Seeds of the Kingdom

Homily for the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Deacon Thomas Stephenson

June 14, 2015

The first line of today’s Gospel sets the scene for what is happening. It tells us “Such a large crowd gathered around Jesus that He got into a boat and began to teach them using parables.” There were so many people that wanted to hear what Jesus had to say, that if they were all pressed around Him, it would have been difficult for all but those closest to Him to hear. So by getting into the boat, He was able to create a little space between Himself and the people, which also prevented the possibility of them pushing Him from the shore into the water.

These people were all eager to hear the message, the teaching of Jesus. And Jesus, of course, wanted them to hear, and not just to hear, but to understand to the extent that they could. And that is why He taught them using parables. We may look back at the people of the Middle East in the first century and think that, well, maybe they weren’t as intelligent as we are. But really, they were not any less smart than us; most of them just were not as well educated. So Jesus needed to speak with them in ways that they could comprehend. Therefore, He used parables, stories or examples of things that the people could relate to, so they could gain an understanding of His teaching.

Jesus explained the deeper meanings of the parables to the Apostles, but He gave no explanation to the crowds. They were left to understand them on a level suited to their circumstances. One commentary explains that the parables were meant both to conceal and to reveal what Jesus was saying. “To conceal the message from those without faith, so that the stories would have no impact on people who wanted ammunition to use against Jesus, and who reacted to His message with hostility. And to reveal the mystery of Jesus’ mission to those who believe and embrace His message.” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Second Catholic Edition) Being as educated as we are, we like to have a deeper understanding of things, and that can be good, if it helps deepen our faith, and if we accept the explanations that we are given, with the realization that our ability as humans here on earth to grasp the mysteries of God is inherently severely limited. As St. Paul says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been understood.” (1 Cor 13:12) If and when we get to heaven, we will have the full understanding, but until then, we have to rely on the Church and our faith. And because we have the Church, our faith, and of course the Bible, we do have some understanding; we are not completely in the dark.

We have two parables regarding the Kingdom of God in today’s Gospel, one following immediately after the other, with similar but not identical comparisons. How do we think of the Kingdom of God? The Greek word used here, basileia, could be better interpreted as God’s reign, His sovereignty over all, and especially over us. The second parable likens the Kingdom of God to a mustard plant, which, although it starts out small, grows large enough to provide a nesting place for the birds. A couple of weeks ago, at our parish annual general meeting, Meghann Baker spoke about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, which is a program for children that you will be hearing more about in the future. As part of her presentation, she passed around a container with mustard seeds, just like those mentioned in the Gospel. For those who have never seen them, they really are very, very small. But from this tiny seed grows a great shrub, and they tend to multiply, so that once they are established they are difficult to eradicate. Like the fully grown mustard plant, the Kingdom of God can provide a home for us. So we may consider the Kingdom of God as a place, but perhaps not so much a physical place as a spiritual one, where we can find peace with God.

It is that, and it is more. It is that life that we have in God, as His baptized children and as Catholic believers. In the first volume of Pope Emeritus Benedict’s Book Jesus of Nazareth, he quotes Reinhold Schneider saying “The life of this Kingdom is Christ’s continuing life in those who are His own. In the heart that is no longer nourished by the vital power of Christ, the Kingdom ends; in the heart that is touched and transformed by it, the Kingdom begins. The roots of the indestructible tree seek to penetrate into each heart.”

Both parables refer to growth, and growth of the Kingdom of God relies on the work of the sower to first plant the seed, and then the unseen work of God to assist its growth and bring it to fruition. We have our part to play, but the growth of the Kingdom is not something brought about only by human effort, but by the grace of God. In the first reading from Ezekiel, God speaks of the Cedar tree from which He will break off a tender twig. And that shoot will grow, and like the mustard plant in the Gospel, the birds will nest in its branches. It is God, not man, who does all of what is said there: “I the Lord have spoken, I will accomplish it.” If we have an open mind and an open heart, we will grow further in the Kingdom, that growth truly accomplished by the grace of God with our cooperation.

We need to allow the parables teach us. Not just the two parables we heard today, but all the parables have something to say to us. We must be ready to permit their simplicity to instruct us. Our faith must be informed by reason, but reason alone is not sufficient. St. Paul says “we walk by faith, not by sight.” This does not mean blind faith, but recognizing that some things require faith in order to be perceived. Jesus performed many miracles when He was on earth, visible signs of the Kingdom. Yet some people walked with Him, saw His works,heard His words, and still did not believe. Let us believe. Let us pray that through our faith we will understand and accept the message that Jesus has for us. Let us pray that God will give us the grace and strength to make Him our first priority, so that He may reign in our hearts and in our lives, and we may find rest in His kingdom.