Sermon: Choral Mattins 2nd Sunday before Advent

Preacher:

Date:

Sunday 17th November 2013

Service:

Choral Mattins

Readings:

Matthew 13: 44-53

Listen:

Download Recording (MP3, 25M)

Our New Testament lesson today presents us with two vital and decisive aspects of being a Christian: the Kingdom and discipleship, and just how intimately they are related. The life of the Kingdom is the way of discipleship, and discipleship schools us in the way of the Kingdom.

In three parables - which each begins ‘the kingdom of heaven is like’, ‘the kingdom of heaven is like’, ‘the kingdom of heaven is like’ – Jesus presents images that convey the precious nature of the kingdom, ‘on finding one pearl of great value, the merchant went and sold all he had and bought it’ (Matthew 13.46); the surprise, excitement and joy of the kingdom, ‘the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid’ (Matthew 13.44); and the expansive richness of the kingdom which is ‘like a net thrown into the sea and caught every kind of fish’ (Matthew 13.47).

After telling those three pithy parables about the kingdom, ‘Jesus asked his disciples “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.”’ (Matthew 13.51) Elsewhere in the gospels there is scant evidence that the disciples did actually understand. And very often Jesus points that out in no uncertain terms. (cf Matthew 13.10-17) But in this instance he lets that go unchallenged. What he does is to tell the disciples that part of what he is doing in the gospels is initiating them into the ways of the Kingdom. That is what discipleship is.

Jesus forms, schools and shapes his disciples - and let’s not forget that is by extension you and me too - forming, schooling and shaping them, and us, in the ways of the kingdom. That is what names us disciples. Being a disciple of Jesus worthy of that name, is not having completed a course, not having a particular set of views or even having been baptised. Being a disciple is being someone who lives in the joyful expectation of the coming of the kingdom, who lives in faith that the kingdom is in our midst and in the hope that the kingdom will come.

Such a person is the scribe schooled in the ways of the kingdom who is like the master of the household ‘who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’ (Matthew 13.32)

That schooling and formation can only happen to us as persons in relationship. St Benedict recognises this in speaking, in his Rule, of the monastery as, ‘a school of the Lord’s service’. That raises the question for every Christian community, this one included, as to how it is open to be schooled in the ways of the kingdom, with Christ the pupil-master.

Part of what has to be at the heart of that is our practices, habits and virtues, as individuals and as the Body of Christ here and now. On the exterior of this building are sculptures of the cardinal and theological virtues. I’m not going to list them because you can walk around the place and see them flanking the exterior of the nave. The point is, though, that as disciples initiated into the kingdom we don’t wear the virtues as an exterior bit of bling, costume jewellery, but as interiorised habits that shape and form us. The way of disciples of Christ is to be brought to birth and formed in the oneness of God, standing with Christ in perfect relationship with the Father in the power of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit prompts us to pray, ‘thy Kingdom come, on earth as in heaven’; the Spirit shapes and forms us as surely as in the beginning breathing into the nostrils of the man formed from clay (Genesis 2.7); the Spirit draws together the Church as the Body of Christ to look out for, herald and proclaim the kingdom being made manifest in the world.

The scribe schooled in Christ’s wisdom will see and name that happening. That is the prophetic role of each Christian and of this place. It is from the treasure trove of the kingdom that we receive our riches, and riches that are offered as a gift to the world.