THE WORD 4 ev 1

Today’s reading is Matthew 13 (click here for link)

"For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”

Perspective changes everything. It is funny how two people can stand in the very same spot and look at the same thing and each see something different. My wife and I are like this when it comes to the weather. I love when fall arrives and the big thunderstorms come crashing down, stirred up by the collision of warm and cold air in the atmosphere. In fact, whenever a storm approaches, I will sit by the window watching the awesome raw power of it all. Pam, on the other hand, hates it when I do that. She would prefer to batten down the hatches, close all the blinds, and have the flash light ready in case of a power outage. Our perspective of the coming storm couldn’t be more different.

The same is true for faith. Some see it, others don’t.
For those whose eyes are open, amazing miracles happen every day—all around us. I hear frequently about someone who was healed with no medical explanation for how or why. God simply intervened! But not everyone sees it that way. It is perplexing how the Holy Spirit gives the perspective of faith to some and not to others and it will always be a mystery. However, today’s reading assures us that this mystery is a good thing.

The reading for today is a series of parables about the kingdom of heaven. But there are two assurances concerning faith. First, the kingdom of heaven is already here. Our faith is not just for some distant future. No, the present reality of the reign of God now gives us assurance for the coming reign of God in the future. Notice how Jesus explains that the kingdom of heaven is like… well… he speaks about it terms of evangelism—sowing seeds. That is happening now. You and I are a part of that work of the kingdom.

The second assurance is that those who lack the perspective of faith will never overcome those who have faith. Remember, Jesus said, “Let the weeds grow up among the wheat lest you root up the good with the bad.” Perhaps you can identify with this parable if you are a gardener. Being one, myself, I understand perfectly well how overwhelming it can be to watch how easily the weed can dominate the garden, especially in the hothouse climate of South Houston. But this is the not the case in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus says there will be a harvest, which means that no matter how bad things become here on earth for the faithful, the gates of hell will never overcome. Therefore we can acknowledge the different perspectives all around us—some will see God and others won’t. But whether our perspective differs with a co-worker, a friend, a family member, or a fellow student, we can continue to sow the seeds of the gospel, and pray they land on fertile ground. Just remember, the mystery is God’s, so don’t fret about it.

Happy gardening,
Pastor Aaron