Romans 8:26-39
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-42
There is something deeply attractive about people who are able to engage others when they tell a story.
We all know who they are; whether writers, actors, teachers or just people we meet, family and friends, some people have the ability to make our imaginations run wild, they can bring to life a series of events in a way others just can’t.
When I was a child, when I heard the words “Once upon a time” or some-such introduction I was usually transfixed. Then a story that would unfold and I could almost imagine myself there, feeling the emotion and wonder of the situation.
And if you can tell a good story, you can do a great deal of good, it is quite a gift. If you are like me, you know what a good story sounds like, you know what sort of story captivates people, but when it comes to the delivery it’s less than perfect.
In the Gospel reading this morning, Jesus is using his skill as a master storyteller to define the Kingdom of God. The people are transfixed, and his delivery is so attractive that people can see in their own lives how they have been affected. They themselves might not be able to put it into words, but Jesus is doing it for them in a beautiful way. So beautiful in fact that countless millions of people still talk about this.
In the reading, Jesus talks about mustard seeds, making bread, hidden treasure, pearls and fishing – something for everyone in the crowd that gathered to listen to him. At the end of the parables he repeats the warnings – letting them know that this is not merely a set of good stories but they are about life, faith, salvation, judgment and everything else.
“Have you all understood this?” Jesus asks. “Yes” the crowd reply.
We might not understand the full significance of the stories Jesus is telling because over time the meanings have been lost. Firstly, mustard seeds don’t grow into plants that give homes to birds. In a school assembly, where children have remembered growing mustard and cress seeds on a piece of kitchen towel, you will get strange looks if you don’t explain it is a story about the kingdom of God growing to great proportions – with the faith and trust of many – sharing God’s love with the whole of humanity.
At the time when Jesus spoke – a great tree was a well known symbol for the kingdom of God. King Nebuchadnezzar had dreamt of such a tree. In the book of Daniel (Dan 4.12) it says…and “the beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the air dwelt in its branches”. The tree, Daniel told the king, was his kingdom, which like the tree in the dream was to be chopped down. The people would have understood the analogy. Here is the new tree – the new kingdom, where both Jews and Gentiles can take cover in its shade. This is the mustard seed with the spectacular growth.
Next comes the parable of the leaven. Something is lost in translation here – the woman is mixing together three measures – measures which is about 50 lbs of flour. This scene from ordinary life is actually a banquet, with enough bread for about hundreds of people. So here we have the new kingdom of God, created with its’ roots in the past – and a great banquet for all God’s people. All looking a bit more familiar now isn’t it.
Then we hear of the treasure of great price – and how it is easily hidden from those who do not know where to find it. Then comes the great pearl that a man sells all he has to buy it. The pearl that is worth more than everything we have, and the discovery of it, overturns everything. This is the value of the Kingdom of God.
We will gloss over the fact that the story about the field is very nearly theft! It’s probably best to do that.
Then Matthew’s Jesus brings us back to the end of the age, where we hear about the angels separating the good from the bad.
Because the crowd they reply they know what this means, Jesus tells them “therefore, every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
Now this might be the bit that Matthew records because he himself is obviously a scribe, in the great tradition of Enoch, Ezra and Baruch. Their accounts, like Matthew’s contain the warnings and promises of the age.
Perhaps for us today, we are the scribes – writing and telling what the kingdom of God should be like. Using stories that people will understand – making God’s love a reality for all. I have always thought that ‘learning to tell stories’ should be the first thing we learn as Christians, and we should pray more often that we can ‘tell a good story’.
In these days of division, suspicion and chaos – perhaps we are called to speak the truth in ways that people can understand – making the stories in our actions and words.
Norway
It’s not all easy though, what story can we tell the people of Norway after the horrific and senseless tragedy that befell their nation on Friday? How can we tell a story of a God who cares for people, even if we can tell them he sits alongside them when they mourn? Even the best storytelling might not help their pain.
And again, as we think of the people who live in poverty or pray for peace, those who have always struggled for food, clean water, medicines, justice and love that God is always with them? It’s not easy, but there is one thing that is certain. After the example of our great story-teller, when we tell of;
· of people being loved by God when love wasn’t in plentiful supply
· of people never being alone, however bad things get, and
· how God works through the strangest of things in the lives of ordinary people to make extraordinary things,
Well, these are the real stories that need to be told, and as we know, those who have ears will listen.
It’s a great week to start your training as a storyteller, if the sun ever comes out again so will people. Tell someone a story this week, about you and God, and what difference it made.
