Homily -XI Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) Sunday 16 June 2024- Rev. Dr. Fr. Patrick Mathias SDB
Sunday 16 June 2024- XI Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Mass Readings: Ezek 17:22-24 Ps 91 2Cor 5:6-10
Mk 4:26-34
Key Verse to Meditate: The kingdom of God is like a man who
casts seed upon the soil; The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which,
when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon
the soil (Mk 4:26. 31).
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
The Word of God
this Sunday invites each of us to participate in the growth of the Kingdom of
God, which unfolds silently in the world and within our lives. The first
reading and the Gospel are interconnected, highlighting this theme. The first
reading describes the remarkable growth of a small twig cut from a lofty cedar
and planted on a mountain peak. The Gospel reading presents two parables: the
spontaneously growing seed and the tiny mustard seed. Both readings illustrate
how these small beginnings grow and put out branches, providing shelter for the
birds of the air. The Kingdom of God may start small and seemingly
insignificant, but its growth and ultimate fulfilment are assured. Initially,
God's Kingdom may remain hidden, but it will eventually spread throughout the
entire earth. In the second reading, St. Paul urges us to live by faith, not by
sight, trusting in the Lord who grants growth and sustenance (1 Cor 3:6).
The First Reading - God’s kingdom will Grow Surprisingly Large: In today's first reading, the prophet Ezekiel speaks of a great cedar tree symbolizing restored Israel, with the birds representing those who enjoy its blessings. God cuts a tiny twig from this tree and plants it on His holy mountain. To everyone's surprise, this young twig grows into a mighty tree where even the birds of the air come to nest in its shadow: "On the high mountain of Israel, I shall plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit, and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches" (Ezek 17:23). The imagery used in the first reading takes us to the Babylonian exile. The people of Israel are depicted as a tiny twig, whom the Lord will call back from exile and transform into a great nation. Though they do not see it outwardly, they are called to live in faith based on God's promises. They need to prepare for a transition from the life of exile to the life of freedom and grace that the Lord God will bestow upon them. Similarly, in the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus says that when it is fully grown, it becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade (Mk 4:32). In His mighty power, God brings down the mighty cedar tree and exalts the lowly mustard shrub.
The Second Reading: In today’s second reading, St. Paul calls
the Christian community to a life of integrity. Our mortal bodies are meant for
holy living. Although we are separated from the Lord due to our mortality, once
we die and depart from this mortal body, we will be in the holy presence of
God. Regardless of whether we live in this world with our mortal bodies or not,
we are called to live a life pleasing to the Lord (2 Cor 5:9). Given this
Christian reality, Paul offers great hope by reminding us that we walk by faith,
not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). While we may not sense the Lord’s presence here on
earth, we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, where each of us will
be recompensed for our deeds, whether good or bad. A worthy life of a believer
demands greater fidelity and accountability to God through faith. We should not
limit our earthly existence to external influences but look forward to a life
of holiness in the presence of the Lord in His kingdom at the end of our
earthly lives.
The Gospel Reading: Today’s Gospel reading presents two short
parables that contain profound lessons for our life of faith and grace. Though
each parable has its unique message, the lessons they impart are distinct. In
the first parable, we observe the unnoticed growth of a seed, leading in due
time to a full harvest. In the second parable, we see how the tiny mustard seed
ultimately becomes a giant plant of impressive dimensions, capable of hosting
many birds that make their nests in its shade. These two brief yet powerful parables
prompt us to consider the paradox of God’s hidden, unrecognized kingship and
its future growth. Like the hidden seed and the tiny mustard seed, though
currently unseen, the Kingdom of God will eventually be revealed in power (Mk
9:1).
The First Parable: The first parable, known as the parable of
the seed growing spontaneously (Mark 4:26-29), is unique to the Gospel of Mark.
It shares several elements with the earlier parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-10).
The parable concludes with the sowing, after which one must simply wait until
the harvest. The seed grows by itself, and the field produces the harvest
without the farmer's understanding (cf. Lev 25:4-5). God’s kingdom grows even
without human agency. As in the parable of the Sower, after the seed has been
sown, the farmer may not perceive what is happening. However, the hidden inner
dynamic within the seed eventually produces its effect. Even if human insight
cannot fathom the process, God's initiative will bear fruit in due time.
Therefore, the disciples must wait confidently for God's work to be
accomplished in God's way.
The Kingdom of God, as explained, does not
depend on human effort to achieve its growth. Just as the farmer remains
inactive, human understanding cannot explain the growth of the Kingdom of God.
The disciples of the Lord should not assume responsibility for establishing
God's kingdom. Despite being unnoticed, the seed will grow, and the harvest
will come. However, it will occur in God's time and in God's way, not by human
effort or according to human logic. Some scholars, who do not see growth as the
main emphasis, contrast the beginning and the end to illustrate the nature of
the Kingdom of God.
