The parable of St Paul’s, Beaconsfield

1 Kings 3:5-12         Ps 119:126-136        Romans 8:26-39         Matt 13:31-52

In these past 3 weeks, Jesus has told us 8 different parable, each beginning with ‘the Kingdom of Heaven is like…’

Well, if you will allow me, may I tell you another parable…

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a group of people who went to the diocese and asked them to be benefactors of an old house and a huge patch of wasteland, growing wild oats, behind their church. And when the group of people asked for money, they were told no, and in their sadness, they sat together, defeated, and decided the land was not to be theirs and their dream was over.

And then, early the next morning, one of the group, came, alone, to morning prayer and heard the words of Jesus clearly say ‘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.’ And hearing those words she went and asked friends to loan all they had to buy the old house and the wasteland and the oat field and 24 hours later she stood and bid for it at auction and won. And knew she had bought the treasure.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a patch of wasteland that was divided up and shared between a community of people, each with their own home and their own place but with shared values and common principles and with a hope for the future.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a church community that moved into housing promised to them on paper, without seeing what they would be, but knowing that good and holy things would come from being together in one place for a shared purpose.

And paths were laid, and plants were sown and trees grew and birds and animals and people found their homes in its shade. And there was agreement and disagreement and there was peace and there was upset. And people came and people went, and the kingdom of God continued to grow and spread.

The kingdom of God is like a well-cared for garden that attracts bees and cats and lizards and butterflies and birds and bats. And sometimes street sleepers cook up crystal meth in the flower beds and burn the concrete and steal and break things and are grateful for the shade and the shower and outstay their welcome and disappear and we worry, and feel their absence.

The Kingdom of God is like a church that dares to open its doors and say ‘everyone is welcome’ and mean it. And regret they mean it. And regroup and dust themselves down and mean it again.

The kingdom of God is full of scones and fresh coffee and gallons of soup and so much fizz and cake and hymn singing and elm dancing and zen Buddhists shuffling past on their meditation days and people setting up easels to paint and overfull car parks that drive us mad. It is full of muslims rushing to make Friday prayers, pulling off their thongs and washing their feet as they go. It is community breakfast and morning tea and trying to remember to count to ten before responding to the latest comment or email. And forgetting. And saying sorry. And not feeling sorry. And working on loving people anyways.

The kingdom of God is all around us, springing up like those poppies through the concrete. Spreading like spilt milk, getting everywhere like dropped glitter. And all that we see and know and do and experience is just a glimpse. It’s just a glimpse, just a fraction, of the kingdom of God but it is still real and it is still here and it will keep coming because the Kingdom of God is unstoppable, untameable, unbeatable.

And it began long before the auction for the wasteland but it was purposefully continued in that daring decision to follow the words of Christ, to take him at his word, to sell all that you have to buy the field. And in buying that field so much treasure was found. So much treasure. And in buying that field so many weeds were found too. And they were part of the treasure because nothing is wasted in the kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is past, present and future. And this parable is the story of our past and present, so what will we sell to find the treasure of our future, here, for the furthering of God’s Kingdom?

Let me finish with these glorious words from RS Thomas, found on the back of the white sheet…

THE BRIGHT FIELD- R.S. Thomas

I have seen the sun break through to illuminate a small field for a while,

and gone my way and forgotten it.

But that was the pearl of great price,

the one field that had treasure in it.

I realize now that I must give all that I have to possess it.

Life is not hurrying on to a receding future,

nor hankering after an imagined past.

It is turning aside like Moses to the miracle of the lit bush,

to a brightness that seemed as transitory as your youth once,

but is the eternity that awaits you.