Hidden in Plain View

July 24, 2011
OT18A Matthew 14:13-21

This week, Wal-Mart announced it’s plans to open a grocery store in Somerville that would rival Whole Food’s offerings of healthy gourmet foods AND prices. It will be called, Wal-Mart Market.

Seriously?
Walmart Market?
In liberal, progressive, independent business friendly, eco-conscious Somerville?

Seriously,
I really have no idea what a Somervillian response to a Walmart Market might be. It sort of sounds like an oxymoron to me personally, after visiting the Super Walmart in my home town in the upper-midwest--the grocery part was full of NON local produce, every brand of frozen pizza and dry breakfast cereal in the world. Walmart doesn’t symbolize health or wholeness or organic in my mind. But that’s just me.

Today, on first glance, the parables that Jesus spouts off sound like a stream of choices on how to perceive the realm of God. All the same, but just different labels--inexpensive, simple, and clear---a sort of Wal-Mart smorgasbord of choices--choose the brand that works for you and go with it.

But really, these five parables describing God’s kin-dom are more like the fruit of the labor represented in a farmer’s market. Harvested in real time, each parable describes the multi-valent depth of God’s love--rich in taste, in touch, and each with its own integrity and reality. There is no choice--all of the similes point to a different aspect to the earthy, hidden mystery of God, which is always surprising in its depth and simplicity.

Let’s review them, shall we?
The kingdom of heaven is like..
a mustard seed.
leaven in flour.
a treasure hidden in a field.
a priceless pearl.
a net that catches all kinds of fish.

All of these parables use images familiar and common to a first century audience of peasant farmers, Jewish rabbis, and fisherfolk. Jesus uses these images to turn upside down any preconceived notions or beliefs about God’s reign--making the kingdom of God accesible to all--clean, unclean, Jew, Gentile, rich, poor....

Simple, right?
Not so much.
In the first place, the idea of the “kingdom of heaven?” is complicated. It’s not exactly a place that one goes to after death--you know, with St. Peter and the pearly gates and all. Rather, when Jesus uses this term, he is more talking about what God’s reign on earth might be like---a sort of heaven on earth, if you will.


Another way to think of it would be is if God’s love,
or Love itself were the rule of the world.
Love reigning would mean that
There would be no unspeakable violence wrought, like the hell that was unleashed in Norway on Friday, by a sick person who blew up bombs and shot innocent children swimming for their lives....
There would be no young lives lost in war, there would be no more hurt or sickness or anguish.

but that sounds like Utopia. I’m not so sure that Jesus was trying to describe a utopian vision.
Perhaps, what Jesus means is that even though
unspeakable violence and horror might still happen, God’s love can rule in the midst of it. In fact, God’s kingdom, in these images, seems to exist, in spite of what seems insurmountable, controlling, overwhelming, evident, dominating, strong.

Hidden, but in plain view.

God’s kingdom--it’s small like a seed, and grows like a weed....and becomes a tree that birds can nest in. (Can you see the farmers laughing at this? Who would sow a weed in a garden? How could it grow into a useful tree? This image almost mocks the mighty Cedar Trees of Lebanon in the OT that were a symbol of the hope and strength of Israel---
However, many native plants are considered weeds, but recently I saw a native garden of black eyed susans, white daisies, purple coneflowers, and prairie grass that was not only stunning, but environmentally healthy and strong....)

God’s love---It’s unholy, like leavened bread, (Unleavened bread was holy--a symbol of the passover, and God’s liberating love for the Israelites in captivity. Leavening was considered impure, something developed in the dark, a sort of fungus, associated with everyday profane life....and the parable’s implied comparison of God to a baker-woman was the complete opposite of pure male priest of Levi However, what a hopeful image of God’s love--that it can thrive even in the most unholy of places.)

God’s realm--is hidden, and found accidentally. It’s an unexpected treasure, so compelling and complete it’s almost too good to be true--so you hide it at first until you can no longer stand it, and then, you are willing to give it your all, because how can you not? Remember falling in love with something---your beloved, or perhaps your vocation? Thinking to yourself, “This is too good to be true. I am going to keep it to myself for awhile, just in case its not real.” Someone described finding Eliot this way--she felt like she should keep dating, but knew that she had fallen in love after being here a couple of times.

God’s love can be found, like a pearl of great value...ah, the proverbial search for meaning. What a perfect image for the 21st century context in which we live, isn’t it? We seek, we long, we hope for meaning and relevance and resonance.

And yet, God’s love is not selective, like a catch of fish in a net. A fisher’s net hauls in all kinds of fish--from the wanted and desired to that which is thrown overboard.
This was a radical concept in the first century---as it is now.
God’s love is not. selective.

What Jesus is saying here is:

Sinner--you are loved.
Saint--you are loved.
Crazy terrorist right wing Christian--you are loved.
Pompous self righteous politician--you are loved.
Scheming con-artist on the street--you are loved.
Tiny new born gorgeous baby boy--you are loved.
Ancient curmudgeon--you are loved.
Cynic? Skeptic? --you are loved.
Believer, achiever--you are loved.
You are loved...
because You. Are.

and nothing, nothing, nothing
will ever separate you from Divine Love.
Nothing.

sigh.
I will admit it.
The past ten days,
at my childhood home,
were challenging.
One parent frazzled by selling, buying, packing, sorting, worrying...
One parent incapacitated and reluctant about change,
Another parent disappointed by how little time we spent together,
and the last parent, well...there is always one that pushes my buttons.

There were also my own emotions as I tore apart the house in which I grew up,
sifting through memories--good and bad and in between...
discovering old secrets hidden in photographs and objects,
and even finding buried treasures.

I wondered, more than once,
where is God’s reign in this poignant, stressful, life experience?
Where did I see God’s love,
in spite of the frightened frailness and forgetfulness of my aging parents?
in spite of in the tears and frustration of me not being able to do it all, and be all for everyone?
Where was God’s love hidden? Where was that love that paves a way through life’s wilderness?

I stumbled upon it,
in my father’s kiss good-bye,
and in the wet eyes of my mother....

I found it in the kindness of Pastor Muriel,

who not only provided excellent pastoral care for my parents, but also in the little things she did, like pick up dinner, and making up my mother’s bed, because she was too sick to put the clean sheets on herself.

I found Love planted in my laughter of finding a report that I wrote in 8th grade that described the horrors of Confirmation Bible Camp and my secret desire to become a fashion designer when I grew up.

God’s love was present in all of the unholy, unrealized and unanswered questions and worries and hopes and fears of week...
Yes, it was and IS that inseparable Love of God that is promised in Romans 8.
hidden in all of that,


Sisters and brothers.
God’s love is hidden and unholy and not selective.
Thank God.
It is tucked away in the corners of our lives...
and when we are searching,
or when we are most needing it and just stumble upon it, it is there.
It’s small and mighty, and can spread like a weed.
May we all have arms and hearts to embrace this Reign of Love...
but if we don’t, won’t, or cant’
it doesn’t matter,
because our God,
will never, ever let us go. Nothing ever can separate us from this Divine Love.
Even though it is hidden, it is in plain view.
Amen.