On one side of our front porch there is a large covering of ivy. When we first moved in, I could tells that efforts had been made to pull the ivy away from the foundation of the house. However, since that time, the ivy has begun to attach itself once again to the foundation. A couple of months ago, Eric and I were working out front and we needed to get some water. So, Eric went to the faucet, stepped in the ivy, and turned on the water.

While I was watering, he decided that he would try to tame the ivy once again. So he began to grasp the vines and tear them away from where they had attached themselves to the brick foundation and the concrete front porch steps. He was surprised at the strength of the vines. They had grasped onto every surface they could and held tight. After working up a good sweat and tearing away the ivy from the steps and most of the foundation, Eric decided the job was done for now.

Just the other day, I was walking down the front steps when I spotted a bit of green beginning to come across the steps. I looked down the side of the porch steps, where Eric had worked so hard, and I saw that the ivy had once again made its way up the side of the steps and part of the way up the foundation. Even though it had been briefly deterred by Eric’s efforts, the ivy had slowly and steadily made its way back up the steps. The progress had been so slow that I didn’t even notice it until it began to come across the steps.

We have all seen it…just a short drive down 460 to Lynchburg will show you acres covered in a dark green vine. It covers trees, power lines, and anything else it can wrap itself around. This stuff fascinates those who haven’t grown up around it. In Asia, I’m told that people will eat the stuff in a salad. Scientists have literally listened to it grow. Initially it was brought over to the United States to act as erosion control but it got out of control. That’s right, it’s kudzu. One of my friends used to say, "Kudzu – the vine that ate the South."

Kudzu is kind of fascinating to see on the side of the highway as it makes trees into strange shapes under its blanket. It can look like curtains as it hangs from power lines, just waiting for the cue to open and let the play begin.

I can remember one time when my family went for a walk, we came across a tendril of kudzu beginning to make its progress across the path. My mom told me about how fast the stuff grows and suggested that I draw a line in the dirt where the vine was now and then when we had finished our hike, I could come back and see how far it had grown in the hour we had been walking. So I bent down and drew a line in the dirt. When we came back I was sure that someone had moved my line because, sure enough, the vine had grown about ½ inch just in that short period of time!

By now you’re probably wondering what in the world ivy and kudzu has to do with the kingdom of heaven that Jesus talked about in the parables we just read. In the first parable, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed that a farmer plants in his garden. Well from what I understand, mustard grows a little like ivy. If you plant even one seed of it in your garden, it is likely to take over your whole garden.

One source I read even said that there was a law forbidding Jews from planting mustard seed in their gardens. It won’t happen overnight but eventually, you will end up with a garden of only mustard. But the size of the mustard seed is so tiny that it’s amazing to think that something so small could take over a garden, just like a small cutting of ivy can take over a house or a porch. We might not notice the progress overnight, but eventually, the kingdom of heaven, like the ivy or mustard, will take over and cover the whole of God’s garden.

Jesus also compares the kingdom of heaven to a woman who took yeast and mixed it in with a great deal of flour. It’s interesting that the word the NRSV translates as "mixed in" is more literally "hid in" in the Greek. So this woman went and hid some yeast in a great deal of flour. But of course the result of her hiding is known soon enough as the dough begins to rise and expand. The small amount of yeast that was mixed in with the great amount of flour has made enough bread to feed between 100 and 150 people! Even though it was hidden, the result of that yeast cannot be hid.

Kudzu cannot be hidden either. If it takes root in a place, you are going to know it pretty soon and it begins to take over anything in its path. The results of the kudzu planting as well as the result of the yeast are known pretty quickly to any with their eyes open.

So what does all of this tell us about what to expect from the kingdom of heaven? Well, the beginnings of the kingdom may seem humble and indeed small but that is not where things end. Like yeast in dough, the kingdom will expand and grow until the bread of life can feed everyone.

In the second set of parables, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to treasure found in a field and a pearl of great value. These two parables talk about discovering the kingdom. The person who is plowing the field when he comes across the buried treasure is not looking for treasure, he’s just going about his day when the treasure surprises him. Sometimes, the kingdom of heaven is like that. Sometimes, we’re just going about our day when all of a sudden a part of the kingdom sneaks up on us and we are reminded of what a great gift it is that God has given us. Sometimes this breaking in of the kingdom is the smile on the face of someone you help. Sometimes, it’s the unexpected visit from a dear friend.

In the parable about the pearl, the merchant is actively searching for a valuable pearl, when lo and behold, he finds it. Sometimes the kingdom of heaven is like that. Sometimes we search and search for evidence of the kingdom’s breaking in and we find it.

In both of these parables, the cost of the kingdom found is everything. The farmer sells everything he has in order to obtain the field and the merchant sells everything he owns to obtain the pearl. Neither of these men thinks twice about selling all they have. It isn’t a big debate. The value of the thing gained makes it worth selling everything. The result of selling everything to gain the one thing is also the same in both parables. Joy is the result of finding the kingdom.

So from the first set of parables, we learn that the kingdom of heaven, though the beginnings may be small and humble, is coming and growing. This is certain and the kingdom cannot be hidden for long. From the second set of parables, we learn that the kingdom of heaven can sneak up on us in surprising times and places and can also be found by those who search diligently. But whenever and wherever it is found, the kingdom is of great value and worthy of rejoicing in the discovery.

People repeatedly asked Jesus why he spoke in parables. Why didn’t he just come right out and say things plain? One could ask the same question about the kingdom that Jesus is preaching about. Why doesn’t it go on and get here already? Why doesn’t God just come swooping in and fix everything and place Jesus on the throne of his kingdom right now? Why does the kingdom have to come like treasure hidden in a field or yeast hidden in flour? The answer: because this is a different kind of kingdom.

The kingdom that Jesus is inaugurating is different from the kingdoms, nations, and empires we are used to seeing. The kingdom of heaven will not come rushing in under the banner of military force. The banner of the kingdom of heaven will not be flown from the backs of tanks. Instead of a conquering hero riding into victory on a warhorse, the kingdom of heaven comes riding in on a humble donkey – and a borrowed one at that. The kingdom of heaven is not born in a palace surrounded by gold and riches. The kingdom of heaven is born in a stable among the poor. Instead of a throne room, the king in this kingdom hangs upon a cross.

But lest we think that the kingdom of heaven is not more powerful than all of the other nations, kingdoms, and empires we are used to, the army of this kingdom is the force of peace and the banner that they march under is a slaughtered lamb who defeated death by dying.

The kingdom of heaven is like mustard that slowly but surely takes over a garden and offers refuge to all people. The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that grows and expands and can provide nourishment. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field just waiting to surprise us when we least expect it. The kingdom of heaven is like a great pearl that we seek out and find. Joy is the response to the kingdom of heaven.

Tom Wright in his commentary on this text put it this way: "We wait with patience, not like people in a dark room wondering is anyone will ever come with a lighted candle, but like people in early morning who know that the sun has arisen and are now waiting for the full brightness of midday."

The new day has dawned. Let us look forward to a different kind of kingdom. That it might blanket the world with its force of peace, its army of love, and its future which is indeed breaking in all around us. Let us look forward to the brightness of midday and a kingdom like no other.