Parables of Justice, Compassion, and Inclusion
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Parables of Justice, Compassion, and Inclusion
Herb Montgomery | July 24, 2026
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
Our reading this week is from the gospel of Matthew:
(Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52)
He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” (Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52)
This week’s reading from Mathew is comprised of a collection of Jesus’ parables. Let’s jump right in with the first one: Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed. This parable teaches an important lesson about how small acts can lead to significant change. The mustard seed is tiny and seemingly insignificant, yet it grows into a large tree that provides shelter for birds. This image suggests that the Kingdom (or justice) begins with humble actions but expands to create a community where all are welcomed and protected. The parable encourages people to value the contributions of those who are often overlooked or marginalized. It reminds us that transforming society does not always begin with wealth, power, or influence but can start with simple acts of kindness, fairness, and advocacy for others. Just as the tree becomes a place of refuge, so too should a just society offer safety, dignity, and justice to everyone, especially the poor, the oppressed, and the excluded. The Jesus story challenges Jesus followers to plant seeds of justice by standing against inequality, caring for those in need, and working for peace. The parable offers the hope that even the smallest efforts to promote justice and love can grow into lasting change that benefits entire communities and reflects the values of Jesus’ just future in the present.
Next in Matthew’s version of the Jesus story, we encounter Jesus’ parable of the yeast, a parable about quiet but powerful transformation. A woman mixes a small amount of yeast into a large quantity of flour, and eventually the yeast spreads throughout the entire batch of dough. This image shows that even small actions can have a profound impact. The woman reminds me of ordinary people whose efforts to promote equality, compassion, and justice often go unnoticed but gradually influence entire communities. Like yeast, values such as mercy, inclusion, and respect for human dignity spread from person to person until they transform relationships and social structures. Harmful elements can, too. Meaningful change does not always come through dramatic events or powerful leaders. Lasting justice often begins instead with individuals who challenge injustice, support those who are marginalized, and encourage others to act with kindness and fairness. Just as yeast works invisibly through dough, acts of generosity, advocacy, and service can reshape communities over time. For Jesus followers today, building a just future means participating in this steady work of transformation so that society becomes more compassionate, equitable, and welcoming for all people, including those our present system marginalizes.
Next, we read Jesus’ parable of the hidden treasure. The just future Jesus envisions for human beings is of such immense value that it demands wholehearted commitment. The treasure represents Jesus’ vision of a world marked by dignity, peace, and inclusion. Discovering this treasure transforms a person’s priorities, leading them to willingly surrender wealth, status, and personal security in pursuit of Jesus’ beloved community (“kingdom”).
The man’s joyful decision to sell everything he owns mirrors the sacrifices required of those who work for justice today. Building a society where the poor are lifted up, the oppressed are freed, and all people are treated as beloved children of God often requires giving up privilege, comfort, or material gain. The joy in the parable suggests that these sacrifices are not burdens but a natural response to recognizing the incomparable worth of a just world for the common abundance for all.
The hidden nature of the “treasure” also reminds us that Jesus’ just future is often already hard at work and found in unexpected places: among the marginalized, the forgotten, and those whose dignity is overlooked. Jesus followers today are called to seek this hidden treasure by standing in solidarity with the vulnerable and investing their lives in the work of restoration, compassion, and justice, trusting that no earthly possession compares with the priceless gift of a safe, compassionate, just world for everyone.
In the next parable, about the pearl of great price, Jesus teaches that his vision of just world for all is worth sacrificing everything to obtain. The pearl symbolizes Jesus’ vision of a world where every person is valued, justice prevails, and every person’s humanity is restored from degrading injustice. Unlike man with the hidden treasure, the merchant is actively searching, which suggests that Jesus followers are called to intentionally seek God’s just future and the truth-telling it requires rather than passively wait to discover it.
The merchant’s willingness to sell everything demonstrates the radical commitment required to live by the values of Jesus’ kingdom of justice and compassion. Pursuing justice often means challenging systems of inequality, sharing resources generously, and placing the needs of others above personal wealth or social status. Jesus emphasizes that this kind of world, where everyone has what they need to thrive and no one has too much while others go without, is so valuable that no earthly possession or privilege can compare.
