3rd Friday (December 19). The new and the old

Prepare to Listen.  The kingdom of heaven is like….
 
Prayerfully Read Matthew 13:44-53
44“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and reburied; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.  49So it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51“Have you understood all this?”  They answered, “Yes.”  52And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”  53When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place.
 
Prayerfully Wonder and Reflect
Matthew 13 consists of seven parables about the kingdom of heaven.  He concluded with the question to his disciples: “Have you understood all this?”  How would you respond to his question?
 
The disciples unhesitatingly responded, “Yes.”  Really?!  I find that answer astonishing.  Did they honestly understand “all this?”  I for sure don’t, despite having heard many sermons, even preached a few myself, and read many commentaries on these parables.
 
What is also astonishing is Jesus’ next sentence.  Most teachers would check the disciples’ understanding with a few pointed questions or an exam!  Not Jesus.  In fact, he barely acknowledges them.  He talks about “scribes” who, like them, become kingdom of heaven disciples.  They are Jesus’ scribes, disciples in training.  Therefore, if they understood “all this” they'd be able to take from their treasure both the new, the good news of the kingdom as Jesus’ proclaimed it, and the old, the ancient wisdom in Scripture.  Trained disciples know how to build on and ground the new in the old, keeping the faith ever new.  They can discern when the old needs to be changed to make room for the new of Jesus’ Kingdom.  They remain open to change as they follow Jesus.
 
Matthew ends with a line he often used at the end of a block of Jesus’ teaching:[1] “When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place.”  Jesus has said what needs to be said.  It’s now up to the disciples to live with his teaching and pass it on in ways that are rooted in the wisdom of the old and open to the life-transforming ways of the new.
 
What’s in your treasure?
 
Prayerfully Respond
Lord Jesus, so often I cling to the old because it’s familiar and comfortable.  The new hurts.  Help me be a trained disciples who can take from my treasure both the old and the new.  Amen.
 
Live obediently.  Accept the transforming new with the wisdom of the old.
[1] The other 4 are in: 7:28, 11:1, 19:1 and 26:1 (which adds, all these words).