Image from agnusday.org
Listen to the narration here: https://bit.ly/2CsDVHH
31 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it 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." 33 He 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." 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. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. 47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 "Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." 52 And 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." (Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 NRSV)
Welcome, Monday! Bring your blessings to this dear reader and Friend. I pray you and yours are doing well, staying safe, and trying to stay healthy. I shared in yesterday's Pimples and Wrinkles, how my first cousin in McAllen, lost her husband to Covid-19. He was exposed for 14 days and the 15th day he just dropped dead. In respecting their privacy I will not name them, but ask for prayers for God's comfort with his family. He showed no symptoms and it was an unexpected senseless death. Please don't be next; take care of yourselves and those who matter to you. At this writing I have received the sad word that The Rev. Dr. Dan Rodriguez never recovered his stay in ICU and was called home on Sunday. Please keep his family in your prayers. Dan was a wonderful pastor and will be missed by many, your servant included. Please take care of yourselves! You matter too much to God, to your families, to many, and to me. Wearing a mask is a sign of discipleship; showing your love for others, especially the elderly and the very young. 65 babies in Nueces (Corpus Christi) County have the virus. Please take care and be safe. Pray for one another; pray for yourselves.
If the title of today's devotional has you smelling the aroma of fresh baked bread then I have your attention, because that's what Jesus wanted from those listening to His teachings. And the point of His teaching in this passage is that the kingdom of God matters because we matter to God. And what we bring to the kingdom matters to God as well. Some us will be like the mustard seed. We may perceive that our faith is tiny and that it won't matter or make a difference to others, but Jesus knew the power of the mustard seed! He knew it to be the smallest of all the seeds, but once planted and with the proper nutrition and sunlight, it would grow to larger realms and do just what God intended for it to do. God does that too. You may think, "I have nothing to offer God or to the world, but give God a chance and God will transform your faith and your life into what God intended all along.
Then there's yeast, a powerful ingredient of baking. Once introduced into the right mixture it helps it expand and grow and be what was intended of it. Bread made with yeast is the best kind, fluffy and tasty; just as it was purposed. Same can be said for those who have a contagious, transformative faith. They bring joy, life, laughter, hope and glee to the mundane. And when infused to the community of faith, they do wonders in helping shape the direction the community takes in reaching others for the good of God.
Then there's the treasure, hidden for some reason, in a field. It may have been forgotten or the owner died and the field in which it was located, is ignored. Then someone comes to the field and finds the treasure. The treasure makes this discoverer want to own the entire field; he goes and sells all he has so that he can buy the field. There is an element of sacrifice in being part of God's kingdom. It's a matter of giving one's all to the kingdom. It means a personal commitment to stand on the promises of God and not to just sit on the premises. There is no bench for disciples; all get called in; everyone plays and strives to win.
The kingdom is also like a precious pearl that a merchant finds and again, sells all he has to buy it. This stresses not only sacrifice, but the commitment required to faithfully and fruitfully serve the Lord. It is Jesus saying, "Don't hold back on serving God. You commit, you go forward and serve. No looking back, and no turning back; onward and upward is our commitment to God.
The last illustration the Lord shares is that the kingdom is like a fishing excursion where a net is thrown into the sea and every kind of fish is hauled in. Once on shore, the fisher sits and divides the fish; good into baskets, the bad are thrown out. This is clear and Jesus says so, "So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Friends, I cannot stress this enough, that judgement is coming. Jesus spoke of this very clearly and stresses that in this passage; God is not mocked nor can God be ignored. God has shared a standard of what is expected of us, and we need to live up to it and be faithful to Him. We will all die, and we will all be judged. We will be asked to account for our lives while on earth. Judgement will be a process of separation; the good will enter into eternal life with God, Jesus, and all the saints of heaven; the evil will be separated from God and enter into eternal suffering. Some ask, "Why would a loving God send anyone to hell?" Simple answer; God is not the one who decided for people to be sinful or evil, those were personal options and choices. Dear one, choose life and good for you and yours.
PRAYER: Awesome God, as we pray, we are aware of what You have expected of us. We know You are loving and forgiving, but You are also serious in asking of us to be the people You have called us to be. Forgive us and grant to us a new opportunity to serve You and Yours. We pray for those who are hurting, mourning, ill, or at the point of death. May Your will be done. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be part of those who give of themselves to save others!
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
How Are You? My newest podcast found under the Media section at www.pimplesandwrinkles.org.
