Gospel: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

There are six parables grouped together in this Sunday's gospel reading. The first two, the mustard seed and the yeast, deal with seemingly insignificant agents that actually achieve very powerful effects. The word of God works this way, both in the church and in the lives of individuals. The next two, concerning the hidden treasure and the fine pearl, describe two different people who, contrary to their expectations, find the kingdom of God in different ways. Both are willing to forget about everything else in their desire to obtain and keep it. The following fifth parable warns the hearer that there are eternal consequences connected with the way in which one receives the gospel of the kingdom. In the sixth parable we can see that those entrusted with proclaiming the kingdom have the old well-known and well-trusted treasure (i.e. Christ's teachings) but also have an ever new exciting evaluation of that treasure as they constantly find new means of applying it in new situations.