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WORD AMONG US WAU.ORG Reflections
Daily Meditation: Matthew 13:24-43
The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. (Matthew 13:31)
In his parables, Jesus often made use of familiar, everyday objects to capture his listeners’ imagination and help them see God’s work from a new perspective. In today’s Gospel, he uses a tiny mustard seed to illustrate the surprising nature of God’s kingdom. “It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet . . . . becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches’” (Matthew 13:32). Great things, Jesus is saying, can come from small beginnings.
We see this principle play out in the history of the Church. From their hiding place in the upper room, Jesus’ disciples took the message of his resurrection to the whole world. Through the power of the Spirit and the preaching of those first apostles, the Church grew—and continues to grow—in phenomenal ways.
Sometimes, though, God’s work may have such tiny, unimpressive beginnings and grow so slowly that we barely notice it. This tends to be true in our spiritual lives, too. That kind of growth is often hidden, like the yeast that the woman put into “three measures” of flour (Matthew 13:33). We may not see dramatic signs of Christian maturity in ourselves or our loved ones right away. On the contrary, it can be easy to spot the “weeds” in our lives and our world that seem to take root and grow so quickly. And that can be discouraging!
That’s why Jesus encourages us to remember the mustard seed. He wants us to trust in the goodness of the seed of faith he has placed within us and in his Church. He wants us to keep looking for the green shoots of his kingdom. And he wants us to keep asking for the grace to nurture their growth in ourselves and the people around us.
So don’t worry! God’s work often starts off small and slow. He is faithful, and his seed will bear fruit!
“Lord Jesus, thank you that your grace is always at work. Help me to see it.”
Wisdom 12:13, 16-19
Psalm 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16
Romans 8:26-27
