Pastor Paul H. Knutson

All Saints Lutheran Church

Matthew 13:44-46, Luke 17:20-21, Matthew 6:10

June 13, 2004

A Pearl of Great Value

Kino, Juana, and their infant son lived a very modest life in a small fishing village in Mexico. The men would supplement their meager income by diving for pearls. One day Kino emerges from the sea with a pearl as large as a sea gull's egg, as ‘perfect as the moon'. With the pearl of great value comes hope, the promise of comfort and of security. This folk tale is the central story of a novel titled The Pearl , by John Steinbeck.

It is easy for us to imagine how the finding of such a large, perfect pearl could easily change the life of a family living in poverty. About as close as most of us might come to that experience is on the nights when the Powerball lottery is over a hundred million dollars. We may purchase a ticket just to have a few hours of fun thinking about what we would do with all that money, and how generous we would be.

The dream of finding the perfect pearl, or winning the lottery, is a common theme among the dreams and wishes of people. The dream is alive when we find ourselves wishing for the perfect job, the perfect mate, or the perfect place to live.

We might even get an occasional glimpse of a “perfect” day or a “perfect” moment, and it brings us great joy and contentment. But think of how difficult life must be for the many people of the world who feel overwhelmed by life and find little reason to have hope for their future.

The kingdom of heaven, says the Bible, is a pearl of great value, a special treasure. But what is a “kingdom”, we might ask. In the United States of America we live in a democracy where we elect our leaders. We are not familiar with living in a kingdom. Today's STAR TRIBUNE editorial is headlined, “King George?” The editorial says, “No”. The President of the United States must answer to the people even in time of war.

The Kingdom of Heaven

When some Americans hear the word “kingdom” they may picture a theme park by Walt Disney. Or they may think about castles, and the kings and queens of many countries around the world. In America about the closest we get to the experience of living in a kingdom might be when we have a state funeral as we did this past week for President Ronald Reagan. The ceremonies of recent days show that we too long to be part of something bigger than our individual selves. One nation under God is more important to us than one political party. We are united as Americans.

So, what is a kingdom, and what is the kingdom of heaven? The kingdom of heaven is a major theme in the Bible. Jesus taught his disciples to pray for the kingdom. And parables told by Jesus in Matthew 13 reveal the importance of the kingdom of heaven.

“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. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:44-46)

The kingdom of heaven is the spiritual reality we all hope to find and experience through our participation in church. The kingdom of heaven is a place of peace and contentment for the soul. In the kingdom of heaven we meet God and are assured that God is still in charge of a confusing and complex world. The kingdom of heaven calls for our loyalty rather than our vote. But it gives us a life worth living, and it is a prize for which many people are willing to give up everything.

The kingdom of heaven is a treasure hidden in a field, a pearl of great value. The kingdom provides a faith and vision that gives meaning to your daily life. It is something for which you would be willing to take a risk.

But not everybody is willing to take such a leap of faith. It sometimes seems like such a childlike thing for an adult to do. Perhaps that is why Jesus said,

“Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” (Matthew 19:14)

Your Kingdom Come

John the Baptist announced the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry with these words,

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 3:2)

And when Jesus introduced his own ministry he quoted the prophets' descriptions of life in the kingdom of heaven, and then he said,

“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21)

So, you may ask, if God is in charge of the world, and the kingdom of heaven has already come in the person and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, why did Jesus then teach us to pray, “Your Kingdom Come” ?

Martin Luther asked the same question in his catechism. When he asked, “What does this mean?” he wrote,

“God's kingdom comes indeed without our praying for it, but we ask in this prayer that it may come also to us.”

So when we pray “your kingdom come” we are asking God to make the kingdom the reality in which we live. We are seeking a personal relationship with God, an experience of the spiritual life. The Bible calls this the pearl of great value, the treasure hidden in the field.

The Kingdom of God is Among You

Some people may think that finding such a treasure is not possible in this life. Many teachings about the kingdom of heaven seem to suggest that the experience of heaven is reserved only for the afterlife.

But we need to remember that Jesus taught his followers that we begin to experience the kingdom of heaven now. Luke 4:20-21 records this,

“Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!' or ‘There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”

In his popular novel, The Five People You Meet In Heaven , Mitch Albom tells about a carnival maintenance worker, named Eddie, who dies and goes to heaven. Eddie thought he had lived a life that was not very important. But when Eddie got to heaven he was surprised to meet five people in whose lives he was a very special person. His life in review took on a whole new meaning. It would be the same for all of us.

When we pray “Your Kingdom Come” we need to look around us and see how blessed we are with the ways in which the kingdom has already come to us. We can see God at work in nature, in friends, in special events, in church, and especially in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Perhaps we should change the bumper stickers that say, “Start Seeing Motorcycles” to read, “Start Seeing the Kingdom”.

It is true that our experience of heaven on this earth is only a “foretaste of the feast to come”, as we sing in our communion liturgy. But it is a taste.

I got a foretaste of the kingdom while attending a church conference on a college campus in Victoria, British Columbia. From my room I heard “When the Saints Go Marching In” being played very loudly on the patio of an adjoining building. A group of mentally and physically challenged young people was taking a break from another conference. They were dancing and having a good time, wheel chairs, and all. I thought this must be what the kingdom of heaven is like.

Jesus said, “Pray in this way … Your Kingdom Come”.

The best thing about the kingdom of heaven is that it will never end because the risen Christ is the King. Pray with all sincerity that the kingdom of heaven will come on this earth, to us, and to all people. Then, keep on praying until that day when we too shall see the vision John described in Revelation,

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth … and I saw the holy city …

and I heard a loud voice saying, See, the home of God is among mortals …

God will be with them … God will wipe away every tear from their eyes … Death will be no more … mourning and crying and pain will be no more … See, I am making all things new.” (Rev. 21:1-5)

“The one who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come Lord Jesus!

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.” (Rev 22:20-21)