“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and reburied; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

— Matthew 13:44

I’ve been reading the talmud one page at a time for a few years now. I started out of general curiosity and a rumor I once heard. I can confirm the rumor, as it relates to this parable, the hidden treasure buried in a field. Did you know that according to the Talmud, if a person buys a field and discovers a buried treasure in this field, possession of the treasure is not abundantly clear. The talmud (you can look in Bava Metzia) is quite nuanced and there is a lot of discussion about new purchased property and wonderful discoveries therein. Perhaps that’s the whole point. Perhaps the kingdom of God is not something we can ever own or possess. We can discover it, discuss it, live it, and share it, but never own it. This is what I love about this section of parables in Matthew’s gospel. The kingdom of God is fully unexpected. It’s like a weed that no one wants, in fact one considered invasive and not kosher, that provides space for birds. Do we want birds in our garden? I mean, they’re messy and leave droppings and eat plants and bugs, and they really can damage our crops. But that’s the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is like mold that grows everywhere you don’t want it to grow. It’s property you can never truly own. It’s like a church that wants to grow and wants families with quiet children. The kingdom of God surprises us and confuses us and come whether we’re ready for it or not. Beloved I hope God does what you don’t expect and sends you where you don’t want to go so you can see God’s kingdom growing despite our best efforts to stop it.