This morning we heard the five parables of Jesus. If I summarize them, the kingdom of heaven is like 1) a mustard seed that is the smallest of all the seeds, 2) yeast mixed in with flour, 3) a treasure hidden in a field, 4) a merchant in search of a fine pearl, and lastly 5) a fish net to sort out the good and the bad among all kinds of fish. I wonder if Jesus was in such a hurry that he felt so compelled to throw all five parables at once to the crowd. It’s one riddle after another. There might be two responses to Jesus’ pack of riddles. One might feel overwhelmed when the parables are considered something that one has to understand and get it right. The other response might show a reluctant or indifferent attitude because of its lack of relevance with unspoken questions of “Who cares?” or “Why and how does it matter to me?”
But let’s remember the goal of Jesus telling the parables. It’s not meant to be a riddle or a puzzle to be solved. It’s his means to convey his message in a brief story that evokes imagination in the mind of his audience. It’s supposed to make his teaching easier, not harder or more confusing so that the crowd can comprehend and apply it to themselves. In this reflection, I wholeheartedly share the same pedagogical and spiritual desire for the goodwill that Jesus shows to the crowd in the lesson. I would like all of us to be able to encounter the kingdom of heaven that Jesus so desires all to experience. Let’s remember this is the good news, not the riddle, of Jesus after all. As a reminder, the good news that Jesus himself shares in St. Matthew’s version is “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2, 4:17 NABRE) If I may elucidate this, to repent is to look within, not without, because the kingdom of heaven is in you. Here, the term “heaven” (or literally “the heavens”) is usually considered as a substitute for “God” as you see our Jewish friends would spell it as “G-d.” The word “kingdom” sounds quite feudal which doesn’t reflect our time at all. I would suggest that it may be easier to think of it as God’s full influence (like influencers in social media) rather than God’s governance or ruling over people. For anything or anyone to affect us, however, we first have to notice its presence. In this sense, that the kingdom of heaven is at hand presupposes that one discovers the presence of God, not outwardly, but inwardly first. This internal turn is the first step and perhaps the hardest one to take because it sounds 1) too easy and also 2) too difficult. 1) First, it’s too easy that we don’t need to look elsewhere, which is why it’s easy to dismiss it. Jesus is not bringing something from outside or from the heavens but invites one to look inside. This may be too boring and even disappointing for people who expect much more from Jesus. But again, don’t look further. We’re reminded of the scene at Jesus’ ascension in the Book of Acts: “While he [Jesus] was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’” That heaven is in you. 2) At the same time, this act of turning one’s eyes into the heart might be not only extremely difficult but also undesirable for various reasons. The mind is always occupied with feelings and thoughts that are mostly reactive to the situations one is experiencing. It might not be so pleasant to look in, so it’s better to look away, ignore, or gloss over. For example, we hear and see younger generations being consumed with social media by which they connect with their smartphones. Before we take a judgmental attitude, this behavior reflects how challenging it is to look inside our hearts. The world has become much more dangerous. Earnings don’t catch up with the increasing rate of living costs. No bright future waits for college graduates but student loan bills. In this context, one’s heart is filled with anxiety, and who wants to face it? For those two reasons, the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, the smallest of all, yeast mixed in with flour, and a treasure hidden in a field. Too easy to dismiss because it’s too close. Too hard to see through because the mind is cluttered with thoughts and feelings. Despite all these reasons, nevertheless, Jesus calls us to be like a merchant in search of a fine pearl. The first reason for the presence of God disguised in ordinariness can be reinterpreted as God’s grace penetrating the depth of the heart, availing itself here and now, anytime and anywhere. The second reason for the challenge to face the unstable state of the mind can be managed by attuning our breathing with the Breath of God. Our breathing in and out becomes the whole body breathing, connecting all cells, tissues, organs, and blood vessels, which expands the presence of God fully in our body. Thus, Jesus says, “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.” |
Paul"...life up your love to that cloud [of unknowing]...let God draw your love up to that cloud...through the help of his grace, to forget every other thing." Archives
January 2025
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