Homily for 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Cycle B)
Based on Mk 4:26-34
(Gospel), Ezk 17:22-24 (First Reading) and 2 Cor 5:6-10 (Second
Reading)
From the Series:
“Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”
MUSTARD
TREE
“It is like a mustard seed which a man
took and threw into his garden: it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the
air sheltered in its branches.” (LK 13:19)
The central focus of the gospel, or the Good News, of Jesus
Christ and the Apostles is the proclamation about the coming of the Kingdom of
God on earth. This Sunday’s gospel reading is about the kingdom of God, and what
it is compared to. It is compared to a mustard tree that comes from the
smallest of all seeds but when it is full grown, it is the biggest of all the
trees is the garden.
This Sunday’s Gospel Reading is taken from Mk 4:26-34. Let
us go verse by verse with this gospel reading, and giving out also their
parallel texts and footnotes.
Verses 26 to 28 of Mk
4 says: He also said, ‘This is what the
kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land. Night and day, while he
sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not
know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then
the full grain in the ear.
Parallel texts is Jm 5:7
that says: Now be patient, brothers,
until the Lord’s coming. Think of a farmer: how patiently he waits for the
precious fruit of the ground until it has had the autumn rainsc and
the spring rains! Footnote c
says : “‘rains’, var. ‘fruits’.”
Verse 29 says: And
when the crop is ready, he loses no time, he starts to reap because the harvest
has come.e Footnote e- says: “The kingdom will achieve its full development in virtue of its own
hidden, intrinsic power”.
Parallel
texts are:
a.
Jl 4:13 -
Put the sickle in: the harvest is ripe; come and tread: the winepress is
full, the vats are overflowing, so great is their wickedness!’
b.
Rv 14:14-16 - Now in my vision I saw a white cloud and, sitting on it, one like
a son of man with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand (v.
14). Then another angel came out of the sanctuary, and shouted aloud to the one
sitting on the cloud, ‘Put your sickle and reap; harvest time has come and the
harvest of the earth is ripe’. (v. 15) Then the one sitting on the cloud set
his sickle to work on the earth and the earth’s harvest was reaped (v. 16).
The title for Mk 4:30-34 is Parable of the mustard seed. The Parallel texts for this title is :
a.
Mt
13:31-32 - He put another parable to
them, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed
in his field (v. 31). It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it
is the biggest shrub of all and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air
come and shelter in its branches.’ (v. 32).
b.
Lk
13:18-19 - He went on to say, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? What shall
I compare it with (v. 18)? It is like a mustard seed which a man took and threw
into his garden: it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air sheltered
in its branches.’ (v. 19).
Verses 30 to 32 say: He also said, ‘What can we say the kingdom
of God is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed
which t the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on
earth; Yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts
out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.’
Parallel text for
verse 32 is Dn 4:7-9,18 - The vision
that passed through my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw a treee
in the middle of the world; it was very tall. (v. 7). The tree grew taller and
stronger, until its top reached the sky, and it could be seen from the ends of
the earth (v. 8) Its foliage was beautiful, its fruit abundant, in it was food
for all. For the wild animals it provided shade, the birds of heaven nested in
its branches, all living creatures found food in it. (9) That tree with
beautiful foliage and abundant fruit, with food for all in it, providing shade
for the wild animals, with the birds of heaven nesting in its branches (v.
18)…that tree is yourself, O king, for
you have grown tall and strong; your stature is now so great that it reaches
the sky, and your rule extends the ends of the earth. (v. 19). Footnote e
says: “For the tree is a symbol of a
nation’s growing power, cf. Ezk 17:1-10 and 22-24 and especially 31:3-14; also
Is 10:33-11:1.”
Verses 33-34 say: Using
many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were
capable of understanding it. He would not speak to them except in parables, but
he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.
So, what is it that consist the
kingdom of God on earth? Let us intensively quote from the online articles of
the Reformed Church of God on the topic: “What
is the Kingdom of God?”
First
from, the article “What is True Conversion,” we find these statements:
“Throughout
His ministry, Christ proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God.
Hidden within this message is the understanding of the awesome, incredible
human potential for the one who truly yields to God. Wherever Christ went,
He spoke about the coming kingdom—or government—of God. While most of His
parables were centered on this message, few that heard them understood their
meaning. And when He spoke these parables, He always included how true
Christians were qualifying to become part of that government!
