Gospel Mark 4:26-34
Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.” He said, “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.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
Homily
‘If you do not read, you will forever be ignorant.’ That saying has remained with me throughout my years and has had an effect not only in my own private life but also in my teaching career. I always asked that students in my classes read a lot.
All of us I am sure have similar experiences of parents or teachers dropping little sayings which have remained with us, and which over the years have continued to influence our lives in many ways. These sayings, as insignificant as they may seem, have made us and continues to make us into better people.
The Gospel reading for this weekend speaks to us about the Kingdom and certainty of its coming because its growth is so imperceptible that we may believe that it is not being realized.
In a world in which crime and violence, corruption and disease seems to be increasing, we ask ourselves, “How much longer, Lord?” The answer lies in this Gospel text, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how the earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.” We are being told that we have to scatter the seed and the increase will come, imperceptibly but come it will.
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This is why the opening story of this homily is so important. The words thrown our way when we were young have borne fruit in so many ways. Good words have influenced our lives and continue to influence our lives and the lives of others for good. How many students have let the words given to me, and which I have passed on to them, influence their lives for good. In the same way I am also sure, words spoken in anger, in hate, in vengeance also influence lives but unfortunately not for good, and so the growth of the Kingdom is impeded.
How important then are the words we speak, the advice which we give for the growth of God’s kingdom of justice, peace, love and harmony. St Paul tells us that the life and death of every person has an effect on others. Since in a very special way, we are all architects of the kingdom, how important it is for us to understand that we have the responsibility of ensuring that the good seed of God’s word grows slowly but surely in the hearts of those around us. This is extremely important for those aspiring to be missionary disciples understand. The “good seed” of God’s word must be sown among those who have never heard it; have scarcely heard it, have heard it in distorted ways, or have forgotten it. We must not be afraid that it will not be heard. We must always remember the words of St Paul to the Corinthians; “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” (1Cor. 3: 61) Many persons are called to build the kingdom. Some sow the good seed of God’s word, others water it and finally God gives the increase. This demands of us that as missionary disciples we always pray and ask God to give the increase.
Today we thank God for parents and teachers, who out of the fullness of their hearts have spoken good words to us, words that have remained with us over the years and made us into better people. We thank God for those who by their advice and encouragement have watered the word that was planted, and we thank God for giving us the increase. As the Kingdom has grown in us so has it grown in the world. We remember, however, our own responsibility to plant God’s word, the good seed so that it may grow, at its own pace, and produce a harvest of Kingdom values in those who receive it.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, we thank you today for your teaching on the kingdom. We thank you for helping us to understand that the Kingdom does not require from us great and mighty works but only the planting of your word in the hearts of those around us. Help us not to be discouraged by the slowness of the growth of the Kingdom, help us to understand that it will come, in spite of all the evil that goes on around us, because you Lord, ensures its growth. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our mother and your Son Jesus. Amen
