Give thanks to the Lord and call on God’s name! We will praise our God and tell of all God’s wonderful works.
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. We will give glory to God’s holy name!
Seek the Lord, God’s strength, and presence continually. We will remember God’s mercy and justice in worship and praise.
The Collect for today
O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
God of the past, present and future, we marvel at the wonder of your creation all around this summer.
We praise you for the blessings of the season, for gardens growing, birds singing, shouts of joy in times of play and restful evening sunsets.
Such good gifts all around us remind us of your faithfulness to us.
You promise us a life beyond anything we can hope or imagine, a kingdom marked by grace, love, and justice for all.
In Jesus’ name, by the power of the Spirit breathing within us, we praise you for your loving kindness and the hope it brings to us day by day.
As we think about your faithfulness to us, we cannot help but think about the ways we have not lived faithfully and so we confess together everything that clouds our fellowship with you.
Merciful God:
We confess that we can feel too comfortable with the way things are, and admit our reluctance to live out the challenges we read in the gospel we profess to believe.
Tempted by the values and the promises of our society and culture, we allow the way things are to protect and prosper some but not all.
Turning away from the cries of the hurting, we fail to stand up for the justice they seek.
Afraid to speak of our faith and hope in you, we remain silent and complacent.
Forgive us all the ways we let you down. Hear us as we repent of the failures of our life and faith as relying on Jesus Christ our Lord, we ask your forgiveness and grace.
Assurance of Pardon
Hear the good news! Who can condemn us? Only Christ —
And Christ died for us; Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Friends believe the good news of the gospel. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and set free by God’s generous grace. Thanks be to God!
Prayer for Understanding
God of wisdom, you teach us with your love, you touch us with your mercy, and you challenge us with your truth. Send us your Holy Spirit to help us understand the treasures of your Word speaking to us in the scriptures today. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer (in the words most familiar to you)
The Readings
Genesis 29: 15-28
15 Laban said to him, ‘Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.’
16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder one was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weak[a] eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, ‘I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.’
19 Laban said, ‘It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.’ 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, ‘Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.’
22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.
23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her.
24 And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.
25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, ‘What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?’
26 Laban replied, ‘It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the elder one. 27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.’
28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.
Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-52
31 He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.’
33 He told them still another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about thirty kilograms of flour until it worked all through the dough.’
44 ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
47 ‘Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 ‘Have you understood all these things?’ Jesus asked. ‘Yes,’ they replied.
52 He said to them, ‘Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.’
Romans 8: 26-39
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
More than conquerors
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
This is the Word of the Lord, to Him be all praise and glory.
Sermon
This weekend we may ask, “What connects these five words: mustard, yeast, treasure, pearl and net?”
The answer of course is the Kingdom of Heaven, which should help us to remember them.
Chapter thirteen of Matthews gospel contains seven of Jesus’ parables which begin with the words” The Kingdom of Heaven is like….” Last week we spoke about the first two only obliquely as we focused on the story of Jacob whose faith grew in a rocky place. The other five, The Parable of the Mustard Seed, The Parable of the Leaven, The Parable of the Hidden Treasure, The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price, and The Parable of the Dragnet. Each gives us a different perspective on the Kingdom of heaven.
Jesus uses everyday events from ancient Judean life to make points which may have startled the people who first heard them and which, from our perspective two thousand years on, may not be obvious. Expect then a surprise or two.
To us mustard is a condiment which most of us may have first experienced in its smooth bright yellow English form. And maybe it was the more exotic Dijon variety which first introduced us to mustard seeds; but unpickled, these seeds will not grow into the tree which Jesus spoke about.
The mustard tree was a common weed in Palestine. It was not cultivated. Unlike the pearl of great price or the hidden treasure, no one would sell everything he had to buy one. So why does Jesus tell the parable? One of the characteristics of the mustard is its relatively small seeds. It is hard to believe that such a tiny seed could produce this large shrub which could give shelter to the large birds. The point is like the English proverb, ‘Mighty oaks from little acorns grow’ which may go back to the time of Chaucer, or, ‘Large streams from little fountains flow.’
The obvious meaning is that the Kingdom of heaven has small beginnings but grows exponentially, increasing its spread in every generation like a self-replicating meme, as we might say today.
