Kingdom Sketches

Based on Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

First delivered July 26, 2020

Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr

            This is the last in a series of messages on the parables of Matthew 13, which all deal with how Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven, that is, the kingdom of God, to which we belong as followers of Jesus. Two weeks ago, we explored the parable of the sower, who scattered seed all over the place, on different types of soil. Last week, we reflected on the parable of the weeds and wheat. Both of these parables addressed a fundamental question that the disciples were perplexed about: why do people not get it? Why is it that not everyone believes that Jesus is the messiah? Jesus answered that question a few different ways. Those who don’t accept Jesus and his message are like hard soil, or rocky soil, or weedy soil. Or those who don’t accept Jesus are like weeds planted in a field of wheat. For those who do believe, they are like rich soil and like wheat. They should be grateful that they are believers and have pity toward those who do not believe.

            This week, we look at a number of brief parables introduced with the phrase, “the kingdom of heaven is like…”. They are bare bones parables. No interpretation is given like there was for the parable of the sower and the parable of the weeds and wheat. These brief parables reveal different aspects of what the kingdom of God is like. Not what the kingdom of God will be like, but what it currently is like. This is a point we ought not miss. As believers and followers of Jesus, we already belong to the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is a present reality, not a future hope. Yes, we are citizens of the United States. But, as Paul wrote, our true citizenship is in heaven and we are currently ambassadors of Jesus Christ.

            We are going to briefly consider these parables to get a sense of what the kingdom of heaven is like, a kingdom that we, as baptized followers of Jesus, are a part of. These are sketches, if you will. For me, these parables do not give information or facts, like if you were reading an atlas that gave you data points on various countries in the world. No, these parables are meant to invoke impressions of what the kingdom is like. They conjure up in us a kind of knowing. Let me put it this way. I will never forget a conversation I had with my sister when I told her that I had decided to marry Kim. Denise asked me how I knew that Kim was the one. My response was, “I just know.” That’s sort of what these parables about the kingdom of heaven are like. They help us know what the kingdom is like without giving us specific facts or hard and fast descriptions. They give us impressions. So, let’s take a look.

            The parable of the mustard seed makes the point that the tiniest of seeds grows into the largest of shrubs, almost like a tree, where birds can make their home. A few other points to keep in mind about mustard is that it is an invasive species, which is why it is to be planted in fields and not in gardens. Also, mustard has medicinal purposes. We are left with the impression that the kingdom of heaven begins very small but it grows exponentially and provides healing and security.

            The parable of the yeast tells of a woman putting yeast in three measures of flour. Do you know how much bread is made of three measures of flour? That’s enough bread to provide for 100 people. That’s an abundance of bread! The yeast is hidden in the flour. You can’t see it, but you see its effects as it causes the dough to rise and be transformed from flour to bread. We are left with the impression that the kingdom of heaven is small and hidden from view, but is active, expansive and transformational, providing sustenance to all who are hungry.

            The parable of the treasure in the field is about a treasure that someone apparently stumbles upon. They hide the treasure in that field and then joyfully sells all they have to raise the funds to buy that field. You could say it was a sacrifice for them to sell all they have. But, actually what they have done is transform their possessions. They took what they had and transformed it into money so that they could buy the field. But this field still has that treasure chest. The finder of that treasure has security for their future. Just because they sold all their possessions to buy the field doesn’t mean they are poor. In fact, they are rich because they possess the field and the treasure. We are left with the impression that the kingdom of heaven is a precious treasure that is worth letting go of all the stuff we cling to because our security is found in the kingdom of heaven and not in our possessions.

            The parable of the pearl of great value is about a pearl merchant who makes a living digging around in the mud to pull up oysters and then pries them apart to see if there is a pearl in there. It’s a messy business but pearls, especially in those days, were very precious, perhaps more precious than gold. You may remember in the book of Revelation, we hear of how the gates of heaven are made of pearl…the pearly gates. One day, this pearl merchant finds a pearl of great value. He sells all he has to raise the funds to buy that pearl. I guess this is a pearl that someone else found and was selling. I don’t know why he would have to buy a pearl he pried out of an oyster himself. At any rate, he now has this pearl of great value. Again, his future is secure. He can keep being a pearl merchant and make his living. But when he decides to retire, he has that pearl of great value that can provide security in his retirement. We are left with the impression that the kingdom of heaven is a pearl of great value that provides future security even as we live our lives and provide for ourselves through whatever our vocation might be.

