The Gospel Proclamation ... He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade. With many such parables he spoke the word to them , as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
Prayerful Awareness When John was put into prison, Jesus came to Galilee and started preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and His very first words were “the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand.” (Mark 1/14-15) Further in Luke 11/20 Jesus said to some people who challenged Him that “If I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” When these two sayings of Jesus are put together, it is quite clear that what He meant is that with His coming and with His presence, the dawn of the Kingdom of God has started. Making it a little more clear He went on to tell the Pharisees who failed to accept Him that the Kingdom of God does not come with observation. It will be like a plant in the garden which with rain, rays of the sun and good soil will grow without being noticed. Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed which when sown on the ground is smaller than all other seeds. Similarly the Kingdom of God will have a small beginning unseen and unnoticed. As we sleep by night and rise up by the day, God will keep the kingdom growing like the mustard seed without being observed by most of the people but with the participation of a selected few who will take care of it by working for it. When the mustard seed is grown in full it becomes larger than all other trees giving shelter to all the birds in the air. Similarly the Kingdom of God that has dawned on us with the incarnation of Jesus has a steady growth with large communities of believers all over the world deserving the inheritance of the Kingdom being transformed into a glorious and spiritual state of eternal existence.
Prayer Starter The mustard seed required good soil, water and the rays of the sun to grow to be the largest tree. Jesus is the seed of the Kingdom of God and He, Himself is the sower of the seed by His preaching and teaching. The blood He shed on the Cross has watered the seed to sprout and grow. We have to be the good soil, where it has to grow. The Holy Spirit will promote the growth of the Kingdom of God spreading it to cover the entire world, like the rays of the sun giving energy to the mustard plant to grow to be the biggest tree. O Holy Spirit we need Your constant assistance to make the necessary sacrifices to bring about the full dawn of the Kingdom.