This parable also reminds justice seekers that true wealth is not measured by material success but by faithful participation in the work of love and justice. Those who recognize the incomparable value of a world shaped in the form of justice willingly invest their lives in serving the poor, defending the oppressed, and promoting peace. In doing so, they discover that God’s just future for humans is the greatest treasure. It offers lasting hope and transforms individuals and society through God’s redeeming love, and it manifests in justice, safety, and compassion for every person.
Lastly, Jesus’ parable of the fishing net presents Jesus’ vision for a just future: it is radically inclusive. The net gathers “all kinds of fish,” which symbolizes the invitation for every person regardless of social status, ethnicity, gender, race, orientation, identity, or background to be a part of Jesus’ diverse community. No one is excluded from the offer to participate in Jesus’ kingdom.” This challenges communities today that exclude people based on privilege, race, class, gender, or orientation, and reminds Jesus followers that we are to be about building communities where all are genuinely welcomed and treated with dignity.
The separation of the good fish from the bad is a problematic portion of this parable. As we covered last week, bad fruit always results from the moment we define someone else as a “bad fish” that will one day be “thrown out.” Human beings are often tempted to judge others based on their own inherent conscious and unconscious biases. But Jesus teaches that final judgment will belong to the Divine alone. Those who exploit the poor, oppress or marginalize the vulnerable, or practice injustice will ultimately be held accountable. At the same time, in this vision of the future, those who pursue righteousness, mercy, and compassion will be vindicated. Note, too, the metaphor“gnashing of teeth.” In scripture, this metaphor is always used to denote anger, not suffering. People gnash their teeth when they witness the inclusion of people they think should not be included. This intrinsically excludes them from generous inclusion, and so they gnash their teeth with anger.
The parable encourages us to live lives marked by justice, honesty, and love while resisting systems of oppression and exclusion. Jesus’ vision of justice welcomes all to join in a community shaped by justice, compassion, and safety for all.
Jesus ends this passage with “Every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” This saying highlights the importance of preserving time-tested truths while we respond creatively to the changing needs of society. The “old treasures” represent the wisdom of communities gone before us, our sacred texts, and the timeless command to love God and one’s neighbor. The “new treasures” symbolize the fresh understanding that Jesus followers bring to our world now: Jesus’ followers are called to apply the principles of the gospels in ways that promote justice, mercy, and inclusion today.
The Gospels call Jesus followers today to courageously address contemporary forms of injustice such as poverty, racism, misogyny, discrimination, environmental degradation, economic inequality, LGBTQ bigotry, and more.
Faithfulness, in our context, is not simply preserving tradition but also allowing Jesus’ teachings to continue to inspire new responses to human suffering and social challenges. We are entrusted with using wisdom we have inherited and the wisdom in marginalized and vulnerable communities to build communities marked by compassion, equality, and peace.
Jesus teaches that authentic discipleship combines respect for the wisdom of the past and honesty about where those in the past got it wrong. With openness to transformation, every generation pursuing justice can remain rooted in the enduring values we’ve learned from the Jesus story.
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. How does our reading this week inform your own justice work, today? Share and discuss with your group.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
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Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 3 Episode 31: Parables of Justice, Compassion, and Inclusion
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
These parables represent the wisdom of communities gone before us, while encouraging fresh understanding that we can bring to our world now: to apply the principles of the gospels in ways that promote justice, mercy, and inclusion today. We can courageously address contemporary forms of injustice such as poverty, racism, misogyny, discrimination, environmental degradation, economic inequality, LGBTQ bigotry, and more. We can allow Jesus’ teachings to continue to inspire new responses to human suffering and social challenges. We are entrusted with using wisdom we have inherited and the wisdom in marginalized and vulnerable communities to build communities marked by compassion, equality, and peace. Jesus teaches that authentic discipleship combines respect for the wisdom of the past and honesty about where those in the past got it wrong. With openness to transformation, every generation pursuing justice can remain rooted in the enduring values we’ve learned from the Jesus story while participating in new expressions of compassion and justice, today.
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
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