There is more in this parable, however. Although the mustard tree is of little use to humans, it is quite useful to birds. The birds build their nests there and raise their young. To the Jews, many birds were unclean and useless for food. Only birds which had crops like quails or doves, mainly seed eaters, were permitted. The birds which nested in the mustard probably were mostly unclean. It appears that Jesus was implying here that nations considered to be unclean by the Jews would have a place in the Kingdom, the Gentiles coming to find rest in the tree. Jesus’ hearers might have expected the kingdom of heaven to be likened to an olive tree, or a date palm, or fig tree as these may have better characterized Israel. Does this foreshadow God telling Peter to not call unclean what God has cleansed? The inclusion of the Gentiles into the new Israel is a major theme in Matthew. Jews and Gentiles would be incorporated into a new tree and it would be of a humbler more inclusive sort.
The parable of the leaven, or yeast, has a twist in it as well. Leaven was often used as a metaphor for sin. One could use the action of leaven as a warning not to let small sins go unchecked, as they can become the gateway to greater sins. The Jews at Passover would carefully search for and remove all leaven in the house before the Feast of Unleavened Bread. They were directly commanded by God to do so in the Book of Exodus. But leaven was useful as well when taken in its normal sense. It made bread tastier and lighter. The Jews certainly enjoyed their leavened bread for most of the year. Unleavened bread is dry and tough, like hard tack. Its purpose was to remind Israel that life was once hard. At the Passover, they remembered the slavery of their ancestors, and it that was by the grace of God that they were delivered from bondage Unleavened bread reminded them that they had to prepare to leave quickly on Passover Night. There was no time for their bread to rise. The bitter herbs reminded them of the bitterness of slavery as well. The rest of the year, the leavened bread was received with thanksgiving and joy. Life could be harsh, but the taste of soft bread was a treat.
Jesus uses leaven in a positive way in this parable. It mirrors the mustard seed in that yeast is tiny. Compared to three measures of bread, it was a small ingredient. Usually a little dough was left unbaked so the yeast culture could grow. A piece of this old batch of dough was added to the new. The bread would be thoroughly mixed so the yeast could do its work. Soon the entire batch of dough rose and was ready to be baked. Like the mustard seed, one can see how great things come from small beginnings. What is added is that a little of the old would be mixed in with the new to produce the result. It would be one lump of Jew and Gentile together. If we take the parable of the wheat and tares together with that of the net, the Kingdom of Heaven will increase into its fullness through the ages to come.
The arable of the Hidden Treasure again reinforces the idea of the hiddenness of the Kingdom. To passers-by, the kingdom of God may seem like an ordinary field. It might have some value, but its true value is hidden from sight. If they only knew the treasure the field contains! How the man in the parable discovered the treasure is not told. All we know is that he found it. He had to have this field, so he sold everything to buy it. No one else might have done this, but the man knew a secret. We might wonder how he contained his joy until he had the deeds in his hands. We might like to imagine a scenario around this illustration, but it is important not to press parables too hard. Jesus was not saying to keep the secret to one’s self. What the parable is teaching is that the field with its treasure was so valuable to him that he was willing to part with everything he had to obtain it. There is a cost to discipleship, sometimes a great cost. But the reward is more than worth the loss.
The Pearl of Great Price amplifies this idea. In this instance a person who discovers the Kingdom of Heaven, or is discovered by it, is like a merchant who comes across an extremely valuable pearl. What is different is that as a merchant already knows how valuable pearls are. The value in this case was out in the open. Yet, this merchant knew he had to have that pearl. We might suppose a pearl merchant would have many other valuable pearls. He may have had other great possessions. He decided to liquidate everything to get it. The parable illustrates the great value of the Kingdom. We may have our own precious philosophies and beliefs in life, but an awareness of the value of the Kingdom of God is such that they can be sacrificed to obtain the greater.
The final parable is that of the fishing net. Fishing can be done one of two ways, with a hook and bait or with a net. Jesus commanded Peter to cast a hook to bring up the fish with a coin in its mouth to pay the taxes. But fishing with nets was more common. Large numbers of fish can be brought up with a net. The problem is that nets do not discriminate. A lot of useless fish can be brought up along with the good. After bringing the net on board, the good fish must be gathered and the bad thrown back. Net fishing is exhausting work.
