Reflection for Sunday June 17, Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time; Mark 4:26-34

Gospel: Mark 4:26-34

Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.”

He said, “To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

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Reflection:

There's a story of a man who habitually shares inspirational and wisdom filled bible verses to his friends. He used every means available to share it such as through facebook and other social media platforms. Regardless if he would get a reply of appreciation or not he would always send it to them almost everyday.

One day, he met by chance one of those friends who regularly read his inspirational bible verses. His friend told him this: “Thank you for the daily inspirational bible verses that you’ve been tirelessly sending me, you’ve been planting the seeds of God’s kingdom in my heart. It gives me hope and it strengthens my faith in Jesus.”

In today’s gospel Jesus made use of two comparisons to describe the kingdom of God: the man who scattered seed and the mustard seed that became a great tree. Both seeