The 1st Sunday after Trinity

SERMON - We Pray “Thy Kingdom Come!”

INI

Text: Matthew 13:31-35

Another parable He put forth to them saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables, and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”

In Christ Jesus, of whose kingdom we are privileged to be members by virtue of our Spirit-bestowed faith, dear fellow redeemed:

“The kingdom of heaven”—what is it? The kingdom of heaven is God’s kingdom! It is the exercise of His almighty power, in accordance with His good and gracious will, over the entire universe as well as within the individual hearts of those He has chosen to be His children. It is, therefore, both seen and predictable—the sun rose this morning and will set this evening. It is also unseen and unpredictable—we are constantly and delightfully surprised by the fruits of faith that individuals produce as moved by the Holy Spirit!

The kingdom of heaven is so important to us, that Jesus taught us to pray for it in the Lord’s Prayer. We pray in the 2^nd Petition, “Thy kingdom come.” In explaining that petition, Luther, in his Small Catechism, informs us that “God’s kingdom certainly comes all by itself, even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it also come to us.” Indeed, WE PRAY: “THY KINGDOM COME!” Lead us, dear Jesus, to trust Your grace! Move us, dear Jesus, to fulfill Your will!

I.

Matthew 13 contains a series of our Lord’s parables, all of which deal with various aspects of His kingdom. The setting was the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Apparently the crowds coming to hear Jesus were so large that Jesus sat down in a boat and pushed just off shore as the multitude stood at the water’s edge. In the first of the two parables contained in our text Jesus explained: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

A mustard seed is very tiny, but it produces a very large tree-like plant, which provides birds with a place to build their nests. The mustard plant provides those birds opportunities other plants do not, for within its foliage they find security and a place to raise their young. What is the point of comparison that Jesus is making between the mustard seed and its resultant plant and the kingdom of heaven? God has chosen to place the power of His kingdom in the gospel Word. That gospel Word seems so weak and small in comparison to all of Satan’s weapons in this world. It is not a message of forced conquest, but rather a message of God’s undying love for sinners and an invitation to those sinners to receive the blessings of Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection.

At the time that Jesus spoke these words, they no doubt seemed mystifying to some and ridiculous to others. He was, after all, to all outward appearances a single Jewish rabbi addressing a group of followers in a remote place of an obscure Roman province about a kingdom which did not appear to exist. His words no doubt seemed even more far-fetched as the Jewish guards arrested Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, as Roman soldiers scourged Him in Pilate’s courtyard, and as He endured the wrenching pain of crucifixion leading ultimately to death. Yet, it was only fifty days after His resurrection on the day of Pentecost that the seed of the gospel Word was planted within the hearts of three thousand souls. From there the growth of external Christianity exploded. By the end of the second century A.D. a Christian apologist by the name of Tertullian asserted to a group of Roman governors concerning the outward growth of Christianity: “We have filled everything that is yours—your cities, islands, free towns, castles, council halls, the very camps, all classes of men, the palace, the senate, and the forum. We have left you nothing but your temples. We can outnumber your armies. There are more Christians in a single province than men in all your legions.” [Short Stories by William Dallmann, p. 58] That small gospel seed had become a great tree! Today external Christianity claims more adherents in more countries than any other religion in the world. It has become an exceedingly large tree in whose branches hundreds of millions of people have found rest and security together with the hope, joy, and confidence of everlasting life!

The question I have for each of you is—have you found your rest and security within the kingdom of heaven, or are you still on the outside looking in? That may seem like a strange question, so let me rephrase it. Have you found both your hope and security in the gospel promises of your God, or are you still relying upon yourself or someone or something else? Do you not only know about Jesus, but do you trust Him? The fervent prayer on each of our hearts should be: Lead us, dear Jesus, to trust Your grace! In the “Confessional Corner” article in your bulletin today, you will find a quotation from The Apology to the Augsburg Confession, which speaks to the nature of justifying faith. It states: “The faith that justifies is not merely a knowledge of history. It is to believe in God’s promise. In the promise, for Christ’s sake, forgiveness of sins and justification are freely offered. And so that no one may suppose that this is mere knowledge, we will add further: it is to want and to receive the offered promise of forgiveness of sins and of justification…. It is not enough to believe that Christ was born, suffered, was raised again, unless we add also this article, which is the purpose of the history: the forgiveness of sins. To this article the rest must be referred, namely, that for Christ’s sake, and not because of our merits, forgiveness of sins is given to us.” [Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2006, p.89]

