Giving Up for the Kingdom of Heaven

Most of you know that I just completed my PhD at the Toronto School of Theology in the University of Toronto. Most of you would not know that my specialty is in comparative theology. I look at religions around the world and compare them to understand their theological similarities and difference. Because my main religion for comparison is Christianity, I often analyze how other traditions can strengthen our understanding of God and Scripture in relation to our experiences as Christians in the world. This has been actually quite helpful in giving me a different perspective when reading Scripture and interpreting sayings and parables. This is also beneficial because when we read Scripture, it is important to us to approach it also from a Jewish lens. After all, the Hebrew Bible is a Jewish text written for the Jewish people and the New Testament tells of a Jewish preacher and his followers – it too is set to the context of Judaism.

We know from the Gospels and in particular the John’s Gospel that Jesus was a mystic. Many of his sayings and parables are inherently mystical, pointing to a deeper way we as humans can seek and experience the infinity and eternity of the great “I am” – that of God. In this line, I am going to approach interpreting today’s Gospel reading from another great mystical tradition – Buddhism. When I approached this passage from a Buddhist lens, I realized it told me a lot more about what Jesus might have been trying to tell his disciples.

Today’s parables again describe the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven as we know it is this mystical but also physical plane of existence that we should all strive for as Christians. It is the ultimate destination for us as followers of Christ – salvation as some would call it. Paradise as others do. Academics call the study of this soteriology. The Ultimate goal seems to have a common language of infinite and eternal beauty and harmony. A goal where everyone is one in love with God and with each other, where the lion can sleep with the lamb. The parables we hear today, tell us of the preciousness and value of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus compares it to a treasure in a field and pearls from the ocean. What is interesting, however, is the extent in which Jesus says that people would go to achieve the kingdom of heaven. They would sell everything to receive this treasure. I realize that we often talk about the value of the kingdom of heaven but not what we have to do to get it. To Jesus, we need to sell everything to get it – to give everything up.

In the synoptic Gospels, Jesus is quite clear with this instruction to the rich young man who approaches him and asks him what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells him then, to sell everything he owns and give them to the poor, and then to follow him. Following Jesus alone does not mean one with receive the kingdom of heaven. We are asked as the rich young man is to sell everything and then to follow Jesus. But what does Jesus mean by selling everything. Does it mean to literally sell all our physical possessions? Some people interpret that to mean, yes. So, they end up as monks and friars in the church or wild men like St John the Baptist. Think St Anthony the Great, founder of Christian monasticism and of course, St Francis of Assisi. But not all of us are called to be monks and friars so then what does Jesus mean?
This is where another tradition might give us some help. Like Christianity, Buddhism also has a great monastic tradition. Like Christianity, not all Buddhists are monks. Also, Buddhists believe that you don’t have to be a monastic to achieve nirvana – their Ultimate goal of reality. Bring a monastic simply helps you get there quicker. But everyone is called to give up. Not all their physical possessions but their attachments. Not just physical attachments but emotional ones as well. And even philosophical ones as well. That means giving up any semblance of power and control. Ones that attach us to a certain way of doing life defined by society or culture or whatever. To be in that present moment where you experience a sense of true freedom. I wonder if Jesus might have been talking about that too. After all, how are we to truly follow him and to listen to God’s call that brings us closer to God if we are distracted by our attachments?  We need to give up all of our attachments to things, feelings, philosophies of how life should be lived, and especially to power and control in order to follow him and to eventually receive the kingdom of heaven!

And that also translates to church. When I arrived at St Peter’s I sensed a great unease that many of you have with regards to the church. Many of you are afraid that this church would close down in the next few years. Others are afraid that the church will change so much that you would not recognize it anymore. But it is my duty as your priest to also tell you that you need to let go of those thoughts. We need to accept the fact that we cannot 100% control the future. There are too many changing circumstances for us to even know what will occur in the future. So, we need to let go and realize that everything we know of will one day also come to an end. The St Peter’s which we know of one day will also cease to exist. That is life. Parish churches rise and fall every day everywhere on Earth. Churches evolve so much that they do not look like what they once were. I mean, look at the Pentecostal churches with their light shows and smoke machines. How they differ from the early, medieval and even Victorian church less than 200 years ago! So, for those of us here holding on very strongly to something in this church – let it go. We cannot control the way things have always been done anymore. In order for us to truly be the church – the mystical body of Christ, we need to let go of our power, control, and ideals of the physical church and what it looks like to us and follow Jesus. Everything else will fade but God’s Word will always remain but God’s Word may not be spread in the parish church anymore. So, I ask all of you here to realize also that no one is indispensable, one day someone else will be doing your job here in this church. One day someone else will be priest here and not me. We need to be in that mindset of freedom and not be attached to our roles, knowing that the one day can come at any time. No one can predict the future.

But Jesus reminds us that the kingdom of heaven is also like a mustard see. Small when planted but grows to be the biggest and most magnificent of trees. In order for us to grow as Christians we need to take that first small step. A leap of faith of sorts. Let go and let God. Only then can we grow and achieve the kingdom of heaven. Modern Western Christianity tell us to believe that salvation is already done with Jesus’ death and resurrection. That it is over when we believe we are saved. We can then continue to live our lives as per normal. There are many who take this as “Oh, all I need to do is just believe in Jesus. I don’t have to do anything else. No need to come to church. No need to do charity and good works. I am already saved.”  But I do not agree with that. That is transactional and God’s grace is not transactional. The Eastern Orthodox Churches reminds us that salvation is always a continuing process. It is something that grows and blossoms like the mustard seed which grows into the biggest tree where the animals and birds find their rest. If we let everything go and put our trust in God and truly follow Jesus then we will continue to be saved, moving closer to the Ultimate salvation – in this life and the next. Being Christian is not easy. It is not about that transactional power which comes with simply believing. God’s grace, rather is reciprocal. It continues in our blossom and flourish with us in our lives but we must first give up our lives and follow Jesus. At the end of the day, achieving salvation to the Orthodox is not just going to a utopian heaven but in becoming one with the Triune God. It is a process which they call deification. Becoming like God. And that process starts now and continues in the life to come. We must first start as the mustard seed before we can grow to be a great tree like God. We must all start that reciprocal relationship somewhere. We must first give up our attachments, our power and control, and then follow Jesus.

So, that is my challenge to all of us here at St Peter’s. Are you willing to give up everything and follow Jesus today?

the Rev. Dr. Ollie Lim