I Kings 3: 5–12 / Psalm 86: 11–17 / Romans 8: 26–39 / Matthew 13: 31–33, 44–52
This is the written version of the homily given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, July 26, 2026, by Fr. Gene Tucker, Interim Pastor.
“LOOKING FOR THE KINGDOM, AND DISCOVERING ITS RICHES”
(Homily texts: I Kings 3: 5–12, and Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-52)
Some
years ago, there was a one-man show which traveled the country, entitled,
“Defending the Caveman”.
The
set for this show resembled something from the old television show which
featured Fred Flintstone. The actor was also dressed in a costume that could
have come from the same show.
The
audience at the show laughed, usually one half at a time: The men would laugh
at something, and then it was the women’s turn to do the same.
One
subject from the show had to do with shopping habits, which – the actor
maintained – differ from men to women.
The
actor told the audience that the reason why men shop differently from women is
attributable to ancient habits, which stem from the days of the cavemen.
So,
for example, during the days of the cavemen, the actor said, the man would
venture out from the cave, alone, his trusty spear in hand, to find and stalk
the game that would be that evening’s dinner. Once the hunt was over, the man
would drag his quarry back to the cave, whereupon it was the woman’s job to
prepare it for dinner. This habit of singular focus on one thing leads men, in
our own time, to go to the store in search of one, specific item. Once that
item had been found, the search and the shopping were over. (And, the actor
added, men will often go to the store again, seeking one, specific item.)
By
contrast, the women, in the days of the cavemen, were back in the cave. Once
the man was off to the hunt, the women would gather in a group, and they would
venture forth from the cave in search of berries with which to adorn that
evening’s dinner table. Together, the women would find berries, which they
touched, smelled, and looked at, all the while comparing their observations one
with another. This habit is the basis for women’s shopping habits today, for
they venture forth to the stores in groups, where they look at the merchandise,
feel it, look at it, and compare their observations, one with another.
The
humorous aspects of these ideas aside, there’s are two pieces of wisdom in the
scenario described above. (Recall that the ancient King Solomon prayed for
wisdom, as we hear in our Old Testament lesson this morning.) I think there’s some useful truths for us to
consider as we think about our Lord’s parables about the nature of the Kingdom
of Heaven.[1]
One
useful truth for us to remember about the kingdom is that it is often small in
nature, and sometimes hard to notice when it appears. Indeed, our Lord said,
once, that people would know that the kingdom “was near”.[2] Some
of the very brief parables we hear this morning ask us to consider that the
kingdom is often seemingly hidden.
Perhaps
we think of the kingdom, and its presence among us in grand and overpowering
terms. Perhaps we equate the kingdom with the end of time, or – in Matthew’s
terms – the end of the ages. That time when God’s will and God’s way will be in
total control. Certainly, such a vision is never far from Matthew’s
consciousness.
The Holy Scriptures affirm this vision of the kingdom, that time when God’s peace will reign over all things. That time when the “lion will lie down with the lamb”,[3] that time when “nations won’t learn war anymore.”[4]
But,
in the meantime, the kingdom is among us.
It’s
our job to look for its coming, like the caveman hunter who’s searching for his
quarry.
It’s
also our job to help God bring the kingdom into being. By the way we believe,
by the way we act, by the things we say, our job is to demonstrate what the
kingdom looks like, so that when the kingdom comes near, people will be able
recognize it.
The
other useful thing to glean from the account of the cavemen is to look
carefully and closely at the nature of the kingdom. What, exactly, does the
kingdom look like from the point of view of the Bible? What do we read there
about the kingdom? What does Holy Scripture have to say about the citizens of
the kingdom, and their relationship to the King? For it would be easy to look
away from the pages of the Bible, risking the possibility that some concept of
the kingdom that arises in our own minds will displace the description of the
kingdom we find in the pages of sacred Scripture.
In the
hustle and the bustle of daily living, it’d be easy to miss seeing the evidence
of the kingdom that is among us whenever its appearing is known.
We
would do well to seek out the kingdom with all the energy and focus we can
muster. We would also do well to examine, and then re-examine, the true nature
of the kingdom.
To do
both of these things, we will need to help of the Holy Spirit.
AMEN.
[1] Matthew’s usual term for the kingdom is “Kingdom of Heaven”.
[2] Luke 10:9
[3] Isaiah 11:6
[4] Isaiah 2:4
