The Reign of God [June 17, 2012]

The Sunday Gospel [June 17, 2012]

Mark 4:26-34

26He said, “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land 27and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. 28Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29And 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? 31It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. 32But 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.” 33With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. 34Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

Reflection

“The seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.”

When you were a child, you may have been given a model for a present – perhaps a model airplane or boat. Can you remember looking at the picture on the box and getting excited to see that model in its finished state? However, you found that if you didn’t follow the directions and assemble the pieces in the right order, your model didn’t come out quite right.

This is a useful analogy for thinking about Jesus’ parables of the kingdom of God. It’s more exciting to think about the “finished product,” isn’t it? We look at people like Mother Teresa and John Paul II, and marvel. They were living models of the life Jesus portrayed in his parables – the full grain of wheat ripe and mature and ready for the harvest. Still, as inspiring as they are, we need to understand that they didn’t become beautiful models of the kingdom overnight. No one does.

Holiness happens one step at a time, not all at once – and we are not fully in charge of the process. It is God who molds, shapes, and glues all the pieces of our lives, making us into living examples of a life lived in his love and power. And even more amazing, it is God who supplies us with the desire and the ability to fulfill his purposes. Our part is simply to follow God’s directions, step by step, and not worry about the end result.

If you think the Lord is calling you in a certain direction, go there – even if you can’t see how it contributes to the final product. If you are trying your best and nothing’s working out, be patient. God is still at work, bringing his plan to completion. Let go of any stress, anxiety, and fear you might feel, and allow yourself to smile. For God, the Master Builder, is working everything together for your good!

Source: The Reflection is from Bro. Abel Navarro (you can visit his blog at http://myblogabelnavarroabel.blogspot.com/).