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<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 19px; font-family: arial; margin-top: 4px;"><a name="mainarticle" id="mainarticle"></a> <strong><a style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 19px; font-family: arial; margin-top: 4px; color: rgb(49, 43, 158);" target="_blank" __removedlink__1957348916__href="http://thisweek.sermonsuite.com/phplist/lt.php?id=f08MAwJVAgUMTwACHwAFBwI%3D">Treasure and Trash</a></strong><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; font-size: 14px;">excerpted from <em>Preaching the Parables, Cycle A</em> by John R. Brokhoff</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size:15px; line-height: 20px; color: #000;">According
to Jesus, there is nothing more precious than the Kingdom of Heaven. In
the parables of the treasure and pearl, Jesus taught that the Kingdom
is even more valuable than gold or jewels. How much is a person willing
to give to possess the treasure and pearl of the Kingdom?<br>
<br>
Once there was a childless king who was dying.
Anxious to choose a successor, he called for applicants to be
considered. The first prospect said, "I have strong legs and sure feet.
With them I will visit every home in the land. I will give my feet to
the kingdom."<br>
<br>
Another applicant said, "I have strong hands,
They are fit to do the work of a king. I offer them to the kingdom." A
third claimed, "I have many talents and am more gifted than any other
man in the realm. I feel I should be king so badly, that I will give all
my riches to the kingdom."<br>
<br>
At last a crippled little dwarf came to the
bedside of the dying king and said, "Sir, my feet and hands are crippled
and useless. I have no talents and I am poor. So, all I have is myself,
but I will give it to the kingdom." It was he who succeeded the king.<br>
<br>
What it means to give oneself to the Kingdom was
expressed by Hannah Whithall Smith: "I have tried keeping myself and
have failed and failed most grievously. I am absolutely helpless. So now
I will trust Thee. I give myself to Thee. I keep back no reserves. I
present myself to Thee as a piece of clay to be fashioned into anything
Thy love and wisdom shall choose."<br>
<br>
<strong>Context</strong><br>
<br>
<strong>Context of the Church Year</strong><br>
<br>
We are in the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Sunday. Today we conclude the consideration of the parables in Matthew
13. This Sunday's gospel lesson gives us three parables of the Kingdom
of Heaven: hidden treasure, pearl of great price, and the dragnet.<br>
<br>
<strong>Context of the Pericope</strong><br>
<br>
The gospel lesson consists of three parables and
Jesus' concluding statement of the seven parables in Matthew 13. Two of
the parables (treasure and pearl) are twins dealing with the value of
the Kingdom. The third parable (dragnet) is a twin with the parable of
the weeds discussed last Sunday. Because of the similarity of themes in
the parables of the weeds and net, we will not involve the net parable
in this study.<br>
The parables can be seen in the context of treasure and trash:<br>
1. Treasure - the treasure in the field, the pearl of great price, the good fish.<br>
2. Trash - the possessions sold to buy the field, the sale of inferior pearls, the bad fish.<br>
3. Understanding - what is treasure and what is trash. (vv. 51-52)<br>
<br>
<strong>Context of the Lectionary</strong><br>
<br>
The First Lesson. (Exodus 3:13-20) This lection
is the fourth in a series on the ministry of Moses. In response to
Moses' question, Yahweh reveals his name as "I am" and promises to
deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and to take them to a rich
land.<br>
<br>
The Second Lesson. (Romans 8:26-30) For four
Sundays the second lesson is taken from Romans 8. This is the third
selection. Because we do not know how to pray, the Spirit prays for us.
