Sunday, October 14, 2007
Matthew
13:45-46
Senior Pastor
This is obviously one of the shorter parables that Jesus told. It’s only two lines. Yet, it is a parable. It is a parable about the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom God. That means it is a parable about life here, when marked by such an acute sensitivity and perception of God’s activity that it rules your life.
Yet even though it is short, I find it perplexing. I am not sure I understand what is being said, what is being illuminated and revealed in this brief saying. I have never preached on this parable before, but I find it intriguing and was greatly helped by a retelling of sorts in a video I saw not too long ago. I want to show it to you now.
Video from Good Sense Course, entitled, The Pearl of Great Price. (5:40 minutes)
The kingdom of heaven is like finding a pearl of great value or one translation says, it is like finding a pearl that it flawless. What comes home to me is that Jesus is saying you must realize that what the kingdom offers you is of unsurpassed value. There is nothing that compares. It is an outlandish claim. Let those with ears to hear listen. That is you must be attuned to the importance of spiritual realities to grasp this.
As I look at my life I find that my spiritual tuner is faulty. Sometimes I am tuned in and get it and embrace it and celebrate it. Other times my reception is full of static and I quit listening and I forget the unsurpassed value of the spiritual and tune in to the material.
But remember the irony of the retelling in the video. It costs the man everything… and it cost him nothing. “You have a car? I will need the key. You have a house? Oh, I will need that. You have a summer cottage? Oh I will need that.” The reality is that living in the kingdom costs us everything. Finally the man surrenders and says okay, “You own me friend.” That is the turning point. That is a key.
Yet, yet… before he can leave the man’s presence – what happens? He gets the pearl and his money and his keys and his wallet. It is all given back to him. How can that be? Why is that?
Two reasons. One, God is generous. Two, because the man now understands that it is not really his. It is all God’s. Can you even say that out loud? It is all God’s. Let’s just all say that slowly, together: It is all God’s. That is hard for me to say. That is pretty difficult for any American to say, I think, because we have a keen sense of personal property rights. That is an important material reality.
But Jesus challenges us in this parable to see beyond the material to the larger spiritual reality. Jesus reveals this pearl of living in the kingdom. Can you believe you can have the pearl and everything else? Thy kingdom come, they will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. This pearl of living in the kingdom is offered to us right now. Jesus says, the kingdom of God is at hand. Seek first the kingdom and all this will be given unto you. Here is the pearl.
Do we recognize that it is of unsurpassed value? Are you ready to take that step like the man in the video, like the merchant Jesus told about in our text? On finding the one pearl of great value, he went and sold all he had and bought it? Do you buy it?
The story we are using for
our Commitment Campaign is related to this very question. It is a story about an old man who had been
the pillar of his church. After his
death the young pastor came into worship one day with a letter in his
hand. He said, “Our friend has left us
two valuable things. One: he left his
entire estate to our church.” The
congregation gasped because he was known to be a very wealthy man.
“Second,” the preacher
said, “he left us this brief note. It
says, ‘Not too many people ever asked me about my spiritual life over the
years, even though I have attended this church for decades. So, I want to tell you now what I discovered
to be three great truths of my faith.
If the preacher thinks they are worthy I hope he will share them with
you.”
The preacher then read the
three great truths the man had written down.
“1. God
created everything.
2. God owns everything.
3. We are God’s Trustees.”
Wow, what a wonderful gift the old
man gives his church family. Oh, the
money will help, that is a material reality.
But in the bigger picture, the three great truths are
potentially much more valuable to the church. He is offering them the pearl that Jesus tells us about. Here is kingdom living. Here is the kingdom perspective, the
spiritual reality.
When we recognize the unsurpassed
value as a church we embody the same generous spirit with which God deals with
us -- we then are generous. We stress generosity. We set aside a portion for others. The United Methodist Church so believes in
this stress on generosity that we have structured ourselves to facilitate our
generosity far and wide through what we call connectional giving or
apportionments.
Apportionments are designated fair
share amounts given to all United Methodist Churches. It gives us a way to participate generously and consistently in
the extended ministries of the church, which provide everything from health
insurance and pensions to funds to start up new churches and support
missionaries across the globe. Apportionments: a portion meant for others. It is a system of generosity. I am proud to be a part of a church that
challenges me to do this.
Yet, there remains a final
consideration. What does this look like
in an individual’s life? Once we
recognize the unsurpassed value of the kingdom – once we recognize the extravagant
generosity of God to create everything and own everything, yet give us use of
all this for our enjoyment – what does a faithful response to this spiritual
reality look like? I have a few
ideas. See what you think?
I think it starts with asking: God
what do you need from me for your work in this place? The answer will give you a chance to stress generosity with
your material resources. The answer
will also give you an opportunity to generously use your talents to serve in a
significant way. Because the same
question applies: God what do you need
from me for your work in this place?
The Bible already reveals to us that hanging on to the value of the pearl happens best when we are honoring God and keeping the Sabbath holy, being honest, honoring our commitments and our relationships. Studying that Bible, really helps. Practicing prayer individually and with some others is really nourishing to kingdom living.
The old man in the video says, “Listen for my instructions. I’ll be in touch.”
Upon finding the pearl of unsurpassed value, what will you do?
Reason
#6: Stress Generosity
Matthew
13:45-46 10/14/07
Yet even though it is short, I find it ____________________.
Video: The Pearl of Great __________.
…finding a pearl of great value…
…flawless.
…unsurpassed __________.
…I find that my spiritual tuner is ____________.
It costs the man everything… and it cost him nothing.
“You own me ____________.” That is the turning point.
One, God is ________________. Two, because the man now
understands that it is not really his. It is all God’s.
Do we recognize that it is of ______________________ value?
Do ______ buy it?
1. God created
everything.
2. God owns everything.
3. We are God’s ________________.”
…the bigger picture the three great ____________ are
potentially much more valuable to the church.
Apportionments: a portion meant for others.
It is a system of ____________________.
God, what do you need from me for your work in this place?
Kid’s Question: What are the three great truths?