            We could talk about the parable of the dragnet that catches all kinds of fish but it has the same message as the parable of the weeds and wheat we looked at last week. This parable gives the impression that the kingdom of heaven catches everyone in its net. On judgment day, people will be separated with the good gathered together and the bad thrown into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

            What are we to do with these sketches of what the kingdom of God is like? Like I have said before, parables are not designed to give cut and dried answers to questions. Instead, parables are provocative. They are designed to puzzle over, mull over, wonder about. Parables provoke more questions. They give us impressions. So, I am going to turn it to you. I have given you my impressions of what these parables reveal about the kingdom of heaven. What are your impressions? Go back and read these parables again. Take them one at a time. Sit with each parable and reflect or meditate on them. As you do this, what impressions do you get? What does the parable reveal to you about your belonging to the kingdom of God? My hope is that by taking the time to reflect on these parables you will receive a deeper understanding of what it means to belong to the kingdom of God. In these challenging days, it is important for us to be clear about who we are as followers of Jesus, as citizens of the kingdom of God, as ambassadors of Christ. That’s my invitation to you. Reflect on these parables. I would love to know what impressions you get. If you are watching this video, come back to this video later in the week and post a comment. If you are reading this message on my blog, post a comment there. Give me a call. Send me a text. Shoot me an email. I would love to hear from you what these parables say to you about what it means to belong to the kingdom of God.

Just Be Wheat

Based on Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

A revision of a message first delivered July 23, 2017

Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr

            When I was young, I was introduced to the writings of C.S. Lewis. That is, the books he wrote other than the Chronicles of Narnia, his masterful fantasy novels that I devoured as a child. Someone suggested to me that I read Mere Christianity. This book is a collection of lectures that Lewis gave in which he attempted to argue for the rationality of being a believer in Jesus Christ. Lewis was such a rational thinker and a great debater. He constructed so many arguments that proved that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, that when I finished the book I thought to myself, “If a person doesn’t believe in Jesus after reading this book, they’re an idiot.” Not exactly the most charitable thought. And, of course, I already believed in Jesus so it’s not as if Lewis had to convince me of anything. But I was impressed with his arguments and it really did baffle me why not everyone believed in God and in Jesus Christ, God’s son. Surely if people would hear the gospel the way Lewis explained it they would come to belief. It seemed so obvious to me. Why didn’t others get it?

            This was a similar question that the early followers of Jesus had. I mean, here was Jesus, teaching the truth like nobody’s business. And not only did he teach with such authority, but he backed it up by the way he demonstrated a good, moral life. And not only that, he could heal people, cast out demons, and work all kinds of miracles. To those who were following Jesus, it was so obvious to them that he must be the messiah. The evidence was overwhelming. And yet, there were many who did not believe. How can this be? And worse of all, those who should have believed were not only not believing in Jesus but were accusing him of being a false messiah. The religious leaders, the scribes, the Pharisees, they were not buying in to Jesus and his message. His miracles and works of healing did not impress them. And it left the disciples scratching their heads a little bit. How is it that these religious leaders, who should have known better, were not getting it?

            Well, Jesus had an answer for his followers. And like Jesus tended to do, he gave his answer by telling a parable. He told a story using experiences of daily life that, when properly interpreted, gave a special insight or lifted up some important questions to mull over. Basically, as it seems to me, Jesus was telling his disciples that the reason why some believed in Jesus and others didn’t is because the evil one was messing things up. The weeds, which symbolize the children of the evil one, are from the seed the evil one planted in the cover of darkness when no one was looking. So those who don’t believe are like the weeds, the children of the evil one. But, importantly, the evil one is responsible, not the children of the evil one. It is the evil one that planted the seeds. The children of the evil one, the weeds, the unbelievers, they are simply being who they are. In a way, they can’t help it. They can only be pitied.

