Eleventh Sunday Homily of the Ordinary Time – Year B
Readings: Ezek I7:22-24, 2 Cor 5:6-I0, Mk 4:26-34
1st Reading – Ezekiel 17:22-24
22 Thus says the Lord GOD: I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, and plant it on a high and lofty mountain;
23 on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it. It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.
24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom. As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.
Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16
R. (cf. 2a) Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
2 It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
3 To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your faithfulness throughout the night.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
13 The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
14 They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
15 They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
16 Declaring how just is the LORD,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
2nd Reading – 2 Corinthians 5:6-10
6 Brothers and sisters: We are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
8 Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.
9 Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower.
All who come to him will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel – Mark 4:26-34
26 Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
27 and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.
28 Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29 And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.”
30 He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it?
31 It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
32 But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
34 Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
Homily
Tiny Seeds, Tall Trees
“It will sprout branches and bear fruit,
and become a noble cedar” (Ezck)
Chinese bamboo seeds are amazing. The seeds lie buried in the soil for five years before any shoots appear above the ground. However, after continuously watering the ground and putting manure on it, hey presto, in just 6 weeks the bamboo plant grows to a height of around 90 feet. How come? Botanists say that, unseen and unknown, the seeds germinate and develop strong roots that eventually break out and produce tall bamboos. So it is with the kingdom of God – and with any kingdom, for that matter.
The first reading cites Ezekiel’s allegory of the cedar tree. The cedar here is symbolic of David’s kingdom, which God promises to restore alter the Exile. The “shoot” (see lsa ll:l) refers to a descendant of Jehoiachin, the last Davidic king before the Exile. The birds and beasts represent the nations of the earth. This prophecy indicates that the Davidic kingdom will be more than mere restoration of the status quo before the Exile; indeed, it refers to the full realization of the messianic kingdom. The prophesy finds its fulfillment in the kingdom of Christ, of which the Church is a foretaste.
Jesus uses parables to explain the kingdom of God. Today’s gospel passage contains two short parables – the seed growing secretly and the mustard seed. Each parable contains a simple, single message. The first parable seeks to inculcate trust in Jesus because in Him God’s kingdom is already taking root and growing. Invisible, at first, the seeds of this kingdom will eventually reap a bountiful harvest. Jesus probably directs this parable towards violent groups like the zealots who advocate armed revolt against Roman power.
The parable of the mustard seed – like the first – also speaks of growth with the added stress that the enormity of the tree so strikingly contrasts the smallness of the seed. The seed symbolizes the insignificant beginnings of Jesus’ ministry, while the huge tree suggests the final cosmic event of the fulfillment of God’s kingdom. The only difference between the two. parables, then, is that the first emphasizes that the farmer can do nothing to produce or hasten growth, while the second emphasizes the contrast between the small beginnings and the overwhelming final consummation.
Like Jesus, Paul also uses the language of sowing and. seeds “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (l Cor 3:6), and “What is sown is perishable, what is aised is imperishable” (I Cor l5:42). ln today’s second reading, Paul speaks of “getting what one deserves” for the things one does in one’s body, good or bad. This sounds like: “As you sow, so shall you reap.”
We could think about growth at many levels. First, as individuals, we must be careful about what we sow. Even mall and insignificant matters at the beginning – whether good or bad – can have monumental effects at the end. A small bad habit might progressively worsen and weaken our personality. Conversely, a tiny good deed could reap rich recompense.
Secondly, the readings preach patience. This is primarily a sin of many parents, today. Everyone wants to see their daughter or son grow up rich and powerful, fast. There’s this woman who, when asked how old her children were, would answer: “The doctor is four years old and the lawyer is five.”
Thirdly, at the family level, we must sow good seeds – daily prayer, reading of God’s word and the like. Our children will imbibe all these as they grow up. Finally, as community and church, we must realize that even our small insignificant efforts will go a long way towards building bigger vibrant communities. Too often has the Church identified itself with the kingdom of God. It is rather the servant of the kingdom. Like a large oak or banyan tree that invites all birds to rest and nest in its branches and savour its fruit, so must the Church be open and inviting to all. Remember, no matter what we sow – for ourselves or in our family, church or world – God, ultimately; is The Supreme Sower and it is God’s Spirit who will fructify our little seeds and feed us at the “Tree of Life” (Rev 2:7).