An Inside Job

I've been a little bit lax in posting of late. Sorry about that.

From the parables of Jesus this past Sunday, it occurred to me that the Kingdom of Heaven doesn't force itself upon us in a romp and stomp kind of way. It doesn't come with storm and fury, but gently, in a way that could only be described as an inside job.

In Matthew 13, Jesus describes the Kingdom of Heaven as being like a treasure hidden in a field, a merchant looking for a pearl, and a fishing net. Why a buried treasure in a field and not a fireworks display at the village commons (or a giant purple hot air balloon with the LCMS logo on it)? Why a merchant and not a mercenary or a murderer? Why a net and not a hookline or a harpoon?

A hidden treasure, a merchant, and a net seem so...unassuming. They just go about doing what they do best-- hiding, purchasing, and gathering. What does this say about where we find God doing His work? Where do we usually look?

Like most people, we look for God in places too high and too far. When we're asked to answer the question, "Where is God?", our answer usually includes one finger up in the air, pointing skyward.

We don't find hidden treasures, merchants, and fishing nets above the clouds. These are very down-to-earth realities. Such is God's Kingdom (or the Kingdom of Heaven, whichever you'd prefer). Merchants saunter quietly through the marketplace searching for that one pearl to purchase. Fishing nets are used to catch fish in a stealthy fashion. A hidden treasure quietly gives the field its value.

Jesus is the Treasure, the Merchant, and the Net all at the same time. He regularly acted out the reality of God's Kingdom in his ministry. The ones on the periphery of society were bought, caught, and valued by Jesus. He never did this with unusual force or with a heavy hand. But, he did do this right under the noses of those who were looking for God in places too high and too far.

The Kingdom is all around you. Stop looking up and imagining things (like people sitting on clouds playing harps). Open your eyes and look at reality. God is more likely to be seen in the ordinary, rough-and-tumble of life than in pie-in-the-sky, sweet-by-and-by flights of fancy.