?

Like what? Like a small mustard seed growing into a mighty tree? No, wait, a small mustard seed, a weed, planted deliberately where it can take over the whole garden…. and the birds can sit in its branches…. and maybe eat the seeds of the ‘good’ plants?

Like a few grains of yeast raising enough dough to feed a hundred people? But wait, yeast is unpredictable, seen as unclean by the religious establishment – so, sneaky grains of yeast getting in amongst the dough and before you know it, it is risen beyond all expectation. Like an underground protest movement working away in the dough of humanity.

Like a pearl of great price for which someone is willing to sell everything he has. Everything? What would you sell EVERYTHING for? Would you even be able to recognise something that was worth selling everything for? Even if you KNEW it was worth selling everything for, would you?

The kingdom of heaven is like this….. hidden, surprising, unwelcome, worth everything, threatening, growing like a weed, making its presence felt in unexpected ways….

Maybe Jesus is saying something like ‘Whatever you think the Kingdom of Heaven is like…. well, maybe it isn’t.’ What do you think?