The Gospel for November 4, 2004
Luke 13:18-30
He went on to say, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it with? It is like a mustard seed which a man took and threw into his garden: it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air sheltered in its branches.’ Again he said, ‘What shall I compare the kingdom of God with? It is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.’ Through towns and villages he went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your hardest to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed. ‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself standing outside knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us,” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will start saying, “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets,” but he will reply, “I do not know where you come from; away from me, all evil doers!” ‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrown out. And people from east and west, from north and south, will come and sit down at the feast in the kingdom of God. ‘Look, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.’ -- The New Jerusalem Bible. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1995, c1985
A Study
Two parables on the kingdom.
- Like a mustard seed: because it begins small like a little faith and grows to giant stature, accommodating all types and conditions of creatures within its protection.
- Like yeast: because only the tiniest bit can cause a huge difference, as our faith is multiplied and grown and causes huge differences in God's children
And a really hard saying: "fight, struggle to enter because of the narrow door" is a possible translation other than the commonly accepted one(s). And it makes a heck of a lot more sense, to me. The narrow door won't let me in if my hands and arms are full of things and earthly possessions -- or if that's all I can think of. And I will really have to struggle to drop all my stuff and fix my eyes on the real prize.
Then the last sentence falls better into place: those who are fixated on loading up with things of the earth will be counted among the least, and those who are fixated on loading up with things of the kingdom will be counted among the greatest.
A Reflection
It's an interesting parallel -- and I am not sure what to make of it -- but today's psalms (70 & 71) beseech YHWH to "come to me...." Yet this gospel text talks about us going to God.
The longer and harder I read and struggle with these texts, the more convinced I am that we can be given a word (if we work at it long enough) of insight. And I think that this juxtaposition of who does what to whom is a signal from Jesus that we are no longer stuck here as "mud creatures" (as Genesis calls us), waiting for YHWH. Rather, Jesus has commissioned us to step out of our muddy footprints and to follow the Light of the World, right into the Kingdom of God.
The Light, of course, shines right through the things we'll stub our toes on; sometimes it blinds us to the reflection of that beam in our own eye as we complain about the mote in our neighbor's eye. Sometimes the Light causes us to squint, like the short-sighted moralists, the thin-lipped church ladies.
But overall, the Light shines on Truth and reveals it to us. It shines in the deepest parts of our darkest hearts, revealing to us the muck that we need to flush away, and allows the Holy Spirit to see where to fill us up.
Lead, kindly Light!
A Collect
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated unto you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
10:18:53 PM 
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