“Matthew 13 contains a half dozen “kingdom” parables….begins
with the parable of the “Sower and the Seed,” depicting one throwing seed into
various locations and kinds of soil, how the seed grew and flourished in the
person who received it. In other cases, it either died quickly after starting
to grow, or took no root at all. Others who received the seed grew in character
“thirty, sixty or one hundred fold” on the way to the kingdom.
“This is followed by the parable of the “Wheat
and Tares.” This parable discusses “fruit” that appears in Christians’ lives
prior to the time God gathers them into His “barn.” The fruit, good or bad,
represents Christian growth, or lack of growth. The barn is a type of the
kingdom.
“The third parable depicts the kingdom beginning
as a tiny “grain of mustard seed” that grows into a great tree.
“This is followed by the parable of leaven,
depicting God’s kingdom as leaven spreading until it has permeated the dough
(the earth, all nations) that contains it.
“The fifth compares the kingdom to “hidden
treasure” found in a field. The finder sells all that he has to buy this field.
“The sixth parable describes the kingdom as the
“pearl of great price,” which a person buys after selling all that he has to
raise sufficient money for the purchase.
“The seventh and final parable of this one
chapter describes the kingdom as a “net” gathering all kinds of fish. The
“good” fish are kept—the “bad” are thrown away. Christ explains that the good
fish are those who enter the kingdom. The bad represent those burned (vs. 50) and destroyed in
a “furnace of fire” (the lake of fire).
“In each of these parables, the message is the
same. Some (not all) are willing to pay the price to be a Christian. They are
willing to spiritually grow and develop real Christian character so that they
may later inherit the eternal reward of becoming born (no longer merely
begotten) Sons of God—in the God Family—ruling with Him in the kingdom of God.
“There are many other New Testament parables.
Much of Christ’s teaching was through the use of these stories about common,
well-known things. They were intended to carry deep lessons about a Christian’s
calling, for those whose minds
have been opened by God to understand them. The parables of
the talents, penny, marriage supper, ten virgins, sheep and goats, unjust
judge, fig tree, lost sheep, lost coin, prodigal son, unjust steward, Lazarus
and the rich man, the good Samaritan and others, all involve or depict a
Christian entering the coming kingdom, or governing Family, of God at Christ’s
Second Coming. Space could be taken to more closely examine each parable and
demonstrate this. Though some are very short, and others quite long, the
purpose of most of Christ’s parables is essentially the same. For those who
follow Peter’s instruction to “grow in grace, and in…knowledge” (II Pet. 3:18), rulership in the
government of God under Christ is attainable.
“In
the Sermon on the Mount, Christ said, “But seek you first
the kingdom of God, and His righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). A Christian must
always strive toward these two inseparable goals. Notice that the first priority
is seeking the kingdom of God. But he must also develop God’s righteousness—His
divine character. Most of this sermon is an emphasis on character-building through
obedience to God’s Law.
“The apostle John
recorded Christ’s words: “In My Father’s house are many mansions [offices]…I
go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I
am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3).
“First, there are many “offices” in God’s “house”
(kingdom). Second, Christ is preparing these positions before He
“comes again.” Third, Christians are not going where He is to be
with Him—in heaven or anywhere else—because Jesus said, “I will come
again.” (Heaven has never been the reward of the saved.) The Christian is offered an inheritance
of rulership over the earth (Matt. 5:5)”
Next is also from another article of David C. Pack from the same online
source:
“Notice
Mark’s account once again! “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came
into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of
God.” That is the gospel Jesus preached. It was in this context that He had
said, “Repent you, and believe the gospel.” What gospel?—of the “Kingdom
of God.” Verse one refers to this very message when it says, “The beginning of
the gospel of Jesus Christ.” The gospel of Jesus Christ was about the Kingdom
of God—not something else! One must believe and understand that gospel
to be saved.
“Since Christ said the gospel was about the
kingdom of God, and men do not know what the kingdom of God is, they have
concluded that the kingdom may be a particular church denomination or
Christianity collectively. Others reduce it to a “warm feeling” in the “hearts
of people.” Still others believe that it is the “millennium” or even the
“British Empire.” Some have even concluded that the gospel of the kingdom of
God is not for mankind today! What incredible ignorance!