            Now at the same time, those who are the believers, the children of the righteous, are such because of Jesus. The Son of Man, Jesus, is the one who planted the seeds of wheat, which the believers are. It’s not that they had done anything special. They had the good fortune of being the children of righteousness. They were lucky enough to be wheat instead of weeds. It seems what Jesus is saying in this parable is rather than puzzle over why people don’t believe in Jesus, acknowledge that they just can’t help it. They are being who they are, weeds, children of the evil one. The disciples, the believers, are being who they are, wheat, children of righteousness. So be grateful you are wheat and don’t stress about the weeds. If anything, have pity for the weeds. Let them be weeds. You be wheat.

            I don’t know how you feel about this interpretation of Jesus’ parable. I think I’m communicating the gist of what Jesus is saying. But it leaves me feeling a bit uneasy, as parables should. The parable does give an explanation of why some people believe in Jesus and others don’t. But it also feels a bit fatalist to me. For those of theological mind, it comes across as a bit Calvinist. I believe in Jesus because I was fated to believe in Jesus. I’m one of the chosen ones. Joe over here is an unbeliever because he was fated to be an unbeliever. He is not one of the chosen ones. So, be grateful you aren’t Joe because you won’t experience his fate, to be thrown into the fiery furnace at the day of judgment. My Arminian, Wesleyan, free will theology is screaming out, “That’s not how this works!” Jesus shed his blood for everyone. It is God’s desire that everyone be saved. Those who reject Jesus were not fated to reject Jesus. Each person is free to make their own choice whether or not to be a follower of Jesus. Besides that, the image of nonbelievers being thrown into a fiery furnace on judgment day is a difficult image for me to swallow. It’s one thing if it is Hitler or really bad, evil people being thrown in the furnace. But the idea that Julie is going to be thrown into the fires of hell because she didn’t believe in Jesus seems pretty harsh.

            This is why parables are tricky and we have to be careful with them. The temptation is to use a parable to give an answer to the wrong question. The question that prompted Jesus sharing this parable of the wheat and weeds had to do with why people didn’t accept Jesus as the messiah. The question was not about what will happen to bad people on the day of judgment. Jesus answers that question later in the famous parable of the separation of the sheep and the goats, which you can read about in Matthew 25, another parable that should make us feel a bit uneasy. This parable of the wheat and weeds is addressing a specific question in a specific context. When we take this parable and start running with it, which I am about to do, we have to use some caution and make our interpretations and applications knowing that they are less than perfect. Like inspired works of art, parables are really meant to provoke more questions than to give clear cut answers.

            That said, what might this parable suggest to us about how the Jesus followers understood their situation? The first thing that jumps out at me is there appears to be a sectarian spirit among them. There are two groups of people, the righteous ones and the evil ones. Those who are believers, the Jesus followers, are in the righteous group and everyone else are outside the group and, as a consequence, are the evil ones. Insiders and outsiders, believers and non-believers.

            In those days there were a lot of sects. People would associate with their own group and look down on or be suspicious of other groups. We still have that today. We may not consider ourselves being in a sect and we may not spend a lot of energy running down or being suspicious of other groups who don’t belong to our group. But we do have our groups. We belong to our cliques, our circle of friends, our network of colleagues, our crew.

            Here’s another thing to keep in mind about the days of Matthew. The righteous ones, the insiders, the Jesus followers, tended to be those who were on the low end of the social status pole. They were fishermen, shepherds, tax collectors, prostitutes, slaves, widows, orphans, and other common, ordinary people. The non-believers, particularly the most belligerent ones, tended to be religious leaders like scribes and Pharisees. Those with greater status, education and authority were not jumping on the Jesus train. In fact, they were the loudest critics of Jesus and his followers.

            Now imagine, if you are a good person among good people, and the authorities look down on you, oppress you, harass you, and dismiss your messiah as a fraud, then the idea that one day those evil people of power and authority will face God’s wrath while you and your community will shine like the sun and be vindicated, that can be an appealing idea. We all want to believe that at the end of the day, those bad people are going to get what’s coming to them and the good people who were right all along will be vindicated.

            But there is another thing about sects, about insider groups, that we need to keep in mind. Sects desire to be separate from the unrighteous in order to maintain the purity of the insider group. For example, in the days of Jesus, there was a sect called the Essenes. They believed themselves to be the only true believers, the children of light. Everyone else were children of the darkness. The Essenes separated themselves, fleeing to the desert in order to maintain what they believed to be pure worship of God. They would stay out in the desert and wait it out until God sent down fire and destroyed all the evildoers.