We are called to be “fishers of men” or should I say “fishers of people” nowadays, and this is the way the disciples are to spread the Gospel. We hear so many preachers who talk about evangelism as though it is like fishing with a hook, using argument, emotion and pressure to force people to profess faith. The way of the gospel is not coercive, but winsome, the work of the Holy Spirit. Evangelism is like net fishing. Preaching the gospel by deed as well as word to everyone is how we cast the net and let come what may. God is responsible for the increase. We do have a part in the growing of the Kingdom. In the parable the sower did not till the ground. Nor did he add fertilizer. He simple cast the seed everywhere. Not all the soil will be productive in bringing forth fruit, but that is not our job. We are called to cast the net, or to change the metaphor, to plant or water, but God gives the increase.
In these parable Jesus declares the Kingdom of Heaven. It is not an obvious kingdom as worldly people understand kingdoms. It started mainly with Jesus and mostly ordinary fisherman and others. Yet there was hidden treasure in the message. There was no evident splendour or glory, only hard work, discipleship, rejection and even cross-bearing. But the kingdom of Heaven will come in splendour. The kingdoms of this world are like ordinary pearls by comparison. This may not be evident to us today as the church and the gospel are apparently in decline. But that has happened before in the history of the world and the outcome is still in God’s hand.
What is important is that we realise the value of what we have in the gospel and our possession of the Kingdom of Heaven. When our lives end, what will we take with us, except our souls safe in the love of God, nurtured and matured in the experiences of this life, and all that we have gained of love and grace as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven? As Jesus says, we are to lay up our treasures in heaven, the pearls of grace and love, and we may be assured that they are worth much more than they have cost us in this life.
As one preacher put it, “The kingdom of heaven must come first if it is ever to enfold you into its glory, indwell you with its joy, bless you with its beauty, and nurture you with the holy friendship for which you were created.”
Two poems by Steve Garnaas-Holmes
1 Unlike a pearl
We’re window-shopping.
We pretend it’s something you hunt the world for,
or it’s sold only in the most exclusive markets.
Friend, unlike a pearl, it’s already in your hand.
It is within you.
Let go of everything else
and there it is.
What won’t you trade for it?
Ah, there you are.
Listen: unlike a pearl
you can’t have or hold it:
it’s a realm, a whole people.
It’s for the world, not you.
That may be the hardest thing to let go of.
When you do—
there it is.
2 Mustard Seed
You are a mustard seed of justice.
Never mind the smallness of your witness.
The wound is deep, the sickness is awful,
the hunger is great.
But you are a mustard seed of healing and justice.
Immeasurable divine fruit is hidden
in the smallest acts of love and courage.
It’s not about you. It’s the power you contain.
You are a mustard seed of justice.
But only when you are sown.
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
Amen.
Invitation to the Offering
God has blessed us with gifts and resources, signs of his goodness and generosity. Let us share our wealth with others through our offerings, that they too may rejoice in God’s goodness.
Prayer of Dedication
Loving God, you are always faithful and generous to us. We offer these gifts to you in Jesus’ name, trusting that you will bless them and us, and that your goodness may be multiplied to touch the lives of those in need, for Christ’s sake. Amen.
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Good and generous God,
In Jesus Christ you came to us, promising us life in abundance.
We thank you today for the wealth of all that you have given us in him:
Assurance of your love day by day.
Relief of mercy whenever we recognize our faults and failings.
Hope renewed when things seem bleak.
Peace that comes when we trust ourselves to your eternal keeping.
These are the gifts that matter, O Lord, so for all the times we are aware of your love and grace in our lives we thank and praise you. (Keep silence for a few moments)
Generous God, the world is going through difficult times this summer.
We pray now for all whose lives feel empty of joy or hope:
Because plans have changed, and friends are far away.
Because hearts are filled with disappointment and loneliness.
Because sorrow and grief are very real each day.
Support with your deep encompassing compassion people whom we name in these moments of quietness: (Keep silence for a few moments)
Generous God, so many things have changed because of the pandemic and what it has revealed.
