Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 on biblegateway.com
Verse 31He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; Verse 32it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." Verse 33He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."
Verse 44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Verse 45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; Verse 46on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. Verse 47"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; Verse 48when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. Verse 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous Verse 50and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Verse 51"Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." Verse 52And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."
Devotion
A foodie is someone who has an ardent or refined interest in food. It used to be a term that was interchangeable with gourmet. It has taken on a bit of a snobbish slant however, and a foodie isn't generally seen in a positive light. Why the discussion over food, you may ask? Well, foodies generally see that the smallest of herbs can bring the greatest delight to the simplest of dishes. Herbs like lavender, rosemary and thyme have all come into favor in regards to food. But an oft overlooked herb is the mustard seed. I would guess when we think mustard, we think the stuff in the bottle that goes great on a hot dog, but that's about it. A mustard seed is an overlooked herb and even 2,000 years ago, wasn't regarded as something great and grand.
This is the herb to which Jesus compares the kingdom of God. Seriously? Mustard? Why not juniper, ancho or even chipotle? These are great herbs! These are what the kingdom of God should be like! If we think like this, we miss the point of the parable. The kingdom of God is already here in the oft overlooked things, in the forgotten, the lowly and the mundane.
Prayer
Creator of all things great and small, give us eyes of faith to see your kingdom in the less obvious things in life. Amen.