1 Kings 3:5-12, Psalm 119:129-136, and Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
Jesus speaks to His disciples about the Kingdom of Heaven and the end of the world in parables. What kind of place is the Kingdom of Heaven? Jesus says the following five things. They are mustard seed, yeast, treasure hidden in a field, merchant looking for fine pearls, and net that caught all types of fish.
First, what is the reason Jesus spoke of the mustard seed? Although mustard seeds are so small that they are barely visible, when planted in the ground and fully grown, they grow to be more than 3 meters tall. Therefore, mustard is depicted as a symbolic plant that grows to a size incomparable to the original size of its seed. So the theme of this parable is that the Kingdom of Heaven begins by appearing insignificant at first, but later expands remarkably.
It is to show that just as a mustard seed grows large enough for birds of the air to perch on it, heaven, although it begins in a small and insignificant form, grows outwardly enough for countless people to enjoy rest there once it is completed. Jesus, who came to this earth, was not of high status, as He was the son of a mere carpenter born in a stable in Bethlehem. However, the gospel preached by Jesus spread through Judea and Samaria to Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas, and the Far East. The scale has grown beyond recognition. Furthermore, the small faith dwelling in the disciples’ hearts grew secretly into a great faith that the world could not withstand, forming the church and becoming the seed of modern Christianity.
Second is yeast. When yeast is mixed with flour to make dough, it rises several times its original size. The amount of yeast in sixty pounds of flour was not large. However, thanks to this small thing, we can share a fairly large amount of bread with several people. So, Jesus chose yeast as an example of something extremely small and insignificant that achieves great inner growth. So He wanted to show that the beginning of Heaven also starts from something extremely small. Just like yeast, when the Gospel enters my life, it changes me. It helps me grow. So it allows us to experience heaven. Furthermore, through that power, the realm and sovereignty of God’s rule are expanded tremendously.
The third is that the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. This parable is recorded only in the Gospel of Matthew. It shows that the owner of the treasure dug deep into the field and hid it. In Palestine, a region frequently subjected to foreign invasions, and in times when there were no banks, hiding valuable treasures underground was not unusual. Heaven is a reality that is not easily visible to ordinary people, like a treasure hidden in a field. However, its value is so great that it would not be a waste to sell all one’s possessions to buy it. In other words, just as the man who discovered the treasure hidden in the field sold all his possessions to buy the field where the treasure was hidden, the Kingdom of Heaven is worth obtaining even at the cost of sacrificing everything one has.
The fourth is “merchant looking for fine pearls.” Likewise, it is a parable that shows that heaven is worth obtaining, even at the cost of tremendous sacrifice. Jesus wanted to emphasize this again by telling the parable of the pearl, which has a similar content, in addition to the parable of the treasure hidden in the field. So, He shows us how valuable heaven is. The original word for “merchant” is “andropho emporo,” which refers to a wholesaler who travels from place to place in search of fine pearls. The pearl merchant diligently searching here and there for an exceptionally fine pearl, and upon finding it, selling all his possessions to buy it, demonstrates that Heaven is worth possessing even if it means selling everything one has.
Lastly, it is like a net that caught all kinds of fish. The essence of the net parable lies not in catching fish with a net, but in distinguishing between good and bad fish at the shore and discarding the bad ones. Just like the parable of the weeds mentioned earlier (verses 24-30), the eschatological judgment on this world, in which the righteous and the wicked are mixed, carries the image of separating the righteous from the wicked and throwing the wicked into the furnace of fire. This net is a method of catching all the fish using a bottom trawling technique from both sides of the lake. Then, the good fish are gathered in one place, and the bad ones are thrown away. Likewise, Heaven is accessible to those who are worthy of the qualifications. The end of the world is just like this. Those who are prepared by the gospel can enter. Those who are not qualified will not be able to enter the Kingdom of God, as stated in verse 50.
Beloved, Jesus spoke through various parables like this to help us better understand the Gospel and the Kingdom of God, and to invite others. Like a merchant working diligently to possess good treasures, I also hope we complete the tasks given to us on this earth faithfully. Furthermore, we desire that the hope for heaven grows within us and helps us grow. We will continue to meet the transformed version of ourselves through the Gospel and welcome a new tomorrow. And let us invite others. So let’s enter that kingdom together with our neighbours. Amen.