“Everywhere He went, Christ spoke about the
kingdom of God. It was the subject of most of His parables. When He
commissioned His twelve apostles and sent them to preach, the instruction was to
preach about the kingdom of God (Luke 9:1-2). When He later
sent out His seventy disciples (Luke 10:1), He also
commanded them to preach the kingdom of God (vs. 9). Paul preached
this same “kingdom of God” message everywhere he went (Acts 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31). The terms kingdom and
kingdom of God are found scores of times throughout the New
Testament. Yet, it is absolutely astonishing how nearly everyone has lost the
knowledge and true meaning of what this kingdom is!
“The word “gospel” is an old English word meaning
“god spell” or good news. The word “kingdom” is also an old English
term simply meaning government. In other words, Christ preached “the
good news of the government of God.” The coming of world
peace, happiness, health and abundance will certainly be good
news for a mankind that has not known it for 6,000 years. The other aspect of
the kingdom of God is Government. As mentioned, the word kingdom means government.
When the kingdom of God arrives, it will be a world-ruling Supergovernment.
The Bible describes this government in detail.
“All kingdoms consist of four parts: Territory, a
king (or ruler), subjects, and laws.
“In
Luke 17:20-21 Christ said, “The kingdom of God comes not with observation:
neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God
is within you.” Many read this verse and conclude, “Aha! God’s kingdom is
within me.” But is that what the verse really says?
“More
study shows that the phrase “within you” is a mistranslation. The New King
James margin says, “in your midst.” The New English Bible reads, “is among
you.” The Revised Standard Version says, “in the midst of you.” Christ was
telling these carnal men that His kingdom was in their presence. How? Christ
was referring to Himself. He represented God’s kingdom. While Jesus was a flesh
and blood man, He was also the Messiah. Born to become a king, He never sinned
or went against His Father’s will. He was, quite literally, the perfect
representative of God’s government.
“He
answered them, ‘The reign of God is not coming as you hope to catch
sight of it; no one will say, “Here it is” or “There it is,” for the reign of
God is now in your midst.’”
“Think of it this way: They were in the presence
of a direct representative who will “reign” in the coming kingdom of God. It
was Jesus who was standing “among” them. Clearly, Christ was
speaking of the kingdom of God, through Himself as its representative,
being right where they were standing” (From www.rcg.org, “What Is the Kingdom of God?” by
David C. Pack).
“The kingdom of God is the dominant theme of not
only the New Testament, but of the whole Bible. The word gospel is
found over 100 times in the Bible. Sometimes it is found alone, and sometimes
“of the kingdom” follows it. Other times, it includes “of the kingdom of
God,” or the equivalent phrase “of the kingdom of heaven.”
Throughout the New Testament, the word “kingdom” is found 27 times, “kingdom of
God” 75 times, and “kingdom of heaven” 34 times. All are clearly one and the
same. Note that it says, “of heaven,” not “in heaven.”
It is heaven’s kingdom, and there is a big difference between the two. Just as
kingdom of God means God’s kingdom—not the kingdom in God—the
same is true of the kingdom of heaven or heaven’s
kingdom. (From www.rcg.org,
“Which Is the True Gospel?” by David C. Pack).
“Jesus Christ was of
the royal House of David, and was in fact a King. The term "Christ"
means King -- hence, "Jesus the Christ" means "Jesus the
King." However, due to infighting amongst Jewish factions, and especially
due to Jesus's wish to unite Jews and Gentiles against the Roman occupation,
his far-sighted plans to liberate his homeland did not succeed… (From an online
article: Freedom Network (williambova.net).
Bloodline of the Holy Grail, Conspiracy Nation - Vol. 11 Num. 69).
“Apart from eventually becoming a fisher, Jesus was
also referred to as the Christ - a Greek definition
(from Khristos) which meant the King. In saying the
name Jesus Christ, we are actually saying King
Jesus, and his kingly heritage was of the Royal House of Judah (the House of David), as
mentioned numerous times in the Gospels and in the Epistles of St
Paul (From Bloodline of the
Holy Grail, “The Hidden Lineage of Jesus Revealed”, by Laurence Gardner: an
online article from www.bibliotecapleyades.net,
Karen Lyster Website).
When the gospel of Luke then says that “the kingdom of God is in your
midst”, it is a veiled reference to Jesus himself as the King, or the “Christ”,
of this kingdom of God.
Another online source
says: “Therefore, he (Jesus) was not making a botanical statement
of fact. Instead, he was drawing
attention to the comparison of the "smallest" to the
"largest" and using it to illustrate how the Kingdom of heaven will
expand in the world from a very small beginning to a huge presence (From:
Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM) online).
