“Moses said to YHWH, “But, never in my life have I been a man of eloquence,
either before or since you have spoken to your servant.” Ex 4:10
Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B:
How Does Your Garden Grow?
This Sunday Jesus introduces parables (Mark 4:26-34) by saying,
"This is what the kingdom of God is like ..." Notice that Jesus is
not speaking about actions when he describes the kingdom of God. It is not
about a territory or a place or the afterlife in heaven. It is about God acting
in the here and now and the parables are clues to how and where to look. In
describing "what the kingdom of God is like" Jesus does not give a
formula or definition. If he had, he would have restricted or confined
"what the kingdom of God is like." By using parables, he taps into
our amazing imaginations to help us discover the ways our God acts. If we had a
definition we would want to say, "God only works in this way, in this
place, in this institution." Just as there are no limits to our
imaginings, so there are no limits to "what the kingdom of God is like"
for it is a mystery to be live not solved. So, we ask, "What is the
kingdom of God like?" In response Jesus tells us two parables. These
parables are just two of the thirteen parables to be found in Mark's gospel.
There are no limits to the possible and surprising ways God acts in our lives
and in the lives of others.
Both parables begin in seeming insignificant and
inconsequential ways: seed is scattered; a tiny mustard seed is planted. In the
first parable the farmer does not know how the seed grows to harvest on its own
accord. How much work did the farmer have to do? In this parable, seemingly,
not very much. Jesus was a carpenter not a farmer and I know from my very
limited experience that after planting, there is weeding, watering,
fertilizing, etc. But Jesus is using an example from the lives of his listeners
and plays with the details for his own purpose, telling them to, "Imagine
this!" The parable speaks to our own experience and invites us to open our
eyes to see God acting and present in our lives. It is reassuring to know how
wonderfully God acts, using us disciples to plant life seeds which eventually
will yield a harvest? We have lots of work to do in God's kingdom/reign. But
this parable is a reminder that God is not limited or uninvolved in the
necessary work that must be done for the kingdom to come. We are reminded by
this parable that it is not all up to us. The seed itself grows on its own. God
alone causes the growth and brings about a harvest! In his public speech, Jesus
uses metaphor and story, while, in private, Mark says that Jesus was more
direct. Was this to avoid saying something in public for which he could be
charged with treasonous speech? The ultimate victory of the "kingdom of
God" is sure, proceeding "automatically," and inexorably,
without any effort from us, or any endorsement by us. In the meantime, those
who follow do so by joining Jesus on the way by living out the "reign of
God" in the beloved community. The beloved community is not to be
organised hierarchically, but is, rather, a radical reversal of hierarchy. It
is a community which is on a spiritual journey exemplified by respecting the
human dignity of all people, especially the poor and downtrodden. It walks the
way of the cross and not the way of glory.
No one example, illustration, or parable can sum up totally
how our God is present and active in our midst. So, after presenting one
parable, Mark places another before us. Often when the Bible speaks of God,
it's in terms of God's awesome power and holiness. For the defeated people of Israel
it was reassuring to believe and put their trust in the power of God, ready to
act on their behalf. They would have expected that Jesus would present some
powerful image for God's influence in the world. Instead, how startled his
hearers must have been to hear his parable of the mustard seed. Jesus' parable
is contrasted in the 'first testament' reading from Ezekiel (17:22-24) to the
'Lebanon cedar', and the presumption of human power. The mustard seed was a
common weed and Jesus was saying that the reign of God is not far off like the
mighty Lebanon cedar, but as close as every backyard and it is spreading like a
weed. Ordinary people like us spread God's reign and that reign has the power
to effect good in the world in surprising ways. If you have ever tried to get
rid of weeds you know what a persistent they are. Just when you think you have
conquered them they pop again! That's how persistent God's reign is, like a
weed. If the kingdom of God is like a spreading weed, where do I look for it?
Am I looking among the powerful and influential, inside or outside the church?
We need our vision cleared, our expectations re-ordered if we want to uncover
God's reign in our world. The two parables tell us we can miss God's actions in
our midst, for we may be looking in the wrong places or clinging to our own
expectations of who our God is and how God acts. The two parables suggest that
in our search for God we had better be ready for a surprise and, if we are
attuned through the parables, we will come to know, "What the kingdom of
God is like
