03.08.2026
Saint Francis
Sermon Pentecost 8A | July 26, 2026
The Reverend Christian Jennert, Bridge Pastor
Grace to you and peace from God our Creator and from our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have you ever bought a lottery ticket?
Whenever the jackpot climbs into the hundreds of millions of dollars, I find myself wondering less about the money than about the people who win it. How does such an unexpected discovery change a person’s life?
And then comes the question we all secretly ask ourselves: What would I do if I won the lottery? The funny thing is, I rarely buy a ticket, so my chances are rather slim.
In biblical times, before banks existed, people often buried part of their wealth in the ground for safekeeping. If the owner died unexpectedly or was forced to flee, that treasure might remain hidden for years, waiting for someone to stumble upon it.
Imagine discovering such a treasure. You would gladly see everything you owned in order to buy that field.
Today’s Gospel is almost like a rapid-fire collection of parables. In just a few verses, Jesus gives us five different snapshots of the kingdom of heaven: a mustard seed, yeast mixed into flour, treasure hidden in a field, a pearl of great value, and finally, a fishing net gathering fish of every kind.
Each image tells us something about God’s kingdom. This morning, though, I’d like us to linger a little over just two of them: the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price. These two little stories are almost like jokes without punchlines. The merchant buys the pearl. The person buys the field. Jesus never tells us what happens next. Why? Because the point is not what the treasure does for them. The point is that they have found it. That is enough.
Biblical scholar John Donahue calls these parables “stories of the joy of discovery.” Two ordinary people are simply going about their daily routines when the normalcy of their lives is happily shattered. One unexpectedly finds a treasure. The other discovers a pearl unlike any they have ever seen. From that moment on, everything is different – not because they know what the future holds, but because they know what they have found.
The kingdom of heaven is like that.
God’s kingdom quietly breaks into ordinary life – like a mustard seed, yeast in dough, treasure hidden in a field, or a pearl of great price. It often appears where we least expect to find it. We do not follow Christ primarily because of what we hope to get out of it. Certainly, we receive many gifts along the way: forgiveness, hope, peace, purpose, and a community that walks beside us.
But those are not the treasure itself. The treasure is Christ.
To discover Christ is already to have found the pearl of great price. Everything else is grace upon grace. That is exactly what the apostle Paul proclaims in today’s reading from Romans. “The Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought.”
There are seasons in every Christian life – and every congregation’s life – when we simply don’t know what comes next. We have questions without easy answers. Yet Paul reminds us that even when we cannot find the words, the Holy Spirit is already praying for us. And then comes that magnificent promise: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Nothing. Not hardship. Not uncertainty. Not change. Not even death itself. Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
That, dear friends, is the greatest treasure of all. And perhaps that is why today’s Gospel feels especially fitting for us. Because today we’re not worshiping in our historic sanctuary. We’re gathered here in our multi-purpose Parish Hall.
Our sanctuary holds precious memories. Many were baptized there, married there, celebrated Christmases and Easters there, and commended loved ones into God’s eternal care there. It is a sacred space that has shaped generations of faith. And yet. . . Look around. We’re sitting closer together. We can see one another’s faces. The simplicity of this room almost feels monastic. I reminds us that what makes the Church the Church is not stained glass or vaulted ceiling – beautiful as they are – but Christ present among God’s people.
The treasure has never been the room. The treasure has always been Christ. Perhaps one of the gifts of today is that stepping into a different space allows us to notice things we may have overlooked before. Perhaps we hear one another’s voices more clearly. Perhaps we notice faces we don’t usually see. Perhaps we discover that simplicity has its own kind of beauty. And perhaps we are reminded that wherever God’s people gather around Word and Sacrament, Christ is present. The treasure comes with us.
As your bridge pastor, one of the unexpected joys of these past months has been discovering the treasures
that God has already placed here at St. Francis. I have discovered them in your faithfulness, your music, your care for one another, your generosity, your hospital visits and shared prayers, your conversations over coffee, your community’s potlucks, and your willingness to try something new together – even worshiping here in the Parish Hall today. Those treasures don’t always announce themselves loudly.
Like the treasure in Jesus’ parable, they are often hidden in plain sight until someone takes the time to notice. And perhaps that invitation is not only for me. Perhaps it is for all of us.
Whether you have been part of St. Francis for six months or sixty years, Jesus invites us to become treasure hunters once again – to look with fresh eyes at this congregation we love and to notice the quiet gifts God has already placed among us.
This little summer experiment isn’t about replacing our sanctuary or deciding that one room is better than another. It isn’t. It is simply an opportunity to experience worship from a different angle. And perhaps, that too is a gift. Because sometimes stepping into a different space helps us rediscover what has been there all along: Jesus Christ. Christ present in Word and Sacrament. Christ present in this community. That is the pearl of great price. That is the treasure hidden in the field. And unlike any lottery jackpot, this treasure can never be spent or taken away. It is given freely, again and again, wherever Christ gathers God’s people – whether in our beloved sanctuary, here in the bright Parish Hall, or wherever the Spirit may lead us next.
And may the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
