Rev'd Up for Sunday
Listen along as the priests of St. Mark's, New Canaan (Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and John Kennedy) gear up for Sunday. Each week the preacher will lead a discussion of the scriptures of the day. Sometimes irreverent, often witty, always filled with love for our Lord: don’t miss these conversations about the questions, mysteries, and hope these three find in the Bible.
Rev'd Up for Sunday
"The Kingdom Hidden in Plain Sight" Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 | Episode 269
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What if the biggest spiritual truths are hidden inside the smallest stories? Elizabeth Garnsey and Rob Schwartz explore six memorable parables from Matthew 13, discovering how mustard seeds, yeast, treasure, pearls, and fishing nets reveal a Kingdom that grows quietly, transforms lives, and often goes unnoticed.
Questions for Further Discussion
Themes & Application
- Throughout these parables, Jesus compares God's kingdom to ordinary things: seeds, yeast, treasure, pearls, fishing nets, and household treasures. Why do you think Jesus chose everyday experiences rather than grand religious images?
- The mustard seed and yeast both suggest that God's work often begins quietly and almost invisibly. Where have you seen small acts of love or faith eventually grow into something much larger?
- The treasure and the pearl both involve giving up everything for something of greater value. What does it mean today to "reorder your priorities" around the Kingdom of God?
Personal Reflection Questions
- Elizabeth described the Kingdom less as a place and more as an entirely different way of seeing and living in the world. How does that change the way you hear these parables?
- Have you ever unexpectedly stumbled upon something that transformed your life, or has your faith journey been more like a long search for a priceless pearl?
- Jesus ends by encouraging disciples to bring out "what is new and what is old." What wisdom from the past do you want to preserve, and what new insights might God be inviting you to embrace?
Broader Spiritual Considerations
- Modern culture often celebrates dramatic breakthroughs and instant success. How do Jesus' images of gradual, hidden transformation challenge those expectations?
- Why do you think people are often drawn toward certainty and clear boundaries, while Jesus repeatedly tells stories that leave room for mystery and paradox?
- Which of these six parables speaks most powerfully to the world we live in today, and why?
Learn more about St. Mark's at https://www.stmarksnewcanaan.org