Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Very simply put, from the tiniest of cells grows an embryo, from the smallest embryo grows a baby, and from the littlest, vulnerable baby grows an adult, maybe 5 or 6 feet tall, sometimes taller! As I reflected on today’s Gospel reading from Luke (13:18-21) – the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast – I thought of how my once very small baby boys are now taller than their Dad and I, and possibly still growing. We could not perceptibly see them growing, yet little by little, day by day, month by month, year by year, they have grown. Yes, there have been mornings when one of them would come down for breakfast and, standing next to me in the kitchen, I would swear he had grown overnight. But mostly, somehow, it happened gradually without our daily awareness. This, I think, is kind of how God’s Kingdom grows.
Demonstrating this tremendous expansion from very small origins, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to the mustard seed, one of the tiniest of seeds, which grows into a large “bush” big enough for the birds to live in its branches. He also compares God’s Kingdom to a small amount of yeast that when mixed with flour (and water and oil probably) causes the dough to rise so that the whole batch is leavened. Have you ever watched dough rise? The actions in both of these examples are largely hidden from sight, workings outside of our immediate perception, but over time we can see the growth.
This tells me two things about God’s kingdom. One, that the Spirit is working, moving, acting, even when we aren’t always aware of it – not always perceptible, and maybe often not perceptible - but the growth is occurring. Two, great things can and do come from very small, humble beginnings, including Jesus.
So, what part do we have in helping to bring about God’s kingdom? Just like my sons have grown from infants to almost young adults by the grace of God, their father and I have had to do our part in feeding and nurturing them. For as St. Paul states in his first letter to the Corinthians (3:9), “we are God’s co-workers.” In a similar way, might there be a mustard seedling I’m being called to nurture and care for in bringing about God’s love and peace to a hurting world? Or what action am I being called to this week/month to help activate the yeast of God’s Kingdom? Let us pray for the wisdom, courage, and patience in working together with the Spirit to bring forth God’s (often unexpectedly expansive) Kingdom of Justice, Mercy, and Peace.
~Eileen Miller