 Since last week, at Daily Mass, we have been reading from chapter 13 of the Gospel of St. Matthew. And in that chapter, we have one of the five discourses of St. Matthew that we find spread throughout the Gospel. And the discourse in chapter 13 is a discourse in parables, parables about the kingdom. And we just heard the end of that discourse in our Gospel reading today. As we heard when Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there. So in this discourse of parables in chapter 13 of Matthew, we have seven parables in all. The parable of the sower, the parable of the wheat and weaves. Then there are the two short parables of the mustard seed and the yeast. And then there are three short parables of the treasure buried in the field, the pearl of great price, and finally the one that we heard in today's Gospel about the net, the dragnet that's thrown into the sea. So all of these are parables about the kingdom. They begin by saying the kingdom of heaven is like such and such. And through these parables about the kingdom, Jesus teaches us discipleship. So we have parables about the kingdom that teach discipleship. Now, our conference this year is not about the Gospel of Matthew, but about the Gospel of Luke. So what are we going to do? Well, in Luke's Gospel we have parables about the kingdom. We have a lot of teaching about the kingdom, and through them Jesus teaches us discipleship. So let's explore this a little bit. Luke actually has, as we heard last night, many more parables than Matthew. Some of the same parables that Matthew has in that Sermon on parables are found also in Luke. For example, the parable of the sower is found in Luke chapter 8. And the two short parables of the mustard seed and yeast are found in Luke chapter 13. The other parables in Matthew 13, in this discourse on parables, including the one in today's Gospel, the parable of the net, are not found in Luke. However, we know that there are many parables that are unique to Luke that are not found in Matthew. And most of these parables, most of the unique parables of Luke are found in a very long section of the Gospel that is called the travel narrative. The travel narrative begins when Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem in chapter 9, verse 51. And it continues for over 10 chapters. It's a very long section. It continues until Jesus actually enters into Jerusalem, enters into the Jerusalem temple in chapter 19, verse 45. So up that whole section where Jesus is journeying to Jerusalem is called the travel narrative. And many of the unique parables in Luke occur during this journey toward Jerusalem. Parables like the Good Samaritan, or the prodigal son, or the dishonest steward, or the rich man in Lazarus, or the persistent widow. For our purposes here today, since we were just looking in the Gospel at Matthew's parables about the kingdom, is we want to focus on the parables in this section of Luke that talk to us also about the kingdom. And it's very important to realize that this central section of Luke's Gospel, this very long section, is all about the kingdom. That is one of the special themes of this whole central section of Luke's Gospel. Now certainly because Jesus is journeying toward Jerusalem, he's going to talk about his upcoming passion. He's going to predict his passion. And certainly because he's journeying toward Jerusalem, he's going to talk about, he's going to predict the destruction of Jerusalem. So another thread that runs through this whole section of Luke's Gospel from 951 all the way until he enters into Jerusalem is the theme of the kingdom, the kingdom of God. And it is only at the beginning of this section when Jesus actually begins that journey toward Jerusalem that Jesus announces that the kingdom of God is at hand. The kingdom of God is at hand. The kingdom of God has come near. Now this is important to realize because there is a different emphasis than what we find in Matthew and Mark. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus announces right at the beginning of his public ministry that the kingdom of God is at hand like Mark chapter 1 verse 15 or Matthew chapter 4 verse 17. So that's at the beginning of the public ministry. But in Luke's Gospel, although Jesus has talked about the kingdom, for example already at the end of chapter 4, he does not announce that the kingdom is at hand that has come near until he's actually journeying toward Jerusalem. The idea is that the kingdom is coming because the king is coming. He's coming toward Jerusalem and so Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem at the end of 9 and in the next chapter, chapter 10, when he's instructing the 72 disciples to go out, he tells them to announce to proclaim that the kingdom of God is at hand, chapter 10 verses 9 and 11. And then in chapter 11, he tells them how to pray, your kingdom come in the Lord's prayer. Later in that same chapter, chapter 11, after driving out a demon, he announces, the kingdom of God has come upon you. And so the kingdom comes with the coming of Jesus because Jesus is the king. Therefore, at the end of the journey toward Jerusalem, when Jesus reaches Jerusalem, what happens? Well, when Jesus actually reaches Jerusalem at the end of this long travel narrative, he is publicly proclaimed as king. Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. That is what the multitude of disciples cries out as Jesus is coming down the Mount of Olives, just east of Jerusalem, that's chapter 19 verse 38. Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. And so we have this long section that's dedicated toward the kingdom and the coming of the king. And in this section, we find parables. So I would like to, taking our inspiration from Matthew, I would like to highlight for you the message, the teaching about discipleship that we find in this long section in the parables about the kingdom of God. And would you believe it? There are seven parables in this section, just like we find in Matthew 13. There are seven parables in this long section that either directly or through the commentary that Jesus gives, teach us about the kingdom and in that way teach us how to be disciples. So first, there's in Luke 12, 16, beginning in verse 16. This is a parable of the rich fool. This is what we're going to hear in the next Sunday's Gospel. So the rich fool thinks he can eat, drink and be married because he has stored up treasure for himself. But Jesus instead, a few verses later when he's explaining the teaching in the parable, he says, do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink. Instead, what are you supposed to do? Seek his kingdom. And these other things will be giving you besides. And he continues, because your father is pleased to give you the kingdom. So we should store up treasure in heaven, not treasure for ourselves. That means that we should give alms. We should be generous. So that's the first lesson of discipleship from this parable that's associated with Jesus' teaching on the kingdom. In the middle of chapter 13, we have those two short parables of the mustard seed and the yeast, which, as I said before, are also found in Matthew 13 and his parables of the kingdom. And there Jesus teaches us the kingdom perspective by which we learn not to be afraid. You know, at times we as Christians in today's world can be very afraid about what's going on in the world. But here Jesus teaches us the kingdom perspective that even if the kingdom remains little or hidden like the mustard seed or the yeast, that remains little or hidden in the eyes of the world from small beginnings, like that mustard seed or the hidden leaven, the kingdom of God will grow to embrace even the whole world. So those are three parables so far, the rich fool, the mustard seed, the yeast. Then in chapter 14, we have the parable of the great banquet. As we heard this morning, someone who's there with Jesus at table cries out, Blessed are those who eat bread in the kingdom of God. And Jesus continues with the parable of the great banquet, explaining that in the kingdom there may be a great reversal. That those who are invited may not actually be able to taste the meal. But instead, who are those that are invited? The poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame. So that's four parables. The fifth parable is right at the end of chapter 14. Fifth parable having to do with the kingdom. And that's where we find Jesus. Talk about a king. It's kind of a difficult short parable. He's talking about a king that's going to war. There's several lessons in that short parable. Ultimately it's telling us that God's kingdom ultimately cannot be opposed. But that it requires his followers, the disciples, all of us. To put that kingdom above everything else, even above family, even above possessions, we have to be willing to give those things up, even to be willing to give up our lives. And this is what the first disciples did. This is what Peter, James and John and Levi did when they followed our Lord. It says they left everything. So that's five parables. The sixth is we get to the parable in chapter 18 of the Pharisee and the tax collector. So Jesus here gives us a good lesson in discipleship that we as disciples have to be humble because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled. And the one who humbles himself will be exalted. You see, but then he explains that parable, that teaching by the very next incident where people are trying to bring children to Jesus. And so he's demonstrating the teaching by welcoming those who are most humble, little children. Because why? Because he says the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. And whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it. So that's six. And then finally the seventh parable associated with the kingdom that teaches us discipleship in this central section, the travel narrative of Luke's gospel, is this difficult parable of the 10 pounds in chapter 19 verses 11 and following. Sometimes the gold coins or the minas also is known as the parable of the returning king. People are thinking, people that are with Jesus are thinking that the kingdom of God is going to appear immediately. And he explains that rather than worry about when the kingdom is ultimately coming it is more important to do business with the gifts that the king has given us and also to be ready to welcome him when he comes. And there is no reason not to welcome Jesus the king because Jesus is a loving shepherd. This parable occurs right after his encounter with Zacchaeus where he says that the Son of Man has come to seek out and save the lost. That's what he did with Zacchaeus. That's the kind of king he is. He's not a wicked king like the Son of Herod the Great, Archelaus, who is allegorically described in that parable of the 10 pounds. And so there we have it, these seven parables that teach us about the kingdom and by doing so teach us how to be disciples. As a result when we read those parables we are then ready to join with that multitude of disciples who proclaim Jesus as king when he was about to enter Jerusalem. Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. And so what is it that we've learned about being disciples of the king? Well we've learned that the kingdom though it starts in a small and hidden way will grow to embrace the whole world that it cannot be opposed. That we must welcome the king. That those who enter the kingdom are those who are humble like children. The repentant tax collectors as well as the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame. For our part besides emptying ourselves by becoming humble we've learned that we must also so to speak empty our pockets by giving alms seeking not treasure for ourselves but treasure in heaven. These are all the lessons of what we've learned about being disciples and this is what the kingdom of God is all about. And so my brothers and sisters the kingdom is coming. We will now continue with the liturgy of the Eucharist. At the beginning of the Eucharistic prayer we will sing the Sanctus. Holy, holy, holy. And the words of the Sanctus continue by saying blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Jesus the king is coming now. That means the kingdom of God is at hand. Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.