The Second Parable -God’s kingdom will grow surprisingly large: The second parable describes the tiny mustard seed and its remarkable growth. This parable also appears in Matthew (13:31-32) and Luke (13:18-19). God’s kingdom may start small, but it will grow surprisingly large. We read in Mt 13:32: “Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” In Mark's account, the seed is very small but grows to become the greatest of all shrubs, putting forth large branches. In contrast, Matthew and Luke describe its growth as that of a tree (Mt 11:32; Lk 13:18).
This image of a tree with the birds of the air resting in its branches
is a common image for a kingdom in the Old Testament (Ezek 17:23, 31:6; Daniel
4:12). Thus, in the Old Testament, a tree symbolized a foreign empire, as seen
in the writings of the prophets Daniel and Ezekiel (Dan 4:10-12; Ezek 31:3-14).
The birds that come to build nests in its branches represent those who enjoy
its protection.
A Mustard Seed? A mustard seed is not the smallest seed in
the world, but some scholars note that it is among the smallest seeds in
Palestine, used proverbially to represent smallness. The text, lacking a
technical description, identifies this mustard shrub in Palestine as black
mustard (Brassica nigra), which can grow to a height of three meters. Some
scholars suggest that the mustard plant could even grow to heights of ten to
twelve feet and attain a thickness of three or four inches. A mustard seed is
only one millimeter in diameter, and it takes about 750 seeds to equal one
gram. Since a gram is one twenty-eighth of an ounce, it would take about 21,000
mustard seeds to make an ounce.
In reference to this tiny seed, Jesus
compares it to our faith: "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move;
nothing will be impossible for you" (Mt 17:20). This parable highlights
the contrast between an insignificant beginning and an impressive final size.
The mustard plant, grown for oil as well as a condiment, can reach significant
heights in good conditions, despite its extremely small seed. The lesson we
learn from the mustard seed is that, despite being very tiny, it grows into a
remarkably large plant. That's why Jesus used it in this parable. God's Kingdom
starts small but will grow surprisingly large.
Jesus Taught the Crowds with Parables: The last verse of today's Gospel ends by stating that Jesus taught the crowds in parables: "And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them as they were able to hear it; and He did not speak to them without a parable" (Mk 4:33-34). Jesus loved teaching simple people through parables. What attracted these people was that He used simple stories from everyday life to convey important truths about the Kingdom. Not everyone understood them at the time, including His own disciples, so He had to explain the parables to them later. In doing so, Jesus fulfils Old Testament prophecy: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world” (Ps 78:2; cf. Mt 13:35).
Points for Personal Reflection: One of the purposes of
parables is to reveal truth, as Mark indicates. From the parable of the seed
growing spontaneously (Mk 4:26-29), we can reflect on how the present slow
growth of the Kingdom of God depends on our attitude toward listening to the Word
of God. In this regard, St. Paul says that Faith comes from hearing the Word of
God (Rom 10:17). Our faith is like this tiny seed. We need ask God to increase
our faith, so that we too can grow into beautiful fruit bearing trees. For this,
we need to become good soil that receives the Word so it can bear fruit in our
lives without relying solely on human effort. The soil in the parable
represents the open attitude of the believer, adapting to the truth and leading
to the bearing of much fruit in the world.
The two parables in today’s Gospel reading address the mystery of the
Kingdom of God, which unfolds gradually from a small beginning rather than
through an established structure imposed by supernatural power. The beauty of
this Kingdom is that it grows like a seed cast upon the ground, subject to
natural laws rather than external forces.
Lessons from the mustard seed parable: The first thing we learn from the parable of the
mustard seed is that God's Kingdom starts small. The second lesson is that
God's Kingdom will grow surprisingly large. In the second parable, we learn
that growth in our Christian discipleship depends on the positive divine forces
hidden within our hearts, the abode of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16). The
Parable of the Mustard Seed clearly shows that small beginnings are inherent to
the Kingdom of God, though they do not represent its full expression. The seeds of God's Word are powerful, yet a mustard
seed is not a symbol of power.
The Seeds of God’s Word: Jesus’ ministry of proclaiming the Word of God revealed the mystery of the
Kingdom of God. While the initial stages of Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom
may seem unimpressive, the Galilean ministry of Jesus ultimately bears fruit.
The power of the Kingdom of God may be hidden, but this does not hinder its
growth.
Points for Personal
Reflection:
- Do I believe that God can bring down the
mighty tree and exalt the tiny shrub as described in today’s readings?
- Do I walk by faith or by sight? Do I sow the seed of God’s word?
- Whether I live in this body or not, do I live
for God?
- Do I trust in God’s divine plans for my life,
even if I cannot see them externally?
- Among the two parables of the Kingdom of God,
with which do I identify myself?
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