“The Parable of the Mustard Seed is
one of the shorter parables of
Jesus. It appears in three of
the Canonical gospels of the New Testament.In
the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, it is immediately followed by the Parable of the Leaven, which shares this
parable's theme of the Kingdom of
Heaven growing
from small beginnings. I. Howard
Marshall writes that
the parable "suggests the growth of the kingdom of God from tiny
beginnings to worldwide size” (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).
The First Reading is taken from Ezk 17:22-24. Verse 22 and 23 says: The Lord Yahweh says
this:g From the top of the
cedar, hfrom the highest branch I will take a shoot and plant it
myself on a very high mountain. I will plant it on the high mountain of Israel.
It will sprout branches and bear fruit, and become a noble cedar. Every kind of
bird will live beneath it, every winged creature rest in the shade of its
branches. Footnote g states
that “After the explanatory prose section
the poem is resumed and now foretells the future restoration, described as a
messianic age”; and h
says: “Hebr. adds ‘and I will give’, absent from version.”
Parallel texts are:
a.
Mt 13:32 - It is the smallest of all seeds, but
when it has grown it is the biggest shrub of all and becomes a tree so that the
birds of the air come and shelter in its branches.
b.
Lk 13:19 - It is like a mustard seed which a man
took and threw into his garden: it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the
air sheltered in its branches.
Verse
24 says: And every tree of the field
will learn that I, Yahweh, am the one who stunts tall trees and make the
withered green. I, Yahweh, have spoken, and I will do it.
Parallel texts are:
a.
Ps 113:7-9 - He raises the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the dunghill to give them a place with princes, with
the princes of his people. He enthrones the barren woman in her house by making
her the happy motherb of sons. Footnote b - Like Sarah,
Gn 16:1; 17:15-21; 18:9-15; 21:1-7, and Hannah, 1 S 1-2.
b.
Lk 1:51-53 - He has shown the power of his arm,
he has routed the proud of heart (v. 51). He has pulled down princes from their
thrones and exalted the lowly (v. 52). The hungry he has filled with good
things, the rich he sent empty away (v. 53).
The Second Reading
is taken also from 2 Cor 5:6-10.
Verse 6 says: We are always full of confidence then, when
we remember that to live in the body means to be exiled from the Lord.
Parallel text is 1 P
1:1+, 17 that says: Peter, apostle of
Jesus Christ, sends greetings to all those living among foreignersa
in the Dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have
been chosen(v.1). If you are acknowledging as your Father one who has no
favorites and judges everyone according to what he has done, you must be
scrupulously careful as long as you are living away from your home (v. 17).
Footnote a - They are in an alien environment that does not make the
practice of religion easy. This is also true of Christians in general. The
Christian’s city is heaven, Ph 3:20; Col 3:1-4; Heb 13:14; he is an exile on
earth, 2 Co 5:6; 1 P 1:17; he is a foreigner here, Ps 39:12; 119:19; Heb 11:13;
1 P 1:1; 2:11, on an exodus to the heavenly promised land, Heb 3:1-4:11.
Verse 7 says: going as we do by
faith and not by sign –
Parallel texts are:
a.
Rm 8:24 - For we must be content to hope that we
shall be savedn - our salvation is not in sight, we should not have
to be hoping for it if it were - … Footnote n - Lit ‘It is through
hope that we are saved’. The salvation is eschatological, cf. 5:1-11.
b.
1 Co 13:12 - Now we are seeing a dim reflection
in a mirror; but then we shall be seeing face to face. The knowledge that I
have now is imperfect; but then I shall know as fully as I am known.d
Footnote d – I.e., by God.
Verse 8 says: we are full of
confidence, I say, and actually want to be exiled from the body and make our
home with the Lord.c Footnote c – says: “here and in Ph 1:23 Paul has in mind a union
of Christians with Christ on the death of each individual. This does not
contradict the biblical doctrine of the final universal resurrection, Rm 2:6+;
1 Co 15:44+, but this expectation of happiness for the soul that has left the
body after death betrays the influence of Greek thought, an influence already
making itself felt in the Judaism of the period, cf. Lk 16:22; 23:43; 1 P
3:19+. Cf also the texts referring to ecstatic states when the soul is ‘out of
the body’, 2 Co 12:2f; cf. Rv 1:10; 4:2; 17:3, 21:10.”
