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11B – 17 Jun 2018
Seeds and Growth
Message by: Fr Richard M Healey
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As Jesus has wandered around Galilee preaching about the Kingdom of God, he has been receiving very mixed responses and reactions. In the light of this, he begins to teach the crowds in parables about growth.
The two that we have today are very similar and closely linked to the everyday experience of the people that he is speaking with – sowing seeds and growing plants. He wants the people to understand how amazingly wonderful the kingdom of God really is. Tiny little seeds can produce a great abundance of food, and trees that grow large and tall to offer both us and the birds of the air both shade and places to nest. It all seems simple and straight forward.
Yet the Gospel writer Mark tells us that Jesus would speak to the crowds using parables but explain everything later to the disciples in private. This suggests we need to look a little more closely. How does the seed grow? Just as the farmer goes to bed each night and each morning rises to work, so also the seed. New beginnings may not look like much but if we are faithful to the power and potential of God we will also rise to new life with the dawn of the third day. Yes, this is resurrection language and power. Sometimes we can stress over a lack of success and public recognition – but Jesus teaches us today that if we are faithful to letting him work, then God will always come through with the growth in the end.
+ Lord God help us to remain faithful as your workers and give you space to continue silently working in the world around us. Amen.
