Children of the Kingdom

Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!” Matthew 13:36-43 

Too many Americans worry about what they can give to their children. Often their focus is on material goods and thing. My father served in a church that was a bedroom community of New York City, so I grew up in a very wealthy area where many of my friends had more than they could ever possibly need or want. The parents weren't happy and often were very broken people. Their children were troubled too. They worried about looking right, being in the right crowd, living by the strict laws of material things. My parents were rarely unhappy and provided in their very limited income a home that flourished with joy and acceptance.

Jesus does some translation of his parables to his disciples. He remind them that they can live a greedy and selfish life or they can live a life serving others and serving God. He talk to them about final reward, which most of us don't understand. We can understand that to be truly happy, there i no thing that can make us that way. Only love for God, self and others can transform our weary hearts and minds.

Today I ask God to give me a generous portion of love for everyone I encounter today. May we be children of the kingdom, marked by how we love and care for others.