            We have examples of sects who try to separate themselves from outsiders these days. Maybe not as dramatic as the Essenes. Have you heard of a Christian sect called the Hutterites? They are like ultra-conservative Amish, and that’s saying something. Hutterite communities are often found in the windswept plains of Alberta and Saskatchewan. They isolate themselves because they intend to not have any unbelievers enter their communities.

            But for Jesus followers in the days of Matthew, isolating themselves from the unbelievers was not an option. For one thing, take believers who are slaves. Separating themselves from their masters in order to get away from the unbelievers, well…the master may have a problem with that. Many of the followers of Jesus simply did not have the ability due to their life situation to just pack up and head into the desert. They needed to live in the community. There were entanglements that kept most of the Jesus followers living among the nonbelievers. They were all in it together. The roots of the wheat and the weeds were entangled. So, until the day of judgment which the followers of Jesus anticipated, the righteous will have to live with the unrighteous. In the meantime, the wheat needed to be wheat. Let the weeds be weeds. God will sort it all out in the end.

            Now, how do we apply this parable to our lives? How might this parable give us insights on who we are and how we are to relate to those who are not followers of Jesus?

            First, let’s be honest. Would any of us identify ourselves as a weed? I doubt it. I think we all would say we are the wheat in this parable without having to cross our fingers behind our backs. However, there are times when we act a bit “weedy.” That’s true for me. My mom used to say that when milk started to get sour, she said it was tasting “weedy.” Sometimes we can be a bit sour. If we think of our hearts as a field, we would find a lot of wheat but also a lot of weeds. We are all a mixed bag of good and bad. To think as followers of Jesus we are the good ones and non-believers are the evil baddies, that’s pretty simplistic. We all have some weeds growing in our hearts.

            Second, I suggest we put our energy into being good wheat rather than waste energy identifying and judging who the weeds are. I really like this image in the parable of the roots of the wheat and weeds being entangled. When the slaves asked the householder about whether they should pull up the weeds or not, the householder, out of concern for the health of the wheat, told them to leave the weeds alone. He didn’t want to risk the wheat being harmed in the process of ripping out the weeds. Just so, we are all entangled in the community in which we live. Judging and trying to separate and divide the good people from the bad ones does damage to the whole community. It harms our own well-being. Our role is to be the wheat God intends for us to be. Let weeds be weeds. Or, like Paul wrote, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Another way to say it is to stay in your own lane.

            Last, I ask you to consider where wheat grows. One time, my family drove across Kansas. If you have ever been to Kansas, you know what I’m about to say. It is miles and miles of not much. The highway is straight. Every ten miles or so there is a town. And in every town there is a grain elevator. In other words, the plains of Kansas are boring.

            But, on those boring plains of Kansas, there is a lot of cattle grazing. You also find a lot of corn, soybeans, barley, oats, rye, and, of course, wheat. Kansas may be boring, but it is from Kansas that we get what becomes a loaf of bread, a hot bowl of oatmeal and a good sirloin steak. There is nothing flashy or interesting about growing wheat. But wheat and other grains are central to our diet. As the old saying goes, bread is the staff of life. So, living a righteous life, like wheat, isn’t always flashy or interesting. But it does provide sustenance so that society can thrive. For our community to thrive, we have the responsibility to be the kind of wheat God wants us to be. So, my challenge for us is to recommit ourselves to be the best wheat we can be, to continue to grow and flourish as followers of Jesus, so that we can be used of God to nourish and sustain our world.

Tend to Your Heart

Based on Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
First delivered July 12, 2020
Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr 

            Seed, according to the direction on the packet, are to be planted in a certain way. For cucumbers, the seed is to be planted 1 inch underground. Each plant is to be 24 inches apart from each other. Each row is spaced 36 inches apart. For carrots, the seed is to be planted ¼ to ½ inch. Once the seeds sprout, they are to be thinned to 2-4 inches. But before you plant your seeds, the soil needs prepared. You need to till it up a little to loosen the soil. You want to remove rocks. You have to pull up any weeds. You will want to add compost. It takes effort to prepare the soil before you start planting seeds.

