In Chapter 13 of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus uses several parables to teach various aspects of the Kingdom of God he
came to usher in. Over the past three weeks, we have been reflecting on these stories.
The "old” things Jesus speaks about at the
end of the chapter are the wisdom of the centuries, particularly the ancient stories and hopes of Israel. But he links his listeners' ancient understanding of the Kingdom of God as they anticipated it to the "new", the extraordinary Kingdom of heaven that he is proclaiming to them - and us! - today. Jesus' stories consist in bringing the two together, rooting the new deep within the old, and allowing the old to come to fresh and exciting expression in the new.
Jesus and his Kingdom messages are meant to startle us, but part of the shocking thing is that when we blink our eyes, we see that they are the fulfilment
of the long story of God and Israel, and indeed of God and the world.
Perhaps, if you have been following the Daily Encounters over the
past weeks, you want to pause and think about how they have enriched your understanding of God's Kingdom.
What did you know? (the old) What new
insights has Jesus brought to you? (the new)
Which parable has struck you the most? Why do you think that is?
Think of the joy of the good harvest and the harvest when the weeds are burnt, the pleasure in uncovering the treasure, the joy of finding the pearl. What joy has God put in your heart as you look forward to Jesus' coming again?
Reflections by Reginald Venter
