PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM

In the Gospel of Matthew (13:24-30), Jesus gives three parables or images of the kingdom that illustrate God’s reign. In the parable of the weeds among the wheat, it acknowledges the coexistence of good and evil. The slaves asked the master, “Where have the weeds come from?” They knew that the master only sowed good seeds. It is very significant to us because we also ask the question, “If God is the supreme good, why is there so much evil in the world?” The parable reveals that God is the owner of the field. He is not responsible of the weeds. But the enemy is real. God allows evil to bring about greater good. He does not reveal His power by moving quickly, by control or by eliminating evil. He reveals His power by waiting. He waits because what He wants most is not condemnation but conversion. Yet conversion is a very gradual process. It is a life long journey. Thus, the first parable calls for a great measure of tolerance, patience and understanding. We are and will always be a sinful Church. Each one of us is a combination of weeds and wheat. The second parable is the parable of the mustard seed. It shows that the work of the kingdom has tiny beginnings but will have a remarkable growth. God delights in small beginnings because love cannot be forced. It only grows patiently, freely on its own terms. No matter how small the beginnings, if we are faithful to the spirit and values of the kingdom, we can be sure that difficult obstacles, threats and even dangers can be overcome. God’s love will ultimately prevail. He will never abandon us. In the third parable of the yeast that works its effect in flour, it shows that the presence of the yeast cannot be easily detected because it is totally blended with and part of its environment. The yeast has energy of its own which produces a remarkable influence of growth in the whole. Therefore, we are not called to focus on the result of our actions. We are called to leave the worrying to the Lord of the harvest. What God can make of our efforts is more than we can imagine. He makes all things beautiful in His time. He is always in control and in charge. We are called to see with the eyes of God. We need to have the same mind and heart of Jesus like the saints. We need wisdom so that we see the great pattern of things from the standpoint of God. That is why we ask the Holy Spirit to recreate us so that we learn to rely on God alone, the only way to be strong and to be fully alive.