Sermon:
October 25, 1998

Scripture:
Matthew 6:19-24
Luke 4:43
Luke 12:27-37
Luke 18:18-29

I have a friend who collects the milk advertisements with famous people with a streak of white on their upper lip with the caption "Where's your mustache?" Its query comes with a strong incentive that we'd better get on board with the calcium challenge and that our allegiance to the goodness of milk and its benefits ought to be visible badges of identity.

Jesus uses a similar anecdote when he says to his disciples, "If you had faith, even as small as a mustard seed you could..." and it goes on. His statement begs the question, "So where is your mustard seed?"

Jesus tells this story as a parable of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God - Jesus refers to the Kingdom over 175 times in the Gospels. In fact, the Kingdom of God is what he announces has come as he begins his ministry, and is the central proclamation of his message. Not salvation from our sins, although that is one of the Kingdom's by-products, but the inbreaking of the REIGN of God in human life.

Now what does that mean?

How can a concept so central to the Christian faith still remain so opaque to us? To early Judaism, the Kingdom meant the established Kingdom of Israel, led from Jerusalem. To the prophets, it meant the righteousness of God lived out in human community. In the time of Jesus, it meant everything from the overthrow of the Roman rule to the Apocalyptic vision of the end of the age.

But to Jesus, the Kingdom was a here and now reality. The Kingdom of Heaven is near, the time is at hand. It's a place, or state to get into - now.

Note: how hard is it to get into if one has too much wealth? By the way, the eye of the needle is a passageway through a mountain pass that was small and low and hard to get through - so low that the camels had to get down on their knees and unload their cargo to pass through. Nothing is impossible with God.

To get into the Kingdom of God is to let go of pride and our allegiance to things. But back to the Kingdom itself.

John Bright, noted biblical scholar, in his book The Kingdom of God - The Biblical Concept and Its Meaning for the Church, writes with a passion for the church and its understanding of what the call of the Kingdom is for us.

First, the Kingdom is both personal and social.

Second, it is not the church - although the church has at times proclaimed it, at times ignored it, at times midwifes its birth or downright opposes it.

It is the rule of God breaking in on the world. But this Messiah Jesus comes not as Davidic King, but as the Suffering Servant of Jahweh. Yet this suffering servant has come to establish a Kingdom. But whose? Who inherits it? How does its victory come? Let me quote John Bright.

The Gospel message affirms the Kingdom in a real sense has become present fact here and now. In the person and work of Jesus, the Kingdom of God has intruded into the world...The Kingdom of God, then, is a power already released in the world. Christ, then, has come to call men to his Kingdom. His mission was not to instruct men in a better and more spiritual ethic, to impart to men a clearer understanding of the character of God, to attack those abuses which had made the Jewish law the stultification of the religious spirit and to suggest certain emendations to that law - in short, to point men the way to be better men. All this he did, indeed, and with a vengeance. But he did it in the dazzling light of the coming Kingdom.

His was a call of tremendous urgency, a call to radical decision for that Kingdom. The Kingdom is right there, "at hand." It stands at the door and knocks (Luke 12:36, cf. Rev. 3:20). Who will open and let us in? Who will say Yes to its coming? Over and over again in the Gospels comes the radical urgency of its call. It is a pearl of great price; you sell everything you have to get it (Matt. 13:45-46). You leave father and mother, wife and family, as if you hated them, at its beck (Luke: 14:26). The ethics of Jesus are the ethics of the Kingdom; and Jesus expected his followers to take them seriously, not only in his generation but in all generations.

For in New Testament theology the Kingdom of God is not only the goal of all history and the reward of all believers, not only the norm by which all human behavior is judged, it is a new order which even now bursts in upon the present one and summons men to be its people. Its summons demands response, and that response is obedience and righteousness here and now. Christ intended his followers to live each day in the light of the Kingdom which is intruding into the world, to live each day as if the end were tomorrow. We have not two gospels, social and personal, which vie for the limelight. We have one gospel, the gospel of the Kingdom of God and it is both. We have simply nothing else to preach.

The Kingdom of God!

So where's our mustard seed? How much allegiance do we have to this? We have begun our finance campaign for our church. Its theme is, "What Will You Build?" We want to build the church of Jesus Christ. But I want to suggest to you something more - more than the labors of our efforts and goals and plans and programs - more than even the goal of building a better society. Will your church do more than build? Will you give yourselves over not to build the church, but to be the church - not to raise a budget, but say Yes to radical allegiance to the inbreaking rule of God in Jesus Christ? Here and now, will you have faith, even as a mustard seed, that God's victory is already present in our midst? Will you witness to the living reality of the Kingdom of God and live that reality as suffering servant in the midst of this world? Will you march in this Kingdom's light?

