August 9, 2023

Matthew 13:31-33

The Gospel lesson in Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 sees Jesus comparing the power of faith with a mustard seed.   

A mustard seed is tiny, about 1 - 2 mm in diameter.  It might seem to be almost nothing.  Yet, this tiny seed produces a tree which can grow up to 25 feet tall, providing shade in the desert and a place where birds can nest.   Many other things start small but become powerful.   Our bodies grew from just a few cells.  Our nation originated from smaller groups of people coming together.   What about an idea?  Think of how many ideas started as a simple question - what if we do this?  The idea then gained power as more people listened.   

That is what God wants us to do.   

Think about the disciples, a tiny band of men.  They were frightened after the crucifixion and likely wanted to stay hidden.   They might have felt that Jesus' ministry was over.   Yet they went out and preached, and Jesus' message spread to every continent.  This was before the internet, before there was reliable transportation, and before people moved freely about the world. 

This is what God tells us to do.   He wants us to have a tiny little bit of faith - to say, "what if" or "what can we do next."  The disciples might have stopped after speaking with just a few people.   But they didn't.   The message continued to grow and continued to spread until it touched the entire world.

Today, it is not so much about spreading the message across continents, but about spreading the message to neighbors.  They might be people who haven't heard, or those who don't want to hear.   Perhaps they have metaphorically put their fingers in their ears, overwhelmed by the noise in today's world.   But today, we are the mustard seed.  We are the ones that Jesus is counting on.

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Homily summary by Christine Castellano