A tiny, tiny mustard seed…that is what the Kingdom of God is like! In today’s Gospel Jesus teaches us about the Kingdom of God. He uses two images to describe the Kingdom, a Sower and a mustard seed:
“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land.”
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God…It is like a mustard seed.” Jesus began his preaching by declaring: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand.” (Mark 1:15). Jesus proclaims that God wants to be a part of our lives.
Jesus teaches us that God is at hand, God is with us and walks with us on the journey of life. We might reply all is well and good but sometimes it is hard to see or feel God’s presence. Jesus answers that God’s presence may not overwhelm us and does not take away our freedom and our choices but it is indeed with us even though it might be as tiny as a little mustard seed. God’s presence is within us “sprouting and growing…of its own accord.” Jesus gives us the gift of God’s love and mercy as a tiny mustard seed that it might “spring up and become the largest of plants and put forth large branches.”
Today is the memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus who were companions and co-workers of St. Paul. Like Paul, they went about planting the mustard seed of the Kingdom of God throughout the world. They helped to preach the message of Jesus, the message of love. This message is the Gospel that Paul handed on to them and exhorted them to teach faithfully. Paul teaches how much God loves each one of us.
“If God is for us, who can be against us…It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. What will separate us from the love of Christ? For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31-39)
Image: “Faith the Size of a Mustard Seed” by Dane Vandeputte is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.