You know that when Jesus talked of the Kingdom, he talked about it in stories. Let me tell you a story about the Kingdom of God that probably says it best of all. It's about treasures and kingdoms and mustard seeds.

Isik and King Olaf

Isik was King Olaf's most trusted and faithful servant. They met when Isik was a poor shepherd tending the King's flocks. His only possessions were a simple tunic, a pair of leather sandals and a sheepskin vest.

On inspecting his flocks, King Olaf was so impressed with Isik's simple sincerity and fine stewardship of his flocks, he invited Isik to become one of his court advisors. Soon King Olaf came to rely on Isik's wisdom and insight and so Isik grew to be King Olaf's most trusted and powerful advisor. Isik was lavished with riches, entrusted with authority second only to the King, and given the only keys to the King's treasury.

One day, King Olaf decided to test the wisdom and loyalty of his closest advisors, so he assembled his whole court before him. When they were seated in court, King Olaf brought out before them an extraordinarily large pearl, larger than the biggest ostrich egg. It was luminous and perfect. King Olaf carried it before them and they were all stunned with astonishment at the sight of it. King Olaf went to his first advisor and queried, "What do you estimate to be the value of this pearl?" "Sir," he replied, stuttering in amazement, "why, it must be worth 10 wagon loads of gold." The King looked at him and said, "Break it." The advisor was shocked. "Oh no, my lord," he protested, "I would never do that. It would bring dishonor to your court to destroy such a treasure. It belongs to the ages." "That's an interesting answer," said the King.

King Olaf turned to his advisor in charge of his army and arsenals and said, "What do you estimate to be the value of this pearl?" His general replied, "I wager there is not a more expensive item in any kingdom anywhere." "Break it," said the King. "But your Majesty," the general replied, "we may need this pearl to purchase arms, or barter with your enemies. I would not jeopardize your security or the safety of your kingdom with such an act. Why, it would be treason." "An interesting answer," said the King quietly.

King Olaf turned to his Head Lady in Waiting and asked her, "What do you estimate to be the value of this pearl?" "Oh sire," she replied coyly, "such a gift would win you any princess in the world." "Break it," said the King. "Oh no, your Highness, it is too fine and too pretty, and it may someday bring us all our queen."

King Olaf was somber now, and looked at them all with a strange, grave sadness. Then he turned to Isik. "Isik, what you do you estimate to be the value of this pearl?" Isik replied, "It is worth more than all your treasury, house and lands combined." "Break it," said the King. And without a word, Isik took two large stones in his hands and began smashing the pearl into pieces until it was nothing but dust. "Isik is a madman," the court erupted in shock. But Isik raised his hand and silenced them. "Of what is more value? This pearl or the King's command?" And they fell silent and afraid, for their foolishness and his loyalty had been exposed. The King's anger was kindled against them and he called for them to be arrested and immediately executed for treason. But Isik intervened. "Your Highness, use this as an opportunity to teach the value of compassion." "Very well," said the King.

The advisors threw themselves in gratitude at the King's feet, but their hearts darkened toward Isik. Far from grateful for his intervention, they became determined to entrap and betray him and began a plot against him. They noted that each day Isik would disappear into a high chamber at the top of the south tower and lock himself in the room for an hour, perhaps two, in the middle of each day. No one had ever been there. Only Isik had a key. And the advisors began to whisper and accuse Isik of stealing from the King's treasury and hiding it in that room. After all, didn't Isik dress in the finest silks and wear a gold ring?

When the rumor reached the King's ear, he assembled his advisors before him again. Emboldened by their scheme, they stepped forward. "Sire, we have reason to believe that Isik, the keeper of your treasury, is robbing you and storing his loot in the high chamber of the palace. Arrest him at once!" "So," said the King, "you believe Isik to be stealing from me? I give you full permission to search that room and keep whatever you find there." The advisors tore up the long stone stairs to the tower and, with hatchets, hacked open the heavy oak door and stumbled into the room. The advisors stood dumbly in the room. King Olaf and Isik came quietly in behind them. "What bounty have you found?" said the King. Before them there was only a chair - and on it a simple tunic, a pair of leather sandals and sheepskin vest. "Isik," said the King, "explain these treasures." "Sir," he replied, "I come here each day to remind myself where I came from, that all that I have is but a gift from the King and all that I have or will ever have, I owe to him." Now truly ashamed, the advisors begged Isik's forgiveness, which he granted.

After a few years, Isik died. A high state funeral was held, and King Olaf and all the country mourned this simple shepherd's passing. Then Isik's tunic, sandals and sheepskin vest were taken to the Royal Treasury, valued as the most precious jewels in all the Kingdom.

Where is your treasure? Where are our hearts? Where is your mustard seed?