Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus presents two more parables on the kingdom of heaven. In the first parable, we hear that “the Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea.” Here the kingdom of heaven is coming for us. This is an eschatological image of the kingdom, of God’s final rounding up of the world at the end of time. When will it come? We don’t know. But we must be ready! And being ready means being in accord with the rule of God.

Then the second parable: “Every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” Jesus knew that his ministry and teaching were, to a large extent, in continuity with what came before him. At the same time, he knew that his preaching and person did represent something new and unprecedented. So those learned in the kingdom of God love traditions, the heritage of faith; and those learned in the kingdom also know that the Spirit is doing new things. Therefore, we have to be open to what he might want to show us.