There is an old legend of a swan and a crane. A beautiful swan alighted by the banks of the water in which a crane was wading about seeking snails. For a moment, the crane viewed the swan in stupid wonder and then asked, “Where do you come from?”
“I come from heaven!” replied the swan.
“And where is heaven?” asked the crane.
“Heaven!” said the swan, “Heaven! Have you never heard of heaven?” And the beautiful bird went on to describe the grandeur of the Eternal City. She told of streets of gold, and the gates and walls made of precious stones, of the river of life, pure as crystal, upon whose banks is the tree whose leaves shall be for the healing of the nations. In eloquent terms, the swan sought to describe the hosts who live in the other world but without arousing the slightest interest on the part of the crane.
Finally, the crane asked, “Are there any snails there?”
“Snails!” repeated the swan. “No! Of course not.”
“Then,” said the crane, as it continued its search along the slimy banks of the pool, “you can have your heaven. I want snails!”
“Jesus put before the crowds another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like…’”… a pond with slimy banks and lots of snails (which, for the record, is snail hell, but that’s another sermon.)
As I thought about these statements of Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven, I wondered what a first-century Jewish person would have thought. What was their perception of Heaven?
If you go way back to the beginning, it would be easy to see how the Garden of Eden might be the first image of Heaven. “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters.” (Genesis 2:8-10)
It sounds glorious, but early Jews did not have an understanding of Heaven or life after death. It was enough to “sleep with your fathers” and to have your name kindly remembered by others.
However, as the Israelites began to suffer at the hands of their enemies and be hauled off into exile, the prophets began to point to a time when God would redeem His people, and they would live in peace. The Prophet Daniel wrote, “There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:1b-2)
The people waited, but the persecutions and occupations continued, so around 500 BC, the idea of òlam ha-ba began to take precedence. This world, òlam ha-ze, was understood as an ante-chamber (a narthex or entry room) that leads to the Òlam ha-ba, “the world to come.” This understanding made attaining heaven/“the world to come” a more personal matter. The things you do right and wrong in this world determine whether or not you make it out of the ante-chamber and into the next world or are kicked out altogether. This view brings us back to the beginning because the world to come was known as Gan Eden, the Garden of Eden. Perhaps a bit confusing, but I found it fascinating.
As we know, in the time of Jesus, not everyone was convinced of the resurrection to the world to come. The Pharisees said, “Yes,” but the Sadducees, who were in charge of the Temple and the sacrificial system, were a negative. Ultimately, for those who believed, there was no definite answer. Perhaps the closest came early in the second century.
Rabbi Joshua ben Levi’s son, Joseph, died but was somehow restored. “His father asked [Joseph], ‘What did you see?’ Joseph replied, ‘I beheld a world the reverse of this one; those who are on top here were below there, and vice versa.’ He [Joshua ben Levi] said to him, ‘My son, you have seen a corrected world.’” You have seen a world turned upside down. A world that is far different from the one we live in now.
It is into this debate on the existence and understanding of Heaven that Jesus walks. Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.” (Matthew 11:25-26)
Jesus has just told the parable of the wheat and the tares/weeds and told those listening that the good and evil will grow together. It will not be until the last day when they are separated, but on that day, the Lord will send out the angels to reap the harvest, saying, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” (Matthew 13:30b)
The scriptures read: “Gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” And then immediately afterward, we hear our lesson for today, “Jesus put before the crowds another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like….’”
The parable of the wheat and tares spoke of judgment and blessing. Judgment for those who do not believe and blessing, that is, the Kingdom of Heaven, òlam ha-ba, Gad Eden, the world to come, for those who do. But why did Jesus say the Kingdom of Heaven was like so many different things? Mustard seed, leaven, treasure, pearl, and so on? If we go through the list, we learn many things.
With the mustard seed, we learn that the Kingdom will grow from something small and become something that makes room for all the birds of the air—all the peoples of the Earth. The leaven tells us it will be everywhere and a part of everything. The hidden treasure is about how we must work to gain it, and the costly pearl speaks of sacrifice. The separating of the great catch reminds us that not everyone will be allowed entry but will instead be cast out. By telling us all these things, Jesus is telling us that there is a Kingdom that is not of this world and that in that place, our God reigns.
I imagine a rush of words as Jesus spoke about these things, and because of so many parables, he is expressing how incomparable and indescribable.
Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? The immensity of it is overwhelming. In the movie Grand Canyon, Danny Glover’s character, Simon, talks about sitting on the rim and looking out. “I felt like a gnat that lands on the [backside] of a cow that’s chewing its cud next to the road that you ride by on at 70 miles an hour.” Professor of Psychiatry Mark Goulston said, “I can still remember my first experience standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon and looking into it. It was so awesome. It took a fair amount of restraint to prevent me from jumping into it because I was certain I could fly.”
As Jesus was telling these parables of the Kingdom of Heaven, I can imagine him having this vision of heaven in His mind, much like Simon and Goulston’s vision of the Grand Canyon in theirs as they spoke. It could all be summed up, not in a word, but an expression: “Whoa!” So much more than you could ever imagine. A world turned upside down compared to this one, full of God’s riches. By comparison, this world is insignificant.
Rabbi Hofetz Chaim (d.1933) was very influential. A story tells of how he had an American visitor to his home in Poland. The Rabbi’s home was very austere. A simple room, books, a table, and a bench.
The visitor asked, “Rabbi, where is your furniture?”
“Where is yours?” replied the rabbi.
“Mine?” asked the puzzled American. “But I’m a visitor here. I’m only passing through.”
“So am I,” said the Rabbi.
The people in the time of Jesus had a very limited view of the Kingdom of Heaven. They thought of it in terms of the crane looking for snails along the slimy banks of a pool, but it is so much more. It is worth working for and sacrificing for as we pass through this ante-chamber. Therefore, in the words of St. Augustine (or Ignatius, depending on who you believe said it), “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” The reward far exceeds any price or sacrifice.
Let us pray (a short prayer that is recited at the end of each decade of the Rosary, known as the Fatima Prayer): O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy. Amen.
Candle in a Cave 