The Treasure of Love
Dear Sutton and Savannah,
Every White House Press Secretary has the near-impossible job of trying to explain (or spin) the actions of the executive branch of government in a way that is acceptable to those they serve. One might think that explaining the Kingdom of Heaven would be exponentially harder. But just the opposite is true. Quite simply, love is what the Kingdom of Heaven is, and what the Kingdom of Heaven does. It is the essential benchmark, and the only benchmark. Everything else is just spin.
-Dad
Inside Out Lectionary Letters
Year A Proper 12 - (Texts, Art, Hymns)
Readings for Sunday, July 26, 2026
Genesis 29:15-28 / Psalm 105:1-11 / Romans 8:26-39 / Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
Summary of Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
Jesus strings together five brief parables, each offering a different window into the Kingdom of Heaven. At first they seem unrelated—a mustard seed, yeast, hidden treasure, a priceless pearl, and a fishing net—but together they describe the quiet, surprising, and transformative work of God’s Kingdom. When Jesus asks the disciples, “Have you understood all this?” they confidently answer, “Yes.” Whether they truly understood is another question, one that every disciple continues to explore.
Scripture as a Mirror of the Soul
If we continue from last week’s reflection, then we begin with the conviction that the Kingdom of Heaven is centered on love. Like the mustard seed, love often begins almost unnoticed. What love inhabits, it also empowers. It is empowered to become fully what it was created to be. So, love empowers a mustard seed, not to become a giant redwood, but rather to become a mustard tree. As it matures, it becomes a place of refuge where others find rest. Like yeast hidden in dough, love works quietly from within. It does not transform one corner of the personality while leaving the rest untouched. It gradually leavens the whole life, shaping one’s thoughts, relationships, priorities, and actions from the inside out.
Once love is discovered, everything else is measured against it. It becomes the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great price. It costs nothing because it is freely given, yet it asks for everything because it reshapes the way we live. As love grows, it also casts a net into the depths of the soul, revealing places where fear, resentment, control, or shame still linger. These discoveries are not invitations to condemnation but to transformation. Wherever love shines its light, healing has an opportunity to begin.
Jesus concludes by speaking of a disciple who brings out treasures both old and new. The inner journey does not require us to despise what came before. Our history, our family, our traditions, our wounds, and even our failures all become part of the story. The old is treasured for what it has taught us. The new is treasured for how it continues to transform us. Together they reveal a life that is becoming what it was created to be—a unique expression of the Kingdom of Heaven, quietly taking root on earth as love finds its home within the soul.