Matthew 14:13-21; Romans 9:1-5

In Romans 9:1–5, the Apostle Paul expresses a profound anguish for his fellow Jews that he even wishes himself cut off from Christ if it would save them. If you sometime had that kind of anguish for those around you, who don’t know Christ yet, I have a few questions for you to ponder today.

1: In an era where our lives are largely comfortable and secure, what would it cost us to care about the spiritual life and destiny of our families and friends the way Paul did?

2: If your loved ones were facing physical danger, I’m sure that you would drop everything to save and help them. By the same token, when you look at their spiritual lives, does your level of prayer and concern match that same urgency?

3. Paul was willing to be cut off from Christ to see his follow people come to Christ. In our daily routines, what are we genuinely willing to inconvenience—let alone sacrifice—so that those we love might know the grace of God?”

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Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is like that: a treasure hidden in a field that someone accidentally discovers. To secure this newly found wealth, the lucky man hides the treasure again in that same field, and then joyfully goes and sells everything he owns to buy the plot of land. Once the field is his, the treasure is his, too. His actions were entirely lawful; by purchasing the land, he gained legal ownership of the field and the treasure within it.

As if to emphasise His point, Jesus added, “The Kingdom is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he finds one of unmatched value, he too sells everything he owns to purchase that pearl. This is what the Kingdom of God is like—a hidden treasure, a pearl of great price.

These parables share one striking commonality: both individuals sold everything they possessed to claim the treasure they had found. Why? The answer is obvious. Their possessions simply could not compare in value to the treasure.

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Genesis 28: 10-22

It was winter. In the small village on the western side of the Blue Mountains, it seemed to get dark very early. The sun quickly disappeared behind a steep ridge that shaded the highway. It was cold and bleak and if it wasn’t raining and windy it was snowing. There was always the smell of burning coal fires in the air. I was a young school teacher in the little school there, (this was a long time ago) with just two teachers on the staff, and I was not happy.

That’s not quite true. In some ways I was very happy. But at that time, I was a long way from home. I was separated from my family, who I loved a lot. I was separated from my church family and my friends in Sydney. In that small village I felt lonely and homesick and out of step with the things that interested the local community. And cold!

I knew that I was not going to be there forever. I didn’t know where I would be going next and had no idea that in God’s plan my next home would be in Papua New Guinea. That cold lonely winter, I decided to use my spare time to study for the lay preacher’s exam, and that meant having my first attempts at preaching in small country churches. One of my first sermons was based on Genesis 28 and the story of Jacob and his dream.

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Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

I came across an inspiring story about a man named David, who spent a few years working to build a community of kindness and compassion. His experiences in volunteer ministry brought him into contact with many different people. It is a beautiful story, and I have framed it in the light of today’s Gospel from Matthew, while keeping the original account entirely intact.

David wanted to share with the community everything he had learned throughout his life as a follower of Jesus. He believed that if he truly wanted to make a positive impact on the lives of others in his newly found community, he first had to sow the good seeds of love and kindness.

He began his mission by visiting local schools. He spoke to students about the vital importance of kindness, compassion and forgiveness. He said, “When you cultivate a heart of kindness and compassion and become good at it, the world will always have a special place for you”. Many students listened attentively, and some of them were so touched by his message and asked him to come again to talk more someday. They were much like the good soil in the parable of the Sower in today’s gospel reading.

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Romans 7:15-25

Bonhoeffer lived in a time when the law of the secular world demanded absolute allegiance to a regime. That regime was opposing to the justice of God’s kingdom.

When visiting America, his colleagues and friends in America strongly recommend that he should stay safely in America. But he chose to return to his home. He wrote, “If I don’t choose to go through these hard times with my people now, I won’t have the right to be their pastor when the war is over.” He was executed in prison, just a month before the war came to an end in May 1945.

According to Michael Sandel, a renowned political philosopher and Harvard professor, justice is simply ‘doing the right thing’. But the question is, “what is the right thing to do?” How do we know what the right thing to do is at home, work, in church, or even on streets? Most importantly, what is the right thing to do in our daily life as children of God?”

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