We pray for those whose lives are empty of purpose, and for those who lack the respect of their neighbours:
Because they are without work.
Because they are discriminated against are devalued in our communities.
Because they have made poor choices and cannot find a way forward.
Support everyone we name in this silence with your abundant mercy and show them signs of hope: (Keep silence for a few moments)
Generous God,
We remember before you in silence those who lives are empty of peace and hope:
Because they struggle with illness, disability, or grief.
Because they are powerless in the face of violence.
Because old animosities rankle and opportunities for reconciliation are elusive. (Keep silence for a few moments)
Send the dove of your peace and the promise of new possibilities and a way forward for each one.
Good and generous God fill us with the energy and compassion of your Spirit to reach out to those facing difficult times. May we become the gift we have received in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Benediction
May the love of the Father,
the tenderness of the Son,
and the presence of the Spirit,
gladden your heart
and bring peace to your soul,
this day and all days, Amen.
Hymns
Here are some hymn suggestions to check on YouTube if you wish to sing along. Some may not be as familiar as their titles suggest and the ones marked “listen” do not have the lyrics on the screen:
Immortal, invisible God only wise
There is a Redeemer
God whose love is always stronger
God whose love is always stronger Than our weakness, pride and fear,
In your world, we pray and wonder How to be more faithful here.
Hate too often grows inside us; Fear rules what the nations do.
So we pray, when wars divide us: Give us love, Lord! Make us new!
Love is patient, kind and caring, Never arrogant or rude,
Never boastful, all things bearing; Love rejoices in the truth.
When we’re caught up in believing War will make the terror cease,
Show us Jesus’ way of living; May our strength be in your peace.
May our faith in you be nourished; May your churches hear your call.
May our lives be filled with courage As we speak your love for all.
Now emboldened by your Spirit Who has given us new birth,
Give us love, that we may share it Till your love renews the earth.
Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
Higher ground
And can it be that I should gain and interest in the Saviour’s blood
For Children
Today we’re talking about promises. Has anyone ever broken a promise to you? Have you ever made a promise to someone that you broke? Perhaps you promised your mother you’d clean your room, but instead you went out to play and forgot all about your promise. You may have even made a promise to someone even though you didn’t really mean to keep it. Unfortunately, most of us have done that: made a promise that we didn’t keep.
Today’s Bible lesson is about how Jacob and Rachel met and fell in love and about, making promises and keeping them.
A man called Laban had two daughters. Rachel was the younger sister, and Jacob loved her and wanted to marry her.
Leah was the older daughter, but Jacob didn’t really love her.
In those days a man was expected to pay a bride price to the woman’s father if he wanted to marry her
Laban gave Jacob a job and a place to stay. Then Laban said, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we’re relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.”
Jacob thought about this. He was crazy about Rachel, so he said, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you let me have your younger daughter Rachel as my wife.”
Laban agreed. So, Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. Seven years! That’s a long time.
But even though it was a long time, to Jacob it only seemed like a few days, because he loved Rachel so much and was so happy to marry her. Finally, after seven years, he went to Laban and said, “I’ve worked for you for seven years. Now, give me my wife.” Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a big feast to celebrate.
But when night came, Laban went into the house and gave his daughter Leah to Jacob instead of Rachel. It took Jacob a while because Leah was wearing a veil, but finally he realised that Laban had switched his bride. “What have you done to me?” he cried. “Didn’t I work seven years for Rachel? Why have you tricked me?”
But Laban didn’t apologize or offer to make it right. He said that as Leah was older, she had to be married first. You can imagine that Jacob was pretty upset. He wanted Laban to keep his promise. Finally, Laban said, “Alright. If you’ll work for me seven more years, then you may have Rachel for your wife.”
Finally, after seven more years had passed, Laban did keep his promise and gave Jacob his daughter Rachel as his wife.
Laban was not good at keeping his promises, but God is. When God makes a promise, you know He’ll keep it. God expects us to be faithful in keeping our promises, too.
God, thank You for keeping Your promises to us. Thank You for being here to help us. Please help us to keep the promises we make to others faithfully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
