.
What does the gospel tell us about these people? The treasure hunter, the merchant, & the fishermen are relentless in their search for the prize. They
2 are persistent in the face of challenges, & they become innovative in looking for ways to overcome the obstacles they face.
This perspective of the Kingdom made recall some very courageous people.
On August 5th 2010, the AP headline read:
Three War vets, 1 good leg: Amputees climb Kilimanjaro
The 3 American Veterans from three different wars had only one good leg among them. But that didn’t stop them from summitting Africa’s highest mountain. The 3 soldiers, veterans of Afghanistan, Iraq & Vietnam, scrambled, clawed & plodded to the top of Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro,
Hiking up the domed mountains on one human leg
…& five prosthetics made of titanium & carbon fiber.
They skidded. They fell. They removed their legs to adjust their shoes.
And after six days of climbing they stood at 19, 340 feet atop Africa’s highest point. “The message we’re trying to send back to the USA is no matter what disability you have you can be active,” said Kirk Bauer, the executive director of Disabled Sports USA & a 62 yo Vietnam veteran who lost his leg in 1969. Bauer was one of the triumphant climbers. He said:
“If three amputees from three different wars & two different generations with literally one good leg can climb Kilimanjaro, our other disabled friends can get out & go hiking or go biking or swim a mile, can get out & lead a healthy life.” (Source: AP article/Disabled Sports)
Yes, amazing feats can be accomplished when we put our minds to it.
Those 3 climbers have the “hutspa” of the parable characters today!
Love not Hate; Justice not Vengeance;
Mercy not Vindictiveness; Inclusion not Exclusion.
To be persistent, to work to overcome challenges in an innovative manner, to be extreme without being a fanatic this is our call, in union with the source of our strength, this very Eucharist. The Eucharist gives …
faith to dispel fear,
hope to build confidence,
& love to serve as Jesus did. With Christ all things work for the good for those who love God. C’mon, let’s just do it. Heaven is waiting for us!
The gospel says, the Kingdom of Heaven is like…..
Every hour in the 24 hours that make up any day on earth, the words are heard countless millions of times. Millions pray these words each week in worship & some pray these words every day.
Do you know them? … "Thy kingdom come ...."Of course you do. These words come from the best known prayer in the Christian world, The Lord's Prayer. But let me ask you a question.
When you pray, "Thy kingdom come," what exactly do you mean by this "kingdom?" What is it that you want to come? It would seem to be a pretty straight forward question with an easy answer. The "Thy" in the phrase refers to God, so obviously it is God's kingdom we want to come, isn't it?But do we understand all that is involved in the coming of the Kingdom? What will it mean to live in the presence of God? And aren't we already supposed to be doing exactly that? (Adapted; esermons.com/ Jewell)
Most people I know believe that heaven is some far, distant place. When describing heaven they generally speak of some favorite place, like the Florida Keys, Hawaii, the Smoky Mountains or a cabin in Canada. The Book of the Revelation talks about a place where there are "streets of gold, walls with precious stones and pearl gates." Our images of heaven tend to be some form of paradise where everything is beautiful & wonderful.
But here in the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus does not describe "heaven" as a place. He is speaking in parables & in each parable he refers to heaven as an activity. Heaven is not a destination … but a journey.
For Jesus, heaven has to do with planting seeds, discovering treasure, selling everything you have & being caught up in a huge net. In other words heaven is not a place where we end up but a process we participate in. (Source: sermons.com/Wagner)
Heaven is a lot closer than you think. Heaven is all around us at this very moment. There is only one creation & we participate in it now.
Creation is our present, an on-going, divine reality!
While today’s gospel presents us with images of the kingdom, reading between the lines we see that the focus of the parables isn’t hidden treasure, pearls, or fish. It is the actions of…
the treasure hunter, the merchant, & the fishermen.
What does the gospel tell us about these people? The treasure hunter, the merchant, & the fishermen are relentless in their search for the prize. They
2 are persistent in the face of challenges, & they become innovative in looking for ways to overcome the obstacles they face.
(Source: Living With Christ, 7/11)
This perspective of the Kingdom made recall some very courageous people.
On August 5th 2010, the AP headline read:
Three War vets, 1 good leg: Amputees climb Kilimanjaro
The 3 American Veterans from three different wars had only one good leg among them. But that didn’t stop them from summitting Africa’s highest mountain. The 3 soldiers, veterans of Afghanistan, Iraq & Vietnam, scrambled, clawed & plodded to the top of Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro,
Hiking up the domed mountains on one human leg
…& five prosthetics made of titanium & carbon fiber.
They skidded. They fell. They removed their legs to adjust their shoes.
And after six days of climbing they stood at 19, 340 feet atop Africa’s highest point. “The message we’re trying to send back to the USA is no matter what disability you have you can be active,” said Kirk Bauer, the executive director of Disabled Sports USA & a 62 yo Vietnam veteran who lost his leg in 1969. Bauer was one of the triumphant climbers. He said:
“If three amputees from three different wars & two different generations with literally one good leg can climb Kilimanjaro, our other disabled friends can get out & go hiking or go biking or swim a mile, can get out & lead a healthy life.” (Source: AP article/Disabled Sports)
Yes, amazing feats can be accomplished when we put our minds to it.
Those 3 climbers have the “hutspa” of the parable characters today!
And so do you!
If we are going to prepare this world for the kingdom, we, like the treasure hunter, the merchant, & the fishermen, must be relentless. We are called to face obstacles & to be innovative in the ways we overcome these challenges. With an understanding heart of our human condition & the persistence empowered by the Spirit, we can build a better world based on: Love not Hate; Justice not Vengeance;
Mercy not Vindictiveness; Inclusion not Exclusion.
To be persistent, to work to overcome challenges in an innovative manner, to be extreme without being a fanatic this is our call, in union with the source of our strength, this very Eucharist. The Eucharist gives …
faith to dispel fear,
hope to build confidence,
& love to serve as Jesus did. With Christ all things work for the good for those who love God. C’mon, let’s just do it. Heaven is waiting for us!