It’s a big world, Live in it

Click here for today’s Scripture readings.

Jeremiah 14:17-22
Matthew 13:36-43

In a Peanuts cartoon Charlie Brown approaches Lucy who sits behind her makeshift office where she offers Psychiatric Help for five cents. Charlie’s problem is simply put, “I don’t fit in…what can you do when life seems to be passing you by?” “Follow me,” she says, “…See the horizon over there? See how big this world is? Ever see any other worlds? No other worlds for you to live in…right?” And then Lucy delivers her sage advice, printed in large, bold letters that sends Charlie tumbling through the air, “Well, Live in it, then!” Lucy’s session concludes, “Five cents please.”

Chapter 13 of Matthew’s Gospel is exciting; it is full of familiar, entertaining and beautiful parables telling us about the Kingdom of God. If we have ‘Charlie Brown’ feelings about where we stand as disciples in our world, Matthew tells us, “Live the Kingdom of God.” Lucy patiently leads Charlie to see what seems the obvious, Matthew does the same for a disciple. He ends the chapter asking the disciples, “Do you understand?” “Yes”, they answer. In fact Matthew may say with a smile, you are in such good shape that you have in your storehouse old treasures and newly discovered gifts to draw upon to live this Kingdom of God.

What is this Kingdom of God that Matthew talks about? It is God’s gift, something in the future that we will reach; a goal. It is a wedding banquet where we will celebrate the fullness of God’s love. But it is also something present with us daily. The Kingdom of God is the active presence of our loving, forgiving God, present with us even as we seek and await the fullness of the Kingdom. We work to engage this divine presence, which is at times quite hidden and quiet. We work to make present the love and forgiveness of this Kingdom in our daily lives. This can give us a glimpse of what its fullness will be like.

As we enjoy the parables of the Kingdom, our Gospel today explains one of the longer parables, the parable of weeds sown by an enemy. Matthew adds a practical piece to the puzzle of the Kingdom present but also to come. He stresses patience. First we need to be patient with ourselves as we strive to make the Kingdom of God present. We don’t always work so well. Those weeds are tricky. They look like the wheat and so we have to be watchful, take time to examine what is in front of us. Patience is necessary to distinguish between what is worth cultivating and what only takes up room and returns nothing life giving. Weeds do not reflect among us the fullness of God’s Kingdom of love and forgiveness.

And we must also be patient with the mystery of God’s plan for the coming Kingdom. The pearl, the treasure, a big bag of seeds and a field that is the world, these are symbols for the Kingdom. It takes patience to find a valuable pearl, craftily burying a discovered treasure and then figuring out how to obtain the property demands patience, seeing the mysterious, slow growth of our garden to fullness these summer days is the reward given only to the patient. Patience is prerequisite as we each wait in our own way for the fullness of the Kingdom. If we get worried like Charlie Brown, and are disorientated disciples, Matthew gives us encouragement. We await the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. It is a gift. It of course comes as a surprise. Be patient. Lucy would say to us, ‘live it now’, even as we patiently wait.

Father Bill Murphy, C.P. is the pastor of St. Joseph Monastery  Passionist Parish in Baltimore, Maryland.