Sermon: Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Mark 4:26-34
June 16, 2024
Faith-La Fe Lutheran Church
Pastor Veronica Alvarez
The experience of planting a tree is certainly very rewarding. Placing a seed or a small plant in the ground allows us to have a future vision of a thriving tree that will give shade and fruit to future generations. This simple act profoundly reflects God's work in our lives and in the community of faith.
In our first reading from the prophet Ezekiel, we see that for God the image of planting a tree is a powerful way of showing us his vision of a thriving and renewed humanity.
Ezekiel presents a beautiful image of hope and restoration. God promises to take a sprout from the tall cedar and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. This sprout will grow into a majestic tree.
In our lives, we may sometimes feel like a small sprout, unimportant or insignificant, we may even feel powerless in the face of everything that is going on in the world today.
But God knows our potential. Just as He promised to make that sprout big, He can take our lives and transform them into something beautiful and powerful for His kingdom. Baptism is the beginning of this transformation, a spiritual rebirth that plants us firmly in God's kingdom.
Images of farming life are common in the Bible the first century communities were totally dependent on the land. In that context, stories about harvests, good soil and barren soils, the joy of rain and the blessing of abundant fruit are frequent. Although our reality today is different, these farming images still have a special value in our spiritual experiences.
A high mountain, a leafy tree, a spring of clear water and the simplicity of sheep have equivalents in our spiritual life.
The cedar mentioned by Ezekiel may represent the firm and convinced believer who has grown in the knowledge and love of the Lord, to such an extent that his example is worthy of imitation.
It is not by chance that in our pastoral language we speak of planting, renewing, growing and bearing fruit. Our mission is to provide the necessary conditions for sustained spiritual growth in each person.
When we as a faith community nurture an intimate relationship with God and build strong, supportive relationships among us, we become like a leafy tree. This tree provides shade (comfort and protection) and refreshment (spiritual rejuvenation) to all who come near, embodying a living vision of care and hospitality in action. St. Paul tells us: "Therefore, the one who is united to Christ is a new person. The old things have passed away; they have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Our faith is founded on the person of the risen Christ. The same Lord who in his earthly mission had as the center of his preaching the proclamation of the kingdom of God. Both for those who lived in Jesus' time and for us today, it is not so easy to understand the kingdom of God that Jesus shows us. The parables that Jesus used allow us to grasp a little of the reality of the kingdom of God. The mustard seed, for example, plays an essential role in the parable because of its tiny and seemingly insignificant size.
Imagine a tiny mustard seed, barely visible in the palm of one's hand. This tiny, seemingly insignificant seed is the perfect metaphor for Jesus' followers. They are a group of people with their own doubts and fears, unable to fully understand Jesus' message. Yet God calls them, chooses them and uses their strengths, their talents and even their weaknesses to proclaim the Kingdom of love that God has wanted for his children since the creation of the world.
The parable of the mustard seed teaches us that the Kingdom of God does not depend on apparent greatness or strength, nor on the perfection of us as His followers. On the contrary, it is built on the foundation of the small, humble and seemingly insignificant. God takes the smallest seed and transforms it into a large, leafy plant that provides sustenance and shelter for all. In the same way, our seemingly insignificant lives can make a big difference if we live them for the Gospel, with intention and trust that out of the smallest He can do great things.
Many times we hear this parable and focus on whether we have too much or too little faith, or that our faith is not as strong. This parable grounded in reality while encouraging the followers of Jesus, those of yesterday and today, and reminds us that our faith does not have to be large or powerful enough to be significant. God can and will use even our doubts and fears to carry out His plan of salvation. All that is needed is a little faith, just a little, and God will take care of the rest.
Jesus proposes to us that the kingdom of God is a project marked by several stages. Like the seed that needs soil to germinate, the kingdom of God must first reach the human heart. The power of the Holy Spirit is responsible for strengthening it until it reaches maturity. The kingdom of God comes to life when each Christian sees himself as a builder of that kingdom of God.
Think of how small acts of kindness can have a big impact. A smile, a word of encouragement, a kind gesture, a shoulder to cry on or just being there for someone may seem insignificant, but in the kingdom of God, these small acts can grow and have a transforming impact. Baptism is one of these "small beginnings" that transforms our lives and, through us, the world around us.
But this parable also challenges us to look beyond appearances, and to trust in God's power and faithfulness, not our own. Although the Kingdom of God may seem small and insignificant in the present, Jesus assures us that it is constantly growing, even when we cannot see it with the naked eye. The challenges and pains we face in this mortal and broken life may make us believe otherwise, but we must keep the faith.
The allusion to the day of harvest also deserves our attention. Jesus warns us that there will be a day of harvest, when God will separate the righteous from the unrighteous. This division will not be arbitrary, but will reflect the state of the human heart and the response to God's grace and love. But it is not a day we should fear, but a day we should long for, because final judgment and God's love are not separate or contradictory but go together.
As disciples of Jesus, we are called to live in the light of this truth. The call is always to persevere in faith, trusting that God is at work in our lives and in the world, even when we cannot see it clearly, when nothing seems to be happening. There are moments of silence and waiting that are not very encouraging; however, they are necessary and can be helpful, because in those moments of just being and being, God is also at work and the seed does not stop growing.
And it is these moments that challenge us and invite us to see the many ways in which God works in our daily lives, in the same way that day by day the seed grows and transforms itself, gaining strength and vitality until it germinates and is ready for harvest.
It is important to be alert and prepared for the day of harvest, making sure that we put our faith, our doubts, even our challenges at the service of the King and his kingdom. The eternity that God has promised us has already begun, and seeing God's work grow and strengthen in our lives every day, and in every detail, is a beautiful process.
Ultimately, the parable of the mustard seed challenges us to reflect on our relationship with the Kingdom of God, with ourselves and with others, as the Church, as the people of God. Let us always remember that our actions, however small they may seem, have great value in the kingdom of God. Just as a mustard seed becomes a leafy tree, our lives, when given in faith and love, can become sources of blessing and refuge for many. We must not underestimate the power of our acts of kindness and faith, no matter how small and insignificant they may seem to us. God sees our potential and, with His grace, transforms and grows us.
May this message inspire us to move forward with hope and determination, confident that every step we take in our spiritual lives, however small, contributes to the flourishing of God's kingdom on earth. Let us live with the certainty that God is at work in our lives and in our communities, carrying out His wonderful plan of salvation and renewal for all of us. Amen.
