(Please read the Scripture passages first, before the homily.)
This is how it is with the Kingdom of God. The seed grows, sprouts and bears fruit of its own accord. The sower only has to sow it. It is also like a small seed that becomes a huge tree.
Jesus did not say that the parable of the seed that we had Wednesday was what the Kingdom of God was like. Jesus apparently had a different reason for telling that parable. Perhaps there was some tongue-in-cheek in that message, something designed to wake people up for the true message.
The true message is God’s generosity and extravagance. The Kingdom of God grows like a seed and will become a huge tree so that all the birds can find a home in it. The Kingdom of God is for everyone, even those who seem to have fallen on footpaths or thorny ground.
In the parable of the sower and of the seed that did not make it, the harvest was a time of fear. In the parables told in today’s readings, the harvest is a time of celebration for everyone. Even the birds of the sky have a place in the celebration.
Jesus told the first parable to tweak our interest. He meant it not to seem fair. He meant it not to describe God, but to provoke the hearers to probe more deeply into the word of God. Like a good rabbi, he was lighting the lamp of God’s word, not to hide it but to let it shine on a lampstand more brightly.
I am glad that we do not have a God like the one described in Wednesday’s reading. I am glad our God is like the one described in today’s reading. Seeds grow and become harvest or big trees. I am glad that our God is generous and magnanimous. For this I am encouraged. I hope you are also.