Moreover, in everything God works for the good to those who love him.<br>
<br>
Gospel. (Matthew 13:44-52) This is the last of a
series of three selections from Matthew 13. The pericope contains three
parables dealing with the Kingdom of Heaven.<br>
<br>
Psalm. Psalm 105:1-11 All praise and thanks to
the Lord for his faithfulness to his covenant by giving Canaan to his
people.<br>
<br>
Prayer of the Day. As God's ears are open to our
prayers, we pray that our hearts and minds would be open to his Spirit.<br>
<br>
Hymn of the Day. "O God, O Lord of Heaven and Earth."<br>
<br>
<strong>Context of Related Scriptures</strong><br>
<br>
Job 28:18 - Something more precious than a pearl.<br>
Isaiah 65:1 - God waits to be sought.<br>
Matthew 6:19-21 - Where your treasure is.<br>
Matthew 6:33 - Seek first the kingdom.<br>
Matthew 19:21 - "You will have treasure in heaven."<br>
Matthew 25:18, 25 - Hiding money in the ground.<br>
2 Corinthians 4:7 - Treasure in earthen vessels.<br>
Ephesians 3:7 - The unsearchable riches of Christ.<br>
Philippians 3:7-11 - The surpassing worth of Christ.<br>
<br>
<strong>Content</strong><br>
<br>
<strong>The Twins</strong><br>
<br>
Occasionally parables come in twos as though
they were twins. Some of the twins are the lost coin and the lost sheep,
the friend at midnight and the unjust judge, the weeds and the dragnet,
and today we have for consideration the twins, the buried treasure and
the pearl of great price. They are twins in that the theme is the same
in both parables....<a target="_blank" __removedlink__1957348916__href="http://thisweek.sermonsuite.com/phplist/lt.php?id=f08MAwJVAgUMTwACHwAFBwI%3D">click here to read the rest of the sermon</a><br>
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<a name="childrensermon" id="childrensermon"></a><strong><a style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 19px; font-family: arial; margin-top: 4px; color: rgb(49, 43, 158);" target="_blank" __removedlink__1957348916__href="http://thisweek.sermonsuite.com/phplist/lt.php?id=f08MAwJVAgUBTwACHwAFBwI%3D">Free Children's Sermon from <em>CSSPlus</em></a></strong> <hr>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size:15px; line-height: 20px; color: #000;"><a style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 19px; font-family: arial; margin-top: 4px; color: rgb(49, 43, 158); font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" __removedlink__1957348916__href="http://thisweek.sermonsuite.com/phplist/lt.php?id=f08MAwJVAgUBTwACHwAFBwI%3D">Heaven's Pearls</a><br>
from <em>CSSPlus (Children's Sermon Service...Plus)</em><br>
<br>
Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever been shopping with someone? (<i>let them answer</i>)
Some people spend a long time looking at all the choices. Maybe they
can't find exactly what they want, so they don't buy anything that day.
But when they do find something that is just right, they can be filled
with such happiness. Jesus told a story about something that fills
people with happiness once they find it.<br>
<br>
Jesus taught that the kingdom of
heaven is the best place God ever created. It is filled with love to
begin with and everyone in it is filled with love. Secondly, it is a
place of no trouble. It is also a very beautiful place where everyone is
healthy and without worry.<br>
<br>
Jesus told a lot of stories about
the kingdom of God. He told the fisherman one kind of story that they
would like, he told another story to farmers and still another one to
merchants or businesspeople. He wanted everyone to know what a special
place it was.<br>
<br>
One day he had a group of people together that liked jewelry. Do you like jewelry? (<i>let them answer</i>)
There was a shop owner, maybe a jeweler, who was always on the lookout
for the perfect pearl. Do you know what pearls look like? (<i>let them answer</i>) That's right and do you know how they are made? (<i>let them answer</i>)
Pearls come from oysters. A pearl usually begins when something has
gotten into the oyster's shell that does not belong there. Day after day
the oyster works to get rid of it, in the process it helps the pearl
grow. Some of the pearls that come from oysters are the most beautiful
pieces of jewelry in the world. I brought along a string of pearls (<i>show it</i>) so that you can see how beautiful a real pearl is.<br>
<br>
Jesus says that when a jeweler sees
the perfect pearl, it fills him with happiness. He rushes home and
gathers all of his valuables so that he can buy the perfect pearl.<br>
<br>
The reason Jesus tells this story is
so we know how perfect the kingdom of heaven is. It is worth more than
all of the money in the world, more important than all of the jewelry in
the world, and it is worth more than anything else in the world.<br>
<br>
So the next time you see someone
with beautiful pearls, I hope you are reminded about the jeweler who
sold everything he had so he could buy the perfect pearl. As Christians
we will give away everything else for being with God in the kingdom of
heaven...<a target="_blank" __removedlink__1957348916__href="http://thisweek.sermonsuite.com/phplist/lt.php?id=f08MAwJVAgUBTwACHwAFBwI%3D">view this children's sermon on the web</a></div>
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