"Jesus proposed another parable..."
Much like last week's Gospel, this coming Sunday's continues Jesus' teaching through parables that use examples from everyday life that people could easily understand. While many of these daily life examples aren't as understandable to us after 2,000 years, what they teach is still very relevant.
In total, Jesus uses three parables in this Sunday's Gospel. All three have to do with the Kingdom of Heaven, and all three have different lessons to teach. The first, and longest of the three, speaks of a sower (much like last week) sowing good seed in his field, but an enemy has also planted weeds. The sower tells his laborers to allow both to grow side by side, but that the weeds would be bundled up and burned. This is an allegory for the Church, which is filled with both good and bad people. While in this life, we often ask how God can allow bad people to be a part of his Church, and even to be leaders within it. However, Jesus reminds us that God knows and sees, that his waiting is out of mercy allowing for repentance and conversion, and that one day there will be justice.
In the second parable, the Parable of the Mustard Seed, Jesus speaks of the exponential growth of the Kingdom and, by extension, the Church. While it may at first glance appear small and insignificant, the Church eventually grows large and provides refuge for many. The history of the Church bears out this reality, and the example of our ancestors and especially the saints shows us that our being Christ to others helps the Church to grow and do its work well, so that it can indeed be a foretaste of the Kingdom to come.
The final parable is about the Kingdom being like a woman making dough. Again, it is a reference to the apparent smallness and insignificance of the Kingdom to our eyes. And yet, like yeast that is unseen, as it is mixed in and has its effects, it leavens not just a little but all of the dough! We can see in this a call to go out into the world and to try and be Christ and build the Kingdom in all places, in our homes, our neighborhoods, our workplaces, and even our places of recreation. By being a witness in all places, we enable the Kingdom to be seen and experienced by all, allowing for the widest witness possible, with the hope that others will see our good works and be drawn into the life of Christ too.
With all of these parables in mind, let us pray that we may be their fulfillment in our world today! May we be the good seed, the kind that, by our witness, grows from just ourselves into larger and larger branches of goodness, and may our witness extend not just into our own community but to every corner of Toledo and all the world!
Want to prepare your heart and mind for Mass this weekend? Click here to find the readings for this Sunday's Mass.
