Today's Reflections
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
Mt 13:31-35
31[Jesus]
proposed [a] parable to [the crowds]. “The kingdom of heaven is like a
mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. 32It is
the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of
plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and
dwell in its branches.’ ”
33He
spoke to them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the
whole batch was leavened.”
34All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, 35to
fulfill what had been said through the prophet:/ “I will open my mouth
in parables,/ I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
[of the world].”
THE SMALLEST OF ALL THE SEEDS.
A saying goes, “The great oak was once a little nut that held its
ground.” Beginnings are usually small, like the mustard seed. But with
nurturance and perseverance, the plant will grow to a large bush and
become a home for birds.
The
kingdom of heaven or the reign of God that Jesus inaugurates on earth
may appear small and insignificant, but it will have a glorious destiny.
Someday, the birds of the sky will come and dwell in its branches. This
image of the future destiny recalls the oracle of Ezekiel about the
restoration of Israel under a messianic King from the dynasty of David:
“It (the tender shoot) shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and
become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it” (Ez
17:23). The birds then symbolize the peoples of the earth who will find
refuge and shelter in the kingdom of Jesus, the Messiah.
In
the parable of the mustard seed, the contrast is made between the small
beginnings of the kingdom and its marvelous expansion. This is already
proven true in Jesus who had humble beginnings but who now reigns as the
glorious Son of God. His kingdom continues to suffer birth pangs and
growth pains, and his followers journey amid trials and sufferings, but
victory is assured.
Stay humble or stumble.
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