Luke 13:18-21

Ephesians 5:21-33

Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

Luke 13:18-21

Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like?

To what can I compare it?

It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.

When it was fully grown, it became a large bush

and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.”

Again he said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?

It is like yeast that a woman took

and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour

until the whole batch of dough was leavened.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, your Kingdom has grown throughout the world and welcomed all nations, and yet it needs to continue to grow in the world. I beg you today: Reign in my heart! Reign in my family! Reign in my community!

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Mustard Seed and the Kingdom: One way to understand Jesus’ parables is as comparisons. Jesus teaches that just as the mustard seed is small and grows into a large shrub, so the Kingdom of God will begin with a small group in Galilee and Jerusalem but grow to international dimensions throughout human history. As well, just as the mustard seed was not normally something you would plant in your garden, as it is a very invasive plant, so also the Kingdom of God is not a normal kingdom and will spread throughout the garden of the world. And just as the fully grown mustard plant can welcome the birds of the sky, the Kingdom of God, when fully grown, will welcome people from every nation and will not be exclusive to Israel and Judah. We can also discern a contrast in Jesus’ parable. Adam and Eve were cast out of the first garden, Eden, because of their sin and were unable to eat from the old Tree of Life. By contrast, in the Kingdom of God, sinners are welcomed into the new garden planted by the New Adam, Jesus Christ. Sins are forgiven, and those who dwell in the new garden of the Kingdom are given to eat from the new Tree of Life, the Eucharist.

2. Yeast and the Kingdom: In the second parable, Jesus compares the effect of the Kingdom of God in the world to the effect of yeast in the dough. There is a difference between the leaven or yeast of the Pharisees (Luke 12:1) and the leaven or yeast of the Kingdom. The leaven of the Pharisees is their hidden hypocrisy that Jesus calls out and brings into the light. By contrast, the leaven of the Kingdom of God is the grace and charity of the Spirit that is hidden and invisible in the dough of society. Although hidden, the effects of divine grace will soon be manifested. Unlike the leaven of the Pharisees, which corrupts and produces bad fruit, the leaven of the Kingdom will bring about a more just and charitable society. The poor will be cared for, the hungry will be fed, sinners will repent, and men and women will come to know and love the God who created and redeemed them.

3. Be Subordinate to One Another: In the First Reading, from the Letter to the Ephesians, Paul proclaims the great mystery and sacrament of marriage. Paul emphasizes the need for mutual love, mutual subordination, and respectful deference in a marriage but also exhorts wives and husbands distinctly. He implicitly recognizes how men and women normally manifest characteristic differences – psychologically, biologically, physically, emotionally – and yet complement one another. Unlike other first-century writers, who exhorted a wife to obey her husband as a slave to a master, Paul approaches marriage differently. He looks to the relationship between Christ and his bride, the Church, as his model. He speaks of mutual deference instead of unilateral obedience. He invites the married couple to sacrificial love instead of control and domination of one by the other.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, your word is a seed planted in my heart. I want it to grow and flourish. I want to be transformed by your word. I want to transform the world around me through justice, charity, and mercy. Enlighten my mind to know your Gospel principles and how to apply them in my life.

Living the Word of God: How can I grow in respectful deference and sacrificial love with my spouse? What are the small things I do that I know annoy my spouse? What can I work on and correct? How is our communication? What can we improve? Do we pray together? Do we pray for each other?