Word to the Wise
Monday, July 27, 2020 - Monday in the 17th Week in Ordinary Time
[Jer 13:1-11 and Matt 13:31-35]"The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It 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 air come and dwell in its branches.'"......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." [Matthew]
Gardening and baking are two of my hobbies. During the current pandemic, both are receiving a lot more attention. Apparently, baking has become more common during the pandemic because there was, for a while, a shortage of yeast in the country!!! These two activities bring me into almost daily contact with the two parables that make up the gospel scripture for today.
In the first parable, Jesus engages in a bit of hyperbole because the mustard plant does not get big enough for birds to perch. However, the small size of the seed does contrast with the size of the plant! (I'd suggest he take a look at the seed for the herb Basil or even smaller, the petunia!) Very small things can yield very big results, for better or for worse (how big is a virus?) In the case of the gospel, a word of encouragement, a smile, a random kindness - all of these can make the "Kingdom" very real for the person who needs them.
Yeast looks like desert dust! In the parable, the "measure" that Jesus refers to is much larger than the three cups of flour that I use for baking bread! But I wouldn't doubt the might of the yeast to make it rise! In addition to the contrast in size, there is the patience required to let the process occur. The "Kingdom" does require time, patience and prayer. One might recall that the Israelites had to eat unleavened bread before leaving Egypt because there wasn't time to let the bread rise!!!
The parables show us things that we can do that are ordinary, yet powerful if only we are attentive to the small opportunities that each day offers to us. The mustard seed and the yeast are part of my life. Which images are part of yours? AMEN