Word to the Wise
Tuesday, October 31, 2017 - Tuesday in the 30th Week in Ordinary Time
[Rom 8:18-25 and Luke 13:18-21]"What is the kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden. When it was finally grown, it became a large bush and the 'bird of the sky dwelt in its branches.'" Again he said, "To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened."
To understand these two simple parables would have been simple if we had been in the original audience! Now, I had to do a bit of research! The "mustard plant" could have been any number of similar plants in Palestine that have very small seeds that germinate quickly. They can become large bushes but not big trees. In any case, the image does not fit with our common thought of the bottle of yellow mustard we have in the fridge. There are some mustard seeds in the grocery spice section of your local supermarket, however. As to yeast, bread bakers with a biblical bent (like me) discover that three biblical "measures" of wheat flour is about 190 cups! That's a lot of flour, but that little brown powder we call yeast can really puff it up! All it takes for at least THREE cups is one of those little packets! Where did that lady get all that yeast?
Palestinian hyperbole is part of Jesus' teaching. However, the exaggeration is not far off the mark if we think about it. Something that seems very small can have very large results. It might be a simple bit of help that we give someone - a cup of water, holding the door open, or helping the parishioner whose dead car battery interrupts lunch. We may not remember doing these things, but the beneficiary of our kindness won't forget. We preach the kingdom in many small ways. St. Francis of Assisi is supposed to have said, "Preach always. If necessary, use words." We carry the kingdom with us. Pass the mustard and the bread, please! AMEN