My dear friends, it is when we trust in the grace of God revealed in the gospel Word, that we find the hope, joy, and confidence necessary to meet and overcome the challenges of this life. It is when we trust in God’s grace, that we know we are resting in His powerful hands and experience a peace like none other. Then we can stand up to ridicule related to our faith; then we can face with optimism the rigors of cancer treatment; then we can endure without depression financial hardships; then we can overcome addictive behaviors that can destroy health and relationships; then we can conquer our own stubborn sinful flesh which can lead us into so many problems. Yes, WE PRAY: “THY KINGDOM COME!” Lead us, dear Jesus, to trust in Your grace!

II.

Move us, dear Jesus, to fulfill Your will! The second parable in our text reads: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” While Jesus’ first parable addressed the outward and visible growth of the kingdom, as displayed by external Christianity, the parable of the leaven addresses the inward and invisible growth of the kingdom within the hearts of individuals. Just as leaven permeates an entire lump of dough, so the gospel Word takes root in individual hearts and by the Spirit’s direction fills the individual Christian, bringing all of his or her thoughts, words, and actions under divine control.

Consider the apostle Paul’s example. Initially, the apostle was an enemy of Christ and His kingdom. He sought to imprison and otherwise punish believers. Indeed, that was his goal in seeking permission to travel to Damascus. But it was on that road to Damascus that Jesus confronted Paul—not with an army of Christian soldiers, but with the word of His rebuke and words of explanation. It was through the words of Ananias, that pious, older gentleman in Damascus, that Paul was disciplined. For three years thereafter in the wilderness outside Damascus Paul studied the gospel Word. He became convinced that Jesus Christ was the Savior promised by God throughout the Old Testament Scriptures. His life’s mission was completely altered. Instead of trying to destroy the kingdom of heaven, Paul was enlisted as one of its chief missionaries.

Listen to these words of Paul, which define so clearly the practical nature of the kingdom’s role within the hearts of believers. To the Romans Paul wrote: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (cf. 12:1-2). To the Corinthians Paul wrote: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (cf. II, 10:4-5). To the Colossians Paul wrote: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (3:17). Notice, how Paul speaks of every aspect of our personality and lives being affected by the gospel Word.

This does not mean that it will always be easy to live for and follow Jesus as God’s believing children. The apostle Paul also speaks of the trials and troubles he faced with regard to outward opponents and inward obsessions. Yet, in the gospel Word the apostle Paul found a source of ever-present and everlasting help! Let us only pray—move us, dear Jesus, to fulfill Your will! It will not always be easy for us, even as it was not for the apostle Paul. There will be times that we are tempted to cry out as did he: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24) The ultimate answer to that question, however, is the same one the apostle Paul discovered: “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 7:25-8:1).

How might we begin and then continue to fulfill God’s will, and so remain a vital member of His kingdom? It is not a deep mystery, but rather the simple application of love. All of God’s expressed will is fulfilled as we walk in love. How should you love? Simply review and strive to follow the will of God as expressed in the Ten Commandments. Luther’s Small Catechism provides a handy and suggestive guide in his “Table of Duties.” Consider who you are and what you have been called upon by God to do in your life. Are you a husband or a wife, a father or a mother? Are you a child under the protection of your parents? Are you a worker or a manager, a citizen, a neighbor, or a friend? Love can be and is to be appropriately applied in all of these relationships. Honor your parents, provide for and train up your children. Love your wife, respect your husband. Work hard on your job. Provide for the needs of your workers. Preserve and protect the property of others. Speak the truth in love. Avoid impure words and actions. Seek to honor God’s name in everything you do!

My dear friends, God’s kingdom is of vital importance to us all, for it means that we will enjoy God’s blessings in this life and His gift of everlasting life. May WE be led to PRAY: “THY KINGDOM COME!” May our Jesus ever lead us to trust in God’s grace and move us to fulfill His will! Amen.

—Pastor Paul D. Nolting
To God alone be the glory!