Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Several years ago I started getting into making my own bread from scratch. I quickly learned the difference between leavened and unleavened bread. I learned to activate the yeast – adding a little sugar or flour to yeast and water before adding to the flour and water to make dough. I also learned the importance of covering the dough and allowing it to rise in a warm place, long enough so that it at least doubles in size. The time that this takes varies depending on the temperature and how active the yeast already is. Finally, I learned how to knead the dough so that the bread achieves the right texture and consistency. In addition to leavened bread I also enjoyed making unleavened, pita bread in a very hot oven. Both leavened and unleavened bread are delicious if prepared well. However, there is something special about leavened bread because of the lighter texture that results from the action of the yeast.
Jesus says in today’s gospel reading that the Kingdom of God is like the yeast that is mixed into a portion of flour to make bread. This is an engaging metaphor because it suggests that the gospel is something that has a powerful effect on people. It has the power to change people to make them different – making them better than they are to begin with. It is as if we are dough and the yeast comes along to give us a lift. The good news of Jesus Christ is supposed to make a difference in our lives so that we in turn begin to make the world a better place as a result. Yet this is true not just of individual people but of humanity in general. Jesus describes the yeast in the passage as being mixed all the way through the dough so that the effect of the yeast extends to all of the dough.
In the other metaphor in the reading, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed. This is also a striking image. From a tiny seed, a great tree grows. The metaphor invokes the idea of new life and suggests that a small initiative can lead to a great change. I’m reminded here of the way that individuals who are in the process of resisting evil often may feel alone at the time they are acting, but that they are later recognized as having an inspiration to others. In addition, their witness to God’s love can be contagious and can spread widely beyond their own situation. I’m thinking here of people like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Franz Jaegerstaetter, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who all lost their lives because of their resistance to hatred and oppression; however, there are many other examples of people who have inspired others through their commitment to the gospel in the often difficult circumstances in which they lived. These are truly exceptional individuals; yet they did not do what they did solely by themselves. Instead, they acted with the help of others (both God’s help and through the support and nurture of other people of faith).
Even if we are not called personally to such radical demonstrations of our discipleship, nevertheless we are called to allow the leaven of God’s kingdom and Jesus’ gospel message to work in us. Doing so will enable us to continue to strive to do God’s will on a daily basis in the various situations in which we find ourselves.
- Joel Schickel