The kingdom of heaven is like…

I fell in love with parables this week. Somewhere in my reading I came across a line that said, "parables have one clear meaning." Which I have pondered on all week. But as I read the parables over and over again this week it became clear to me that the parables do have one clear meaning, and every time I read one that meaning changes.

I've decided to preach on the parable of the yeast (Mt 13.33) exclusively this week. It isn't that the other parables aren't good; I love the inherent fraud in the parable of the treasure (13.44) and wouldn't mind doing a little theological dancing with the clear judgment theme in the parable of the mullet net (13.47-52), it is just that I love products that contain yeast - bread, sweet rolls, waffles, beer, you name it - i love it.

Of the several "clear meanings" I found in the parable of the yeast this week I decided to flesh out two; baking with yeast requires patience and yeast is amazingly fertile.

This week has been challenging for me. Coming off a working vacation is always tough, but then we had friends stay with us for a few days which is always fantastic, but hard to keep routine, and add in a busy week of pastoral visitation and planning and, well, I'm not sure if what I've prepared for Sunday makes any sense at all. Still, it is my job as a scribe trained for the kingdom of heaven to do my best to bring out of the treasure that is the parables of Jesus both the old and the new. Man, I love the gospel lection this week.