11th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B – 13th June 2021 — Gospel: Mark 4,26-34
Inevitable Growth for a New Order
Mark introduces the two parables with explicit mention of “the kingdom of God.” One turns on the everyday mystery of growing seed and the other about the mustard plant that grows with exaggeration and incongruity. In both, Jesus speaks about seeds to indicate that God’s new order will take root and eventually come to completion, whether people like it or not. The parables insist that the reign of God will not remain secretive forever, nor does its ultimate emergence depend on humanity’s ingenuity, social engineering, pietistic intensity, moral virtue, or spiritual cleverness.
The first seed reminds us that we cannot make the seed grow; in fact, we cannot even explain how it grows. However, it produces its intended fruit. The seed begins to grow – mysteriously, imperceptibly but invincibly. From a small beginning, a great harvest develops. The parable also intends to encourage the disciples in their responsibility to keep sowing the seed. They may sleep by night and rise by day, but they must know that God’s Word will not return void, but will accomplish what was intended for it to do. The parable presents that it takes a good deal of faith to be a farmer, and also a good deal of patience. Finally it is reassuring that “we will reap a harvest time, if we do not give up.”
The second parable gives the disciples both warning and encouragement. It encourages that, from the very small beginnings, the kingdom will grow eventually in size and in influence. While a mustard seed is not the smallest seed in the world, it was probably the smallest seed that the Jews sowed in their gardens. It was a traditional symbol of that which is tiny. We can’t see the tree inside of the seed, but its potential is already there. Only God can see the full potential of its growth. Jesus began to preach about his kingdom with twelve apostles. Later, there were as many as five hundred believers (1 Cor 15,6). Peter won three thousand at Pentecost, and throughout the book of Acts, that number steadily increased (Acts 4,4; 5,14; 6,1&7). In spite of the sins and weaknesses of the church, the message is carried forward and one day, saints from every nation shall worship before His throne (Rev 5,9).
The growth of the seed is only one part of the story; we must also account for the birds in the branches. In the parable of the sower and soils (Mk 4,15), the birds stood for Satan, who snatches the seed. As a warning, Jesus points out that the growth of the kingdom will not result in the conversion of the world. In fact, some of the growth will give opportunity for Satan to get in and do its work. There was Judas in the disciple band, and Ananias and Sapphira were in the fellowship with the Jerusalem Church (Acts 5,1-11). Simon Magus was part of the church in Samaria (Acts 8,1-24), and Satan’s ministers boldly invaded the Corinthian church (2 Cor 11,13-15).