            But the sower in this parable Jesus shares did not seem to take the time to prepare the soil. Nor did he read the seed packets. He just walked around throwing seed everywhere. Where the seed landed seemed to make no difference to the sower. Whether the seed landed on good soil, rocky soil, weed choked soil or hard clay paths, the sower just scattered seed. What happened after that was up to the reaction between the seed and the soil. The seeds either germinated and grew and produced fruit, or they didn’t. The sower had done his job.

            I can imagine that those who heard Jesus tell this parable first thought to themselves that this sower was pretty careless, wasting good seed like that. Not only careless, but also lazy. He didn’t put in the work to prepare the soil for seeding. Just on the first hearing, without thinking about it, the sower doesn’t come off well.

            Jesus clears that up a little bit. He helps us understand who the sower is and what the seed represents. The sower is Jesus. Jesus was accused of a lot of things, but I don’t recall anywhere in the gospels where Jesus was called careless or lazy. The seed represents the gospel and the teachings of Jesus. As the sower scattered seed everywhere, so Jesus proclaims the gospel and his teachings everywhere. Wherever he went he was spreading his gospel and his teachings. He didn’t talk only to his disciples, not only to friends and family, not only to the religious people, but to anyone and everyone.

            Jesus proclaimed his teachings to everyone, whether they were prepared to receive the teaching or not. Jesus did not take the time to cultivate people and make sure they were able to receive the teachings. He didn’t target the teachings only at those who would be able to receive it. No, Jesus’ job was to spread the teachings. It was up to the people to receive. And not everyone had the same capacity to receive those teachings or allow those teachings to take root and bear fruit in their lives. Some people have hard hearts, as hard as a beaten down path of clay. Those teachings were just bouncing off their hearts for the birds to eat. Some have hearts that are shallow. There isn’t much of substance there and their hearts are full of rocks. Some have hearts that are like a garden full of thorns and weeds, filled with anxiety or lured by the pursuit of wealth, so the seeds of Jesus’ teachings get choked out and fail to grow. But then there were those whose hearts are soft and rich, like rich soil, prepared to receive those teachings so they can root in and produce good fruit, a life filled with good deeds that blesses people. Some responded to Jesus’ teachings and it made a difference in their lives. But for many others, the teachings never took root or had a chance to thrive. Their hearts weren’t right.

            So, this is the question for us to ponder. What is the state of our hearts? Have our hearts grown hard? Have our hearts gotten a little rocky? I think all of us are carrying more anxiety than normal because we are living in anxious times. The weeds of anxiety and concerns about our finances are running rampant these days. Are these weeds and thorns starting to take over our hearts? Or have we been able to tend to our hearts so that the teachings of Jesus we have received can grow deep roots and bear fruit in our lives?

            See, the thing about garden soil is that you don’t just plow it up once and you are good to go for the years ahead. You have to continuously be working with the soil and to improve it. Weeding never stops while you are actively gardening. Compost needs to be added throughout the growing season so that nutrients in the soil are being replenished. Those of us who are gardening have been doing a good deal of watering lately. It’s also good practice to leave a part of your garden fallow for a year so that the soil can rest. At least from my limited experience, the greatest amount of work in gardening is caring for the soil. And we aren’t stuck with the soil we start with. When I decided to kill off a section of grass in my backyard and turn it into a small garden plot, I discovered that my soil is full of rocks and very high in clay content. It is not the best. So, I know that I am going to have to continually be adding compost to the soil to enrich it. And sometimes when I get frustrated with all that hard clay I go to the store and buy topsoil to dump on top of that clay so I have soil that is workable. Any of you who have tried to loosen hard clay with a hoe know what I mean about how frustrating that gets. It’s an ongoing process. But over time, that is, over the years, if I keep working on that soil, eventually it will get to what all gardeners want: rich and loamy. No one is stuck with the soil they start out with. Soil can be improved if you put in the work. Soil can also be damaged and can even become infertile if not properly cared for.

