June 16, 2018
To what shall we compare the kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade
The essential relationship that we are called to is a personal relationship with Christ. We are called to obedience to the call of God in our hearts. At times we can become frustrated with the slow growth in our spiritual lives, and we are impatient to become great saints. This is normal, we are creatures in time, we are all created with a clock in our minds that calls out the days of our lives are growing shorter. Therefore, we want instant results. This is not how growth happens. It would be like the farmer in the first parable standing in the field, screaming at the crop to grow faster. All the farmer would accomplish is frustration and hoarseness. Instead, it is found by patiently waiting for the seed of the Gospel to grow at its own pace. Seeds need sunlight, we do so by meditating on the Gospel in our hearts, daily asking God to shine His light of illumination in our hearts, that we might grow. We are reminded of this in the last portion of the Gospel when the disciples gathered around the Lord in private to inquire as to the meaning of the Gospel.
While patience is essential in the Christian life, persistence is also essential. I always love the picture of a tree growing from a rock, its roots slowly, but inexorably crack through the hard rock to find the soil which will give life. In the same way, we are to persistently seek the Lord’s presence and guidance in our lives, that the hardness of our hearts may give way to the internal, eternal life of the soul.
Our Lord also refers to the mustard seed, the tiniest seed, not much more than a grain of sand, yet it grows large enough for birds to nest in its shade. As the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven begins to mature in our lives spiritually, we can provide the shelter and spiritual protection to those whom God sends into our lives. This comes not because of our own righteousness, but from the living relationship with God that has grown in our hearts.