


Reflection
There are three parables in Mark’s Gospel that connects the Kingdom of God to the word “seed.” We hear the second and third parables in today’s Gospel, which follow the parable of the Sower of the Seed from Wednesday’s Gospel. The seed we speak of today represents the Kingdom of God.
The second parable focuses not on the sowing of the seed and how it is rejected or welcomed, but on its mysterious growth. Just as a farmer is not the primary cause of the growth of the seed, we are not the primary cause of the growth of the Kingdom of God. We are only secondary and collaborating causes. The seed needs the heat of the sun, time in the earth, nutrients, and water. The farmer can facilitate these elements of growth but always occupies a subordinate role. The entire process of a seed becoming a living plant remains mysterious and beyond our understanding. In the same way, the growth of the Kingdom of God is primarily and mysteriously caused by God and only secondarily caused by our collaboration. The mysterious action that helps grow the Kingdom of God is the Holy Spirit. That action takes place in our hearts. The growth of the Kingdom takes place one heart at a time.
The third parable focuses not on the sowing of the seed or how it mysteriously grows, but on the result of its growth. The Kingdom is compared to a mustard seed, one of the smallest seeds. The Kingdom of God, Jesus predicts, will be small in its beginning but grow, like a mustard seed, into a very large and invasive plant. If we look at history, we see how this prophecy of Jesus has been fulfilled. The Kingdom of God was so small in the beginning – just twelve apostles, several dozen disciples, and a group of women who provided for Jesus and his disciples. The Kingdom has, over two thousand years, grown, invaded if you will, the hearts of all throughout the world. The birds of the sky that dwell in the branches of the mustard plant are an image of the Gentile nations dwelling in the Church. Today, all peoples and cultures are welcomed into the universal church founded by Jesus and his first disciples.
Today’s Question for Prayer and Reflection
Do you believe in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit?
Source for today’s reflection: https://epriest.com/reflections/view/2960