The Kingdom of Heaven is like the mustard seed, sown into the ground, becoming a great plant putting forth branches to shelter all. A beautiful image, yet we need to understand it more completely. If you imagine this plant to be like a tall tree with expansive branches, maybe like a great cedar or a redwood - that is not what Christ intends. He speaks of the mustard tree that stays lower to the ground, with a dense interweaving of its branches - beautiful in its own right, but not according to our preconceptions.
Jesus would have taken his listeners by surprise by this parable, intentionally. In Judea and Galilee they would have seen mustard a something of a weed that could take over a field and it was very difficult to get rid of. He calls us to see differently!
So these two parables can offer at least two powerful, complementary truths about the Kingdom of God. The seed, the Word of God, when sown grows by itself penetrates hearts, families, and communities so to become a great home and shelter for us… While at the same time the Word is persistent, not to be stopped, getting into the fiber and penetrating the complexities, even the sin of the human heart and our world. God’s will will be done. It is full of surprises. He is not to be controlled nor dictated to.
While the Gospel texts were being written down, first Jewish persecutions of Christians would have begun and then came a long time of Roman persecutions: for 250 years. These parables are prophesy of what history has shown. Persecution leads to the flourishing of faith. “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
With an apparent decline of the practice of Christianity in Europe and America, and even persecution now, I do not fear for the Faith. I am most concerned about our loved ones who get lost. The Old Testament shows how moving away from the Lord, one chooses to be outside of His care – and that has consequences. Honestly, I fear for our world now.
The Lord has created human beings with free will, to choose to follow or not. We can sin. We hear in the first reading of the horrible sin even of King David, graced and beloved of the Lord! In the face of evil, God’s will will be done!
It’s our job now to keep sowing the seed of the word abundantly, joyfully, lovingly, and, at the same time, tenaciously, like mustard seeds! Always saying YES to Him, as did Our Lady. The Lord is realizing His plan, bringing persons, families, and communities to be sheltered and flourish in this great, intricate, and beautiful tree which is the Body of Christ.
Choose HIM!