Parallel text is Ph 1:21-23 that
says: Life to me, of course, is Christ, but then death would bring me something
more (v. 21); but then again, if living in this body means doing work which is
having good results - I do not know what I should choose (v. 22). I am caught
in this dilemma: I want to be gone and be with Christ,j which would
be very much the better (v. 23).
Footnote j - As in 2
Co 5:8+, this supposes that the (good) Christian who dies is with Christ at
once without any temporal gap between death and ‘last judgment’.
Verse 9 and 10 say: Whether we are living in the body or exiled from
it, we are intent on pleasing him.
For all the truth about us will be brought out in the law court of
Christ, and each of us will get what he deserves for the things he did in the
body, good or bad.
Parallel text are:
a.
Mt 25:19,31f - Now a long time after, the master
of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them (v. 19).
When the Son of Man comes in glory,e escorted by all the angels,
then he will take his seat on his throne of glory (v. 31) All the nationsf
will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the
shepherd separates sheep from goats (v. 32). Footnote e states that:
“The perspective changes: it is now a
question of Christ’s last coming at the end of the world”; and f
says that: “Every human being of every
period of history. The resurrection of the dead is presupposed though not
mentioned, cf. 10:15; 11:22,24; 12:41f”
b.
Rm 14:10 - This is also why you should never
pass judgment on a brother or treat him with contempt, as some of you have
done. We shall all have to stand before the judgment seat of God.b Footnote b - Who alone knows
the secrets of the heart, cf 2:16; 1 Co 4:3f.
c.
Jn 5:27 - …and, because he is the Son of Man,
has appointed him supreme judge.
d.
Heb 11:6 - Now it is impossible to please God
without faith, since anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and
rewards those who try to find him. c Footnote c says that: “The faith that is essential for salvation
has two objects: belief in the existence of one personal God, Ws 13:1, who by
his very nature cannot be seen, Jn 1:18; Rm 1:20; Col 1:15; 1 Tm 1:17; 6:16; Jn
20:29; 2 Co 5:7;, and belief that God will pay a just wage for all efforts
spent in searching for him: cf. Mt 5:12p; 6:4,6,18; 10:41fp; 16:27; 10:1-16;
25:31-46; Lk 6:35; 14:14; Rm 2:6; 1 Co 3:8,14; 2 Co 5:10; Ep 6:8; 2 Tm 4:8,14;
1 P 1:17; 2 Jn 8; Rv 2:23; 1:18; 14:13; 20:12-13; 22:12.”
(My Book in Manuscript: Form Initiating Into the Christian Mysteries,
“On the Work of Forming Church Ministers”:
p. 134.
It is in the fact that
people’s eyes and ears have never been opened and cured of their blindness and
deafness so that they could see and love the other with the light of Christ and
could listen to the word of God instructing them how to live and interpret the
different situations that happen in their life. Their hearts have not become
good earth because they have not been trained to be humble like the good earth
so that the seed which is the Word of God can germinate, grow into a tree, and
bear the fruit a hundred fold.
P. 135. What
assistance indeed which could be given to an ancient gnarled and weather-beaten
tree so that even in old age they would still bring forth flower in spring and
produce their fruits in summer. What fertilizer that has been invented or the
greatest diligence of human hands to care for such a tree so as to titillate
its calloused barks to show forth new buds, when even the most balanced
temperament of nature cannot force it to open to cover itself with new leaves.
Old trees are not meant for flower and fruits. Their stage of productivity is
gone forever. But they are maintained and preserved in the orchard however
because of the quality of their wood, especially when the tree is big and
upright, which had been mellowed by sheer age and hardened by prolonged
exposure to the elements and all weather conditions and colored and sweetened
with exquisite texture and aroma by continuous blossoming and fruition, so that
once cut down and sawed their wood will make precious elaborate furniture and
artifices, enduring objects of human admiration. A tree who has not grown into
maturity and uprightness, nor has borne fruits in their time, is good only for
fuel, to be consumed by fire and reduced to ashes and decay, or to be set aside
in a corner to rot and be forgotten completely.
p. 136. This is a mark
of true faith, when a priest should die in the performance of his Christian and
ministerial duties faithfully up to the last breath and last minute of his
earthly life, in as much as a worthy tree becomes one only when he permits
himself to be cut down, so also a worthy priest becomes one if he permits
others to utilize him for a good end, in the spirit of ultimate sacrifice.
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