Word to the Wise
Friday, February 1, 2019 - Friday in the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
[Heb 10:32-39 and Mark 4:26-34]"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." [Mark]
Parables are images from everyday life that are intended to make us think about important truths. The series of agricultural images in the last few days of gospel scriptures highlight seeds and crops and sowing. From an ordinary act of sowing can come great harvests. The seed is a central point. It is a very small thing but when put together with the right conditions, it can produce enormous results compared to its size. When there are many seeds and many sowers the harvests can be tremendous.
Since these images were and still are from daily life, Jesus is not trying to be obscure. Those of us who garden know how big a plant can come from one small seed. From an acorn can come a mighty oak! From a single seed of Basil comes a wonderful culinary herb. When one looks at the cotton fields near Lubbock, TX, where I live, each cotton plant came from a single seed, but the amount of cotton is incredible around harvest time. The fields of white stretch for miles.
All of us are called to be sowers of the seed of the kingdom. We each can contribute our small part, knowing that even that small part can yield great results. If we help even one person to know Jesus or return to faith, we have done a great thing. But we must make the effort. God will give the increase! AMEN