July 27
The Parable of
The Mustard Seed
Gospel: Matthew 13:31-35
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Today’s Gospel:
Matthew 13:31-35 (Parable of The
Mustard Seed)
“Another parable he put before
them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which
a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it
has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of
the air come and make nests in its branches." He told them another
parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid
in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened." All this Jesus said
to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.
This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth
in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the
world.”
Reflection:
The parables we read about are such
a wonderful treasure for each of us to ponder and meditate on and learn from. The
part I enjoy so much about a "parable” is the fact that they can be
interpreted in a variety of ways when approached from different angles and for
different reasons in your life; to me, that is so exciting. Today's parable is simple
and short; only five verses have two parables jam-packed in it. Some parables
take only one to two verses, and Jesus' message is spread throughout the world.
Jesus and the Father are one; God does not need many words to make His point.
Let us look at this wonderful scripture and rejoice as we learn and grow ever
so much closer to our Lord.
Today we are reflecting upon
Matthew 13:31-35. I realize many people may be looking at these parables, and
they may even be thinking, "What does a mustard tree and leaven have to do
with the Kingdom of God?" All of Jesus' parables never divert from the
truth; there is only one purpose, and only one reason why there is such a
perfect harmony in all of what Jesus had to say and teach. And that was to
further the Kingdom of God to all the ends of the earth. "For this is what
the Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that
you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth." Acts 13:47.
You can see how harmonious
everything Jesus always said was. I think maybe that is why I am so drawn to
our Lord. His message was always bold, straight to the point, and always
loving. He never followed the popular route, and he never caved into any
criticism. He was what He was and is: God. Let us take a look at the first
parable, and what do we see? We see a tiny mustard seed, one of the smallest
seeds; it's also been noted for its minuteness. Let us consider these
reflections. "He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is
like a mustard seed (Jesus), which a man (God) took and planted (The Holy
Spirit) in his field (The World). Though it is the smallest (By beginning in
the hearts of man) of all the seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of
garden plants (The Catholic Church) and becomes a tree (A world-wide ministry),
so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." Now let us
further all these thoughts. We can't see a tree grow per-say, but we know it is
growing. And in times like this, with the mustard seed, this particular tree grows
large enough from the transformation that takes place within its roots. The
Catholic Church began in the hearts of man, and it has grown and is still
growing and continues to be the largest worldwide ministry ever. My research
has led me to understand that the "birds of the air" are referring to
fowls of the air; satan and his followers, who desire to land and house
themselves within the tree of life. Remember satan was cast out of God's
presence; he is trying both to return and to destroy God's mission to grow. You
can read about satan’s ambitions and desire to overthrow God in Isaiah
14:12-15.
Do you see how exciting taking the
time to reflect upon a parable can be. I just get so into these studies; I
almost literally block out everything else. I do most of my research and prayer
at 3:00 am. I just want so much to further the excitement and understanding of
what it is that God expects of us as His children. The second part of today's
reading is all about the leaven and the meal. This parable in the remaining
three verses, yet the parable is actually only spoken of in one verse. 33.
"He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven
which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all
leavened." This woman seems to have added a lot of leaven to the flour;
she turned it leaven. It says, "she took and hid....till it was." That
seems to imply that the quantity must have been a large amount. The influence
that Jesus has brought upon the earth is enormous, and sometimes His influence
is hidden in a person’s character or a person’s words. We don't always see it,
it may not be announced, but we as Christians know it's there and sense it's
there. Slowly but surely, Jesus was born into this world to save this world.
Initially His presence was "hid" and He was added continuously
"till it was all". Can you see how exciting and how powerful a
parable can be? We are so fortunate to have such a loving, caring, merciful
God.
And
here is where I always lose my composure a little, because I cannot sit with
this truth and stay calm about it. My love for our Lord runs so fast and so
full that the words can barely keep up, and honestly, I would not have it any
other way. This is a joy that does not run dry, and I intend to spend the rest
of my life pouring it out to anyone who will stand still long enough to listen.
Our Blessed Mother has walked me straight to the foot of that cross more times
than I can count. One of the greatest joys of my life has been making
rosaries and sending them out to others all over the world, because every single
one is just another way of sharing my Jesus through Mary, my Blessed Mother, to someone
I most likely will never meet this side of heaven, and it is my deepest hope that she walks you there too. Through every single day, one single prayer carries me straight
through: "Jesus, I trust in You." Chrissy taught me that many years
ago, and I have carried it with me ever since, and I always will.
So, tell me: Is Jesus still just a seed in
you, freshly planted? Or has He already worked His way all the way through your
life?
Rosary Man Jim 🌹
Freely given. Freely shared.
