Both the Gospel, and its related readings, and the continuous Old Testament reading present two main thoughts this week. The main theme is that of small things which grow to have significant impact and influence.
In Samuel, the arrogant Saul is replaced by David, the youngest son of an insignificant family in an unimportant village. It is God who sees the heart, and takes the “small” person who trusts in God and makes him or her someone of significance in God’s purposes. Similarly, Psalm 20 reflects on how those who trust in God know God’s victory and success. In the Gospel, the small mustard seed becomes a large tree, revealing how important small contributions, commitments and actions are for the growth of God’s Reign in our world.
The second, complementary thought in this week’s readings, is that God nurtures and sustains God’s people and God’s Reign, bringing growth, fruit and flourishing even though we may not know how this comes to be. The Gospel expresses this clearly in the first parables in this week’s passage.
Paul’s letter calls us to respond to God’s gracious, mysterious kingdom work in our hearts and lives by committing to living lives rooted in Christ’s love, and based on faith, not on the sight of goal-orientation or of human expectations. Flowing from last week’s challenge to our allegiances, and the call to remain faithful to the Kingdom of God in spite of what may come, this week’s promise of God’s hidden activity to bring growth, fruit and flourishing in our lives is a comforting, encouraging gift.