Jesus is revealing the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven through parables. St. Mark describes two small parables of Jesus: The parable of the seed that grows on its own accord and the parable of the mustard seed. These are simple stories that convey a great spiritual message. The unknown realities of heaven are revealed to those who are paying attention, and also hidden from those who are not. Jesus takes most of the images from the ordinary life of the people. Here, after planting the seeds on his farm, the man goes on with his life as usual. Even though he does not know how the plant receives life, he plays a significant role in its growth by providing everything for its nourishment. It is a reality that with all the advancement of technology and science, many aspects of life remain a mystery to us. Now we realize that God has inserted certain powers in the seed to grow and mature to share his life in various ways.
The man who planted the seeds believes that his work will not go without fruits. He has a certain trust in the power of the seed and the cooperation of the soil. The mustard seed is so small, but it also has great potential for life inserted in it. It has the power to break open the soil and then, according to Jesus, it “becomes the largest of plants” (Mk. 4:32). The seed is small and weak, but that weakness is its strength when it breaks open itself into the world with full of life.
The Kingdom of God consists of weak people, but when we join ourselves to God we have great strength. In our times, physically weak people like Mother Theresa, Maximilian Kolbe, or Archbishop Oscar Romero have transformed the world with their spiritual strength. Everything became possible to them when they submitted their lives to God’s hands. It is through these small mustard seeds, God shows his power in this world. They seem weak externally, but they have unimaginable strength since they are connected to Christ.
We may also think that we are powerless to face the challenges of the present world. As we entrust our fears to God, all the obstacles in our way are removed. God has inserted in each one of us great power and strength. We are the miracle of God who should produce great fruits for the Kingdom of God. The growth of the Kingdom of God is a divine work, not a human achievement. St. Paul writes: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth” (1 Cor. 3:6-7).
Rhonda Byrne an Australian television writer and producer has created a film and then published a book called The Secret. The book has sold 20 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 50 languages. It is based on the certain law of attraction which claims that our thoughts can change the world. She claims that thinking constantly about certain things will make them happen in one’s life. If you are constantly thinking
Rev. Dr. Mathew Charthakuzhiyil