NURC Blog for Sunday July 26th 2020 (3)

“Today’s reading presents several different ways to think about the kingdom of heaven. The images would have been familiar to the original audience, many of them being drawn from everyday life. Together they build understanding of God’s kingdom. What would be equivalent images for today? How might we use images from our contemporary everyday life to explain what God’s kingdom is like to our friends and neighbours?

There is a dual message about the kingdom of heaven. First, it is something that seems very small to begin with but will grow. Like the yeast and the tiny mustard seed, the kingdom of heaven will grow and permeate far and wide. The other images speak to us about the worth or value of the kingdom. For both the treasure in the field and the pearl of great value, someone gives everything to acquire them; the kingdom is worth more than anything else. Which of these images resonates with your understanding of the kingdom of heaven? Which do you find the most challenging?

Describing the kingdom as treasure buried in a field suggests that the kingdom needs seeking out. What does this image of hiddenness mean in practice? Even after you have bought the field, how will you find the treasure? Can you see signs of the kingdom where you are? What are they? How do we uncover the kingdom of heaven?

Two of the images refer to giving everything up for the kingdom. What might this look like in your life today? How do we give sacrificially for the kingdom? Should we? Do we? How do we respond to this ancient image about the kingdom of heaven in modern-day Britain? Can you think of a modern parallel?”

Have a good long look at the Bible Reading from Matthew, and see if you can find something that you can connect to, we had the image of the diamond in the stone, the mustard seed, and the loaf of bread. Surely we in the year 2020 can find some comparable objects or items, how we come to understand and adapt to his words, at the beginning we touched on Forest Church, the Church doesn’t have to be in a forest – but how nice would that be, it can be anywhere we like, our Church first met in a house not far from where our Church stands, as we to some extent come out of lockdown we will all be tested, with new ways of doing things – for some of us things will not go back to how they were – but we have to continue to be inclusive to remember all as we move forward, so that no seed is dropped on stony ground. We are not asked to sacrifice our life for our God but many across the world are. We must continue to pray for all people who are oppressed and remind ourselves of how lucky we are.

Lord, it’s not up to us to sort the bad from the good,
the wheat from the weeds.
Rather, send us out to love everyone equally,
and to do everything we can to promote your kingdom.
​Amen.

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