THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS LIKE....

      I read a story about a statue of a Prince that stood high above the city. From his vantage point he could see that the city was filled with suffering and pain and the weight of it caused him to cry. So he sent a little swallow, who had just happened to light at his feet, to take the ruby that adorned his sword-hilt… to a weathered old woman who could not afford to feed her sick boy. Then he sent the swallow to a young man who was freezing and hungry, with a sapphire that was one of his eyes. Then, although the swallow protested, the statue prince gave his other eye to a little girl in need. The Prince could no longer see, but he sent the swallow out to meet other needs, each time taking some of the gold that gilded his body. In the end, the swallow died and the rusted statue that was once a prince was torn down, except for his lead heart, which laid next to the dead bird because they could not destroy it. “Bring me the two most precious things on earth,” God said to one of his angels, and the Angel returned with a dead bird and a leaden heart that had been cast away, “You have rightly chosen,” God said! 

      I bet the Kingdom of God is like this- that it’s a place where love rules and sacrifice opens the door! In the kingdom, the Bible says, there is no pain, no worries, no conflict- just joy and shalom. In the Kingdom of God, the last will be first, the poor will feast at a banquet, and the forgotten people will sit on the dais.When I was working for the Iowa Commission for the Blind, I helped one of my clients get a job. In the process of taking him back and forth to Iowa City, I got to know Tom better, and although I could see that he had some challenges, it was also clear that he could do some things for himself and the world. Thus, his job as a dishwasher in one of our diners, and whenever I would be in that restaurant, I peeked in the kitchen and waved, just to hear Tom yell out, “Hi, Ken. How’s it going?” His smile was contagious and it made me feel good. I bet the kingdom of God is like that. I bet it’s a place where people are affirmed for who they are… and where everybody is somebody!

      One of the members of our church in the Quad Cities was a quiet man whom I will call Jim. Jim didn’t attend our Men’s Breakfast or our Men’s Supper, so I didn’t get to know him well, although he was always affirming when he came through the greeting line at the end of worship. The day came when I visited Jim in the hospital and found that he was waiting to see Jesus. He had quit eating and drinking and was musing about heaven. “When I close my eyes,” he said, “I see my Mary with Jesus. They’re sitting together. They’re waiting for me… and I can’t wait to join them!” I bet the Kingdom of God will be like that! I bet it’s a place where we will be utterly fulfilled and completely filled with joy!

      The Kingdom of God is a place where children are welcome. It’s a place that’s filled with repentant and forgiven sinners. It’s a place that’s very difficult to enter if you’re dragging your money and possessions along behind you. And the Kingdom of God is at hand. The Kingdom of God is breaking in and with eyes of faith we can see it at work. According to Mark, the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. It’s small, rather ordinary in appearance, and of little apparent value… but once it’s sown, it grows into a large shrub that’s capable of providing rest, comfort, and opportunity to the birds of the air and the animals that find shelter in its shade. The Kingdom of God comes silently. It touches a troubled heart. It gives hope to the hopeless and a sense of peace to those who live in war torn countries, neighborhoods, and homes. The Kingdom of God begins in a small way- maybe a prayer- “have mercy on me”- maybe a song that gets a hold of our heart. It may come suddenly when we are at bottom; it may nag at us for some time; it may be in a smile so sincere that we can’t help but smile ourselves; it may be a passage in a Bible verse, maybe one that we’ve heard a dozen times before; it may come to us through a sermon, when something that is said, really does seem to come from God; it may be in a visit to someone we know, or in a casual conversation with someone we don't know. Someone noted that we might plant a small seed in someone’s heart… if we greet them when they’re vulnerable, visit them when they’re lonely, feed them when they’re hungry, forgive them when they’re guilty, and pray for them when they’re down.

      The Kingdom of God is like a small, honest, caring word or deed that leaves God’s fingerprints on someone else’s life. I will close with a story about a Rabbi in a small Russian town, whom the people adored. Our rabbi, they would say, goes to heaven on the high holy days. But one of the newcomers to their village wasn’t so sure. He noticed that their rabbi was often missing from his office and that sometimes, he was even missing on the high holy days, So, he followed the rabbi at a distance early one morning when the rabbi went deep into the woods, cut firewood, delivered it to a poor widow on the far side of the village, and started a fire for her. Then he followed the rabbi when he delivered a holiday dinner to a very poor family of three, and stayed to talk with them. Well, the skeptical newcomer became the rabbi’s biggest fan and whenever the people would say, “our rabbi goes all the way to heaven, he would hasten to add, “If not higher, if not higher.” 

      We have it in us to heal, forgive, renew, save, and challenge those around us in small ways, like a mustard seed. Oh, the Kingdom of God is at hand, and for someone we may meet, it could be in our hands! Amen!