Of mustard seeds and yeast

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”

He spoke to them another parable. “The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfil what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world. (Mt 13, 31-35)

Jesus often delivered his teaching through short stories he told that were normally inspired by real life events. He did not speak in parables so as to hide truths from the uninitiated, or those who were not his followers. He was teaching the crowds, and he wanted them to understand his message. However, a little earlier Jesus told his disciples: “The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’ The stories he told were quite simple but only those who were ready to listen could understand them. In some cases Jesus ended his stories saying: “Let anyone with ears listen!” Those who found it difficult to understand but really wanted to, asked Jesus to explain his parable and, as a good teacher, he did.

I think it is important to remember that we have the story Jesus told, and we have the story as narrated by the gospel writer. It will help our reflection if we keep in mind that Jesus is the story-teller and that the evangelist is not a reporter from a news agency but a preacher of the Good News. And this makes a great difference.

Now, if we read only the parables presented to us in today’s liturgy, we will have two short stories about the Kingdom of heaven. If we read them in context we could see that Matthew has some other things in mind.

Matthew starts chapter 13 with the parable of the sower. Good seed was sown but people had different reactions to the truth being preached. Jesus seems to be explaining the reason why his message was not being accepted as his messengers had expected it to be. In a second parable Jesus spoke about the weeds that appeared among the grain and how this was the work of the enemy. It seemed that the enemy was winning the contest. He was not! His plot was doomed. It would only work till harvest time, which is not necessarily the end-of-times, but in God’s due time. God patiently gives people time to convert from their behaviour.

These two parables were like a snapshot of the reality the early Christian community was living, and this reality was not very beautiful. In fact, people were being expelled from their homes and countries and they were persecuted and killed because of their adherence to God’s plan as presented by Jesus Christ. These ‘snapshots’ appear frequently in our times as news agencies inform us about the fate of so many Christians who are forced to leave their homeland or are killed. Hatred against Christians is on the increase and so many people in authority do not seem to care at all.

This is the feeling we have in our days; this would have been the feeling of the Christian communities to whom the gospel writers were preaching the Good News. The devil’s work was and continues to be an effort to discourage the faithful and to give the impression that he is in command. These parables tell us that he is not! Christ is the Lord, and he shall bide his time for he is not in a hurry to judge and condemn.

He tells us that a mustard seed is really very small. It will take its time to grow and give shelter to the birds of the sky that would dwell in its branches. A woman takes a measure of yeast and she mixes it in the right proportion to wheat flour and gives the mixture time for the whole batch to be leavened.

Jesus asks us to trust him. He is not the one to create the problems we face. Many of these are the result of our decisions. He asks us to listen to him and sow our mustard seed, put into good use the faith we have, be it as small as a mustard seed. He asks us to mix our measure of yeast and not keep our faith to ourselves. Once Jesus said: You are the salt of the earth: you should not lose your saltiness. You are the light of the world: you should not hide your light. He invites us to let our light shine and to give good taste to our own and to other peoples’ lives so that all “may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven”.

Sometimes we ask: Why is it that God allows Christians to be persecuted and killed and good innocent people to suffer? Does he not bother or isn’t he as powerful as the Bible says? I do not know the answer, but I trust God and his Christ. That is why I keep praying and asking for peace and justice.

Perhaps we should ask a different question: “Are we sowing our small mustard seed? Are we mixing our measure of yeast? Or do we only get angry at God for he is not doing what we think he should do? Are we doing our part?”

So let us not give in to discouragement, this is what the devil wants. Let us trust Christ and his words for he is the Lord. Let us ask that his will be done and that we participate in this mission.