A friend and I met today for a Bible study. We discussed the Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast, the Hidden Treasure, and the Pearl, found in Matthew 13. In the Mustard Seed and Yeast parables, something small and apparently insignificant grows at an amazing rate into something much more impressive; in the Hidden Treasure and Pearl parables, someone gives up all they have in order to gain something of the highest value. In each case, we learn something about the kingdom of heaven: its growth surpasses our expectations, and we should be willing to risk everything we have in order to obtain it.
There's plenty that's mysterious about the kingdom of heaven, perhaps most notably the question of how much it is already present, and how much is yet to come. What isn't mysterious, though, is that we're supposed to be seeking it wholeheartedly, above all other things- this is the obvious application. It became uncomfortably clear to me today:
if I believe Jesus is right, how can I justify doing anything else?
When my friend and I compared notes, it was obvious to us that "seeking the kingdom" really hasn't been at the top of our lists of priorities. Lately our concerns have been securing work, completing dissertation work or generally getting good grades in grad school, and being there for family and friends, and we had lots to share on developments in those areas of our lives. But I don't think we even had a clear sense of what "seeking the kingdom" meant, let alone any clear signs of progress to report. We congratulated each other on taking the time to meet for our Bible Study (it was a make-up session, and almost didn't happen at all), but that alone was really kind of pathetic.
I've been a little suspicious of the whole "Protestant Work Ethic" thing lately, and I'll write more about it later, but for the moment let's assume it's a great thing to place the highest value on hard work, thrift, and efficiency. So why don't we apply this work ethic to our Christianity? Why seek the kingdom half-heartedly, with low expectations, and without taking any risks?
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