Parables of the Kingdom

Parables of the Kingdom

16^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mt 13: 24 – 43

Introduction

Today’s reading presents to us three parables. As Jesus said, parables unlock the secrets of the Kingdom that have remained hidden from the world.

The Gospel

²⁴ He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵ but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. ²⁶ So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. ²⁷ And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ ²⁸ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ²⁹ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. ³⁰ Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

³¹ He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; ³² it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

³³ He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

³⁴ Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. ³⁵ This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:

“I will open my mouth to speak in parables;
    I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.”

³⁶ Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” ³⁷ He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; ³⁸ the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, ³⁹ and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰ Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, ⁴² and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

Reflection

Today’s reading is about the kingdom of God told to us in very simple terms by Jesus. These simple stories are called parables. Parables are short and easy to understand but are loaded with meaning and insight. Jesus gave us a window from which to view the kingdom of God in order to illuminate our knowledge and understanding of it through parables. These parables, Jesus says, are the medium by which we discover what has remained hidden from the foundation of the world (v 34).

In today’s reading there are three parables presented to us. They are: the parable of the weeds among the wheat, the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast. From these three parables, we gain insights about the kingdom of God. Here are some of those insights:

First, the kingdom has simple beginnings. The kingdom’s beginnings are so simple that they easily can be compared to the seeds that a sower sows into the field or to a tiny mustard seed or to yeast on a batch of dough. The use of the ordinary and commonplace things we see in daily life makes it easy for us to understand that the kingdom of God is not all at once grand and enormous. It is simple in origin. It starts off as tiny, imperceptible and almost insignificant in scale; it is inconspicuous and really quite ordinary. It is here where one can say that God’s kingdom comes from humble beginnings. These humble qualities of the kingdom say much about who runs this kingdom. God who is almighty and all powerful, adored by all the heavenly hosts, is after all humble himself. Humility, therefore, is a hallmark of this kingdom.

Second, the kingdom has clear big goals. While the kingdom may start off small and imperceptible, the kingdom’s goal is quite the opposite; its aim is to become larger in scale.  A simple seed yields a harvest, a tiny mustard seed becomes the largest tree; and the yeast increases the dough far greater than its original size. The kingdom’s goal is to grow much larger than how it first began. This growth and expansion, however, need not be taken negatively or in an expansionist or invasive sense. The kingdom’s growth and expansion produces abundance (as in the harvest of the wheat); it produces respite, belongingness and inclusivity (as when the birds of the sky find home in it); and food and nourishment (as more bread is possible for the increased batch of dough). In effect, the kingdom affects humanity in all aspects of life, enriching, nurturing and caring for it. 

The transition of the kingdom of God from being small to eventually becoming extremely large and abundant shows the kingdom’s inner dynamic. The kingdom has an imperceptible, hidden power within itself. This innate power makes it possible for the seeds sown in the field to yield a rich harvest, or the small mustard seed to grow into the largest of trees, or a tiny yeast able to increase a batch of dough many times its size. The kingdom transforms the face of the earth in no small way and it shapes the physical world in quite a visible and positive way.  

But while the kingdom has an inner power of its own, it doesn’t grow unhampered. The parable also mentions the weeds sown by the enemy. Notwithstanding the various schemes of the enemy that may stifle the growth of the kingdom, the kingdom progresses and advances. The owner of the field, who is God himself, has enough confidence not to be threatened by any stratagems or schemes devised by the enemy. God’s confidence is such that he allows the weeds to grow together with the wheat, not setting things right immediately, but letting both weeds and wheat co-exist until harvest time. Evil is not a threat to the kingdom. Instead, the kingdom looks forward to the time when in the end, God’s justice is served.

These parables help us look inwardly at ourselves. Jesus once told us that “the kingdom of God is in you.” We are God’s kingdom. If this were so, these parables then invite us to consider the following:

First, humility is a hallmark of the kingdom. God’s kingdom doesn’t shy away from little and small beginnings or from small and little efforts. The ordinary things that we do, done lovingly for God, make inroads to the establishment of God’s kingdom.

Second, the ordinary things we do shape the world. They first shape our families which in turn affect our neighborhood, our society and the world. Believe in the power of the kingdom and in how it affects our lives and the physical world.

Third, like the confidence of God himself in the parable, let us not be afraid of evil. Let us continue the good we do, knowing that in the end, God will set things right in his time.

Prayer

Jesus, bless me and the work that I do at home and at work so that whatever I do, I may help advance your kingdom and bring about the transformation that you alone can do. Give me confidence even in the face of evil, persevering in doing what is good until you come in glory. Amen.

“… nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.” – Luke 17: 21