            The same thing is true about the tending of our hearts. Yes, it’s important to read the Bible and to hear sermons and teachings. We do need to receive the teachings of Jesus. But I wonder if we focus on those teachings and neglect to focus on the state of the soil, the state of our hearts. Working on our hearts is an ongoing process. If we aren’t careful, our hearts can get pretty hardened as we make our way through life. Especially if our hearts have been walked on a lot, they can get as hard as baked clay. We have to allow our hearts to be broken, even though it hurts, so that our hearts can remain soft and tender and not hard and cold. I have noticed that during the winter months, as the soil expands and contracts as the temperatures bounce in and out of freezing, that stones and rocks start working their way up to the surface. In the spring, when I start working the soil, I find those rocks that have surfaced. As we work on our hearts, we come across some stones. Those stones represent past hurts. They could also be prejudices. They are obstacles that prevent the teachings of Jesus to root deeply in our hearts. We have to regularly be finding and digging up those stones, those obstacles to growth of God’s truth in our hearts. Then there are the weeds of anxiety and the thorny bushes of wealth. If we don’t address these anxieties and cares and pull them out of our heart, then they can choke us. We fret so much that we aren’t able to let the teachings of Jesus bear fruit in our lives. Just as it is good practice to let a section of the garden lie fallow for a year so the soil can rest and replenish, it is good practice for us to give our hearts a rest. Our hearts rest and heal when we carve out some time where we will set aside the cares of the world, quiet our hearts, and rest in the presence of God.

            Just as the soil in the garden is in a constant process of shifting health, so our hearts are in a constant process of shifting health. Our hearts need tending to. If we don’t like the state of our heart, we can do something about it. Over time and with a lot of work, hard clay soil can be transformed into rich loam. No matter how hard, rocky, or weed infested our hearts become, we can do something about that. It is in our hands to do what is needed to soften our hearts, strengthen our hearts, nourish our hearts, heal our hearts.

            How is it with your heart? What is one thing you could do today to improve the condition of your heart? By tending to our hearts, we are better prepared to receive the teachings of Jesus and to have the capacity for those teachings to take deep root in our hearts, to grow, to flourish, to produce good fruit, to live a life that blesses others and blesses God. As you strive to receive and understand the teachings of Jesus and to put them into practice, don’t forget to tend to your heart.

LIghtening the Load

Based on Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
First delivered July 5, 2020
Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr 

            We are living in a time that feels burdensome. The pandemic, the racial unrest, the upcoming presidential election: just one of these would be enough to weigh on us. But we are having to cope with all three at the same time. It is a lot to carry. You throw in a heavy dose of uncertainty about when the pandemic will end or what will happen in November only adds to the burden. The sweeping changes we are seeing in our communities, from the taking down of statues to the removal of the Confederate emblem on Mississippi’s flag, to efforts to reform policing, it’s for the good but it is also happening so fast. So much is happening. We all are coping with a good deal of stress. We are all carrying a heavy load.

            That’s why it is refreshing to hear these words from Jesus, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” What a blessing it is to go to God in prayer, to take these burdens we are carrying, and lay them at the feet of Jesus for a minute so that we can breathe, be still, rest in the presence of God. We can’t seem to leave our heavy burdens there at the feet of Jesus, of course. We lay them down only to be loaded up with more burden as we make our way through our days. Still, to have those moments when we are reminded of God’s love for us, that our lives are held in the mighty hand of God, this does give us some relief from the burdens of these difficult days.

            I have named some of the heavy burdens many of us are carrying: the pandemic, the racial unrest, national politics. Each of us may be carrying other heavy burdens besides these. But what were the burdens that were being carried in the days of Jesus? When Jesus speaks these words of comfort, inviting people with heavy burdens to come to him and receive rest, what were those burdens?

            I suppose people back then carried similar burdens that we sometime carry. Maybe it is the burden of financial stress. Maybe it is a family relationship that is falling apart. Maybe it is a chronic illness. But it could be that one of the burdens that Jesus had in mind when he offered these words of comfort was the weight of religious rules and obligations. Just one example can be found in the following passage, chapter 12:1-7. In this episode, Jesus and his disciples were walking along on the Sabbath day. While they walked along a grain field, the disciples started plucking off heads of grain to eat because they were hungry and wanted a snack. Some Pharisees, taking the role of the religious police, came down on Jesus to point out that his disciples were doing what was not lawful to do on the Sabbath. Really? What is the big deal? Of course, Jesus sets the Pharisees straight. But this is just one example of multiple religious rules and obligations that the people were expected to follow. And, as Matthew portrays them, the Pharisees are busy about policing the community to remind them of all they need to do to be faithful to the traditions handed down by their fathers. It was a lot. Every aspect of life was regulated in some way. It was a lot to keep up with if you were going to take these religious obligations seriously.

