The Reward of Love

A Sermon for Proper 12 A – RCL (7-24-2011)

Offered by Nathan Wilson Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry

Texts:              Genesis 29:15-28; Psalm 105:1-11, 45b; Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Themes:         Jacob and Rachel, parables of the kingdom, love of Christ                     

Title:               The Reward of Love

My dear friends, I have a question for you to consider: What is the reward of love?

What reward do we receive when we love something, or love someone?

Throughout this summer, during this Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary, we find ourselves wrestling once again with many of the parables of our Lord Jesus Christ. And today is certainly no exception, for we are given a whole bunch all together en masse – 5 parables, in fact, are found here in our Gospel reading.

We could easily lose our way if we attempted to look at the setting of each parable and it’s original meaning when it was first spoken. There is just too much detail to consider for that in this setting. So let me focus on the parable of the pearl of great value. And let me suggest that here in this short parable we can, in fact, most easily identify the one common theme that runs throughout all of the Lord’s parables.

Listen to it again: “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

What do you notice? Do you see what happens in this little story?

This merchant fell in love with this pearl of great value. He loved it! He made a decision that he was not going to live without it. And, while the story does not speak to the future, it is certain that the merchant never departed from that pearl, that he never sold it nor gave it away. He could not have done so.

He loved that pearl. And so I ask you in all earnestness: what was his reward?

What is the reward of love?

           

Do you see the connection between this parable and the declaration of Christ that “whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me”…because “those who lose their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:37-39)?

There is no rational way to explain the merchant selling all that he has in order to buy this one pearl. There is no rational explanation for the man selling all that he has in order to buy that one field in which he hid his treasure. There is no rational way to explain loving Jesus more than any other person, and indeed more even than your own life.

How do you explain this? We cannot. This kind of behavior is the fruit of love.

The one thing that is the common link to all of these parables of the kingdom, and in fact to everything that the Lord taught in all the Gospels, is, quite simply, himself.  

My friends: this is the amazing message of the kingdom: that entrance to the real presence of the living God is now possible and attainable through this one individual person, Jesus the Messiah.

You see, there is no secret to the kingdom of God, as if we could sit here and identify the ten characteristics and qualities of the kingdom of the heavens.

We cannot ever, ever do that, because the message of the kingdom is Jesus!

The incarnate One is himself the seed which is cast abroad into the good soil, where he is buried and where he produces an abundant harvest.

He is himself the mustard seed that is taken and sown – read, buried – in the field, and subsequently produces a tree capable of providing shelter for all who come to him.

He is himself the yeast, which is mixed in – or, once again, buried – in the dough and then who slowly changes the entire mix of humanity.

He is himself the pearl of great price for whom those who love him are willing to give all away.

He is himself the net cast into the sea, who did gather – while he walked the roads of Palestine years ago – and who continues to gather all types of people into the community gathered around him.

When he first began his public ministry, Jesus began by saying, “the kingdom of God has come near” (Mark 1:15). By which he was explaining that the kingdom has come, because HE has come.

When he looked at the rich young ruler and declared that he lacked one thing, it is clear that the one thing lacking was a loving relationship with himself!

Jesus Christ is himself the message of the kingdom! He is the treasure that is old and yet ever new!

And this is why I say, over and over again -  as I am certain you are tired of hearing me say, that there is no such thing as Christianity, as if we could talk about some set of ideas or principles or concepts or some other such non-sense!

Christianity does not exist. But what does exist are actual communities of human beings who love and worship an actual and historic man who we know by experience to be the Son of God, the Incarnation of God in the real world.

Do you see, my friends, how the journey by which we come to a place of deep faith and trust in Christ is like falling in love rather than like learning how to change the oil in your car?  

We do not learn trust; we fall into it. We discover it. Or, perhaps more truly, it overtakes us.       

Speaking of the process of falling in love, did you hear these beautiful words from the ancient story of Jacob and Rachel? “So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.”

Jacob did not learn to love Rachel by diligently studying all of her attributes and characteristics. He could not help it; it overtook him, and he fell into love with Rachel.

And so we come back around to our initial question: what is the reward of love?

Is it to be loved in return? Perhaps, though that is quite a selfish goal, and if this is the true motivation of the lover, then we may doubt whether this is love after all, but rather a careful plan to secure a good life and happiness for oneself.

But what about you: What is the reward of loving Jesus? What do we gain by falling in love with him? What reward do you expect for your love of Christ?

St. Gregory the Great, who served as the Bishop of Rome in the 6^th century, had this to say about the merchant who found this pearl of great value:

“Solomon justly says of such love, ‘Love is strong as death’ (Song of Solomon 8:6), because just as death destroys the body, so ardent desire for eternal life cuts off the love for material things. For love makes insensitive to extraneous earthly desires the person whom it has swept off his feet” (In Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Matthew 1-13, p. 287).

I appreciate his insight into the love of the merchant for the pearl which caused him to ignore the cost of the extraneous earthly things required to procure it, but I object strongly to his understanding of the object of this love.

St. Gregory calls this the “ardent desire for eternal life”. Really? The ardent desire for eternal life? Let me ask you this: did Jacob serve his uncle Laban for 14 years because of his ardent desire to be married? Or was it because he fell in love with Rachel – with that particular woman?

It’s absolutely silly to talk about being inspired by our love of the abstract concept of eternal life. But it is true and real and authentic to be inspired by our love of a particular, unique person: and that one is the incarnate One, God in human form, the Lamb of God who has come to redeem us and set us free.

Now, I recognize that some of you here this morning could possibly be disturbed, because you may not feel as if love for our Lord has swept you off your feet.

If that is your condition this morning, do not despair. I am certain that even Jacob eventually lost that feeling of being “lost in love” with Rachel. But what did not change was his commitment to her, his commitment that he would not live his life without her, no matter what!

And after all, it is this kind of commitment that is the surest sign and the clearest testimony to your love for Christ , whether or not you feel that love at any given moment. 

The merchant made a commitment to that pearl of great value. No matter what, he would not live without that pearl. He had to have it in his life.

You and I are here today because, on some level, we have each made that kind of commitment to Christ. We will not live without him in our lives. 

My friends: take some time this week, or during this summer, to reflect upon your commitment to Christ, your love and devotion to him. When it first started. Where it developed. And let us all reflect upon how we can let that love grow in our hearts, like the mustard seed, until it becomes greater than any other commitment in our lives.

For I promise you that the reward which comes from that kind of love and commitment to Christ is worth the price. Amen.