Quick little parable of Jesus about the Kingdom of God (KoG):
‘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.'
When reading this parable, you may be like me and consider that the KoG is like this treasure in which we find, sometimes stumbling across it, and when we do we rejoice and give all we have in order to obtain this treasure. Sounds good to me.
Until I realize that nowhere in that interpretation of this parable is there any room for God. In fact, in this understanding of this parable, it is we humans who are doing all the work and God is absent. Which is radically different than what the rest of Jesus' message is about, in which God is the one who is acting first and primary.
Take the parable of the lost sheep. The shepherd leaves the other ninety-nine to find the lost one. We get it. God is the shepherd and we are the sheep. Notice that God is acting first and primary in this common interpretation of this parable. God is the good shepherd and we are the dumb sheep.
Christians have a bit of a self esteem problem sometimes. We are okay with identifying ourselves as dumb sheep and a man who "stumbles" across a treasure. But we are not usually comfortable with identifying ourselves as more.
Back to the parable of the treasure in the field.
What if this parable is God is the one who found a treasure and put that treasure in the field? Then God so delights in this treasure God gives all that God has in order to be one (reconcile) with this treasure? What if humans are God's treasure?
The KoG is like God first found treasure (human beings), then put that treasure in the field (the earth). And then God gave all that God had (God became human and lived, died and resurrected) in order to be one with this treasure (reconciliation with humanity).
In a world (and sometimes in the Church) in which you and I are constantly told we are not good enough, not smart enough or pretty enough, could it be that Jesus is saying to us - God thinks you are good enough.
What if the Good News is that God holds you as treasure?
We are comfortable with the idea that we are dumb sheep, it validates to us what the world says to us. However could it be that a counter-cultural message that is the Good News be that you - yes, you- are God's treasure?
If that is an uncomfortable idea, then perhaps we are beginning to see how some people really thought Jesus was wrong.
‘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.'
When reading this parable, you may be like me and consider that the KoG is like this treasure in which we find, sometimes stumbling across it, and when we do we rejoice and give all we have in order to obtain this treasure. Sounds good to me.
Until I realize that nowhere in that interpretation of this parable is there any room for God. In fact, in this understanding of this parable, it is we humans who are doing all the work and God is absent. Which is radically different than what the rest of Jesus' message is about, in which God is the one who is acting first and primary.
Take the parable of the lost sheep. The shepherd leaves the other ninety-nine to find the lost one. We get it. God is the shepherd and we are the sheep. Notice that God is acting first and primary in this common interpretation of this parable. God is the good shepherd and we are the dumb sheep.
Christians have a bit of a self esteem problem sometimes. We are okay with identifying ourselves as dumb sheep and a man who "stumbles" across a treasure. But we are not usually comfortable with identifying ourselves as more.
Back to the parable of the treasure in the field.
What if this parable is God is the one who found a treasure and put that treasure in the field? Then God so delights in this treasure God gives all that God has in order to be one (reconcile) with this treasure? What if humans are God's treasure?
The KoG is like God first found treasure (human beings), then put that treasure in the field (the earth). And then God gave all that God had (God became human and lived, died and resurrected) in order to be one with this treasure (reconciliation with humanity).
In a world (and sometimes in the Church) in which you and I are constantly told we are not good enough, not smart enough or pretty enough, could it be that Jesus is saying to us - God thinks you are good enough.
What if the Good News is that God holds you as treasure?
We are comfortable with the idea that we are dumb sheep, it validates to us what the world says to us. However could it be that a counter-cultural message that is the Good News be that you - yes, you- are God's treasure?
If that is an uncomfortable idea, then perhaps we are beginning to see how some people really thought Jesus was wrong.