            For any of us who have been caught up in religious practices and traditions that included a lot of rules to follow, it can become the case that you get so caught up in keeping all those rules that you lose sight of the purpose of the whole thing. All these rules, laws, customs, obligations, that the Jews were expected to follow were meant to help shape a life that is righteous, a life that expresses love and devotion to God. But, instead of using all these rules and obligations as the means to express love to God, they become ends in themselves. It becomes just doing the things, checking the boxes, meeting the obligations without any thought or attention directed toward God. It just becomes a constant burden to keep up with all that. It may make a person wonder if there is a better way to be righteous and love God than keeping up with all these rules.

            Well, John and Jesus were proclaiming a different way of righteous living. It was a way that was not bound by rules and obligations. It was not about whether or not you were allowed to pick off heads of grain on the Sabbath for a snack. Instead, John offered a cleansing ritual as an act of repentance. Jesus taught a way of life that focused less on rules and obligations and more on humility, grace, forgiveness, hospitality, loving relationships. The way of Jesus is a way guided by the law of love for God and one another, not a long list of rules and obligations. It is about relationships, not rules.

            But the religious leaders and those who were invested in maintaining that way of life ignored or rejected John and Jesus. Using the metaphor of children playing in the streets, John played the flute but they did not dance, Jesus wailed and they did not mourn. The religious leaders were not open to hearing what John and Jesus were saying. They were too invested in the status quo. They were, after all, the ones who maintained, taught and enforced the religious system of rules and regulations. They were not interested in making a shift to a new way of living a righteous life of love for God and neighbor. They didn’t get what John and Jesus were saying. They were not open to hearing from John his announcement of the coming messiah. They were not willing to acknowledge Jesus as the messiah.           

            In response, Jesus offers a prayer of thanksgiving to God that God has hidden divine wisdom from the wise and intelligent and instead has revealed these things to little children. Those who were experts in the law and the tradition, those who had dedicated their life to live a righteous life and to teach others how to do the same, who had been trained and credentialed as masters of the traditions passed down from Moses, could not see the divine wisdom revealed through John and Jesus. But little children could see it. Better, those who were like little children were able to see and understand the wisdom that John and Jesus were revealing. Why is it that the wise and intelligent didn’t get the message of Jesus but those who were like little children did get the message?

            Stephen Mattson tackled this question by reflecting on what children are like. He suggests four characteristics of children that make them open to new ideas and ways of living. First, they ask questions. Especially “why” questions. Second, children are honest. They are not very good at self-censoring. Third, they are passionate. They are in tune with their feelings and often allow their feelings to influence their actions. They don’t separate their head from their heart very well. They don’t suppress their feelings. Finally, children are adventurous. Every day is a new adventure. They are regularly having new experiences, observing and soaking up everything. They don’t have a long-term perspective or a deep well of memories and experiences. They don’t have a “been there, done that” attitude. Every day is full of something new.

            But what about those wise and intelligent religious leaders? They didn’t need to ask a lot of questions because they thought they knew all the answers. They answer questions, they don’t ask them. They were hypocritical. Jesus pointed out on numerous occasions how the Pharisees were always laying religious burdens on the people but not practicing what they preached. They weren’t being honest with themselves. They may have been passionate, I will give them that. They were vigorous enforcers of the rules and could get pretty worked up when they saw people who were not conforming. They were certainly not very adventurous. They knew what was demanded and what needed to be done. There was no room for new ideas.

            Now, I wonder. What if those wise and intelligent ones who are burdened by all those religious rules and traditions let that go and instead approached Jesus as a little child? Would they not find their burden lightened? I read vs. 28, where Jesus says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens,” as an invitation to everyone, including those religious leaders who kept harping on all those rules and obligations. Jesus was extending to them an offer of grace, to lay down what was becoming an oppressive set of rules and obligations so that they could still pursue a righteous life but in a different way, a more liberated way, a way not marked by a bunch of rules but through relationships, fellowship, community. If they would be willing to set aside their rules and obligations and ask Jesus some questions, not to accuse him or trap him but to actually understand what he is trying to say; if they would be honest with themselves that the way they were living was not working for them; if they would connect their head with their heart; if they would be open to the adventure of living in new ways, would not this be a freer way to live?

