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
Martin Luther tells us that there are two kinds of righteousness. There is an alien righteousness, which is the righteousness Christ gives to us through faith. And there is a proper righteousness, which is what we do for our neighbor because of the alien righteousness which Christ himself justified in us.
The three parables in the second section of the Gospel reading for this week are similar to Luther’s understanding of righteousness. It is almost like we stumble upon this righteousness through our regular work day, and someway, somehow, discover we are forgiven, claimed sinners made into saints through Christ. If we could, we would sell everything we own to find this pearl every day.
The problem is the sinner cannot always see the pearl. We are too busy or haggard from the day-to-day drumming of life that we see the pearl, but look beyond its treasure and seek joy from something that seems more palatable to our tastes. The alien righteousness of Christ, like a treasure found in a field, constantly catches the sinner off guard, and surprises us with its ability to give us new life. Thanks be to God for the surprising gift of God’s grace.
Prayer
Gracious God, you come to us new each and every day. May we treasure Your word today and keep it near our hearts so that we may serve you with a quiet mind. Amen.