            I wonder if the source of our heavy burdens is linked to the set of rules and habits we have placed on ourselves over the years which we try to keep carrying in a time of rapid change. We have our way of doing things, our routines, our plans and aspirations. And then this pandemic threw everything up in the air. And then what has been happening after the murder of George Floyd has triggered rapid changes and calls for action. Things have changed so much so quickly. Part of us want to get back to the way things were, the familiar, the normal. And that is not going to happen. We are burdened because we want to live life the way it used to be and can’t live that way now. It’s like wearing a heavy winter coat when all of a sudden it’s 100 degrees outside. I wonder if we have lost the capacity to approach life as little children.

            In this time where our world is being shaken, what would it be like to put down the burden of how we think things ought to be, the burden of what used to be normal, and instead approach this season of our nation’s history as a time to ask questions, be honest, acknowledge our feelings, and be adventurous? What would it be like to live our lives as if we were little children?

            This is certainly a time to ask questions. Just like children, we can be asking ourselves “why” questions. Why did so many people across the country take to the streets demanding police reforms or even the abolition of police as we know it? Why is it that some people are throwing a hissy fit over the requirement to wear a mask? Just for fun, later today you could take some time to write down as many “why” questions you can think of as you reflect on what is happening these days. It could be a long list.

            This is certainly a time to be honest with ourselves. When it comes to confronting systemic racism and the lingering effects of white supremacy, the demand for police reforms, addressing the inequities in our economy, what role the church should have in leading these calls for change, be honest. What do you really think? Instead of bowing to the pressure of groupthink, of saying what you think people want to hear, of agreeing in order to avoid conflict, can you be free enough to be honest at least with yourself what you really think about what is going on? I get it. You may not want to post your true thoughts on Facebook. But can you write them down in a journal or tell a trusted friend what you really think? This is a time for honest conversations, even if they are uncomfortable. From personal experience I can tell you there is a heavy weight on you when you don’t allow yourself to speak freely.

            This is certainly a time to acknowledge our feelings. Stuffing down our feelings only adds to the stress. There are no good or bad feelings. It is not helpful to judge our feelings. What we need to do is simply acknowledge what we are feeling in any given moment. Acknowledge you feel tired, or you feel happy, or you feel angry, or sad, or inspired, or hopeful, whatever it is. Maybe ask yourself why you feel that way. Ask God if there is something that God is trying to reveal with this feeling. We don’t need to have a temper tantrum like kids do. But we don’t need to deny what we are feeling either. It goes with that previous point. We need to be honest about how we are feeling. We may need to tell a trusted friend what we are feeling and to explore together what that means.

            This is certainly a time to approach life as an adventure. Change is happening so quickly. Honestly, none of us know for sure what will happen from day to day. Long term plans are made fully knowing that those plans may need to be thrown out the window. It’s sort of like what Jesus said in his sermon on the mount, in Matthew 6:34, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Can I get an “amen?” With Jesus by our side, we can take each day as it comes, open to what might happen next. In these times, daily life is certainly an adventure.

            So, would it be a lighter burden on us if we came to Jesus with our questions, honest about what we are thinking, honest about how we are feeling, open to whatever life is throwing at us at the moment? I can tell you that if we approached life with Jesus this way, it would not be without some anxiety. Asking serious “why” questions and not knowing the answer can be a little scary. There would be some grief. It is sad that the way things were isn’t coming back, that the familiar is gone. There would be some sacrifice. Adjusting to changing situations means letting go of some things we used to do, plans we had made, opinions we used to hold. There would be some pain. Change is not easy. Being confronted with ugly truths can hurt.

            But it could be a relief to not have to always know the right answers. There is some freedom by embracing the reality that everyone is trying to figure out how to do life in these crazy times. It would be a relief to not have to hold back the forces of change. No one can stop the waves from crashing on the beach no matter how hard you try. Rather than holding back the forces of change, why not ride the wave? Instead of trying to prop up the way things used to be when everything is changing right now, why not go for the ride? The wind of the Spirit is blowing powerfully through our land right now. I think it’s time for us to untie our boats from the dock, hoist our sails and allow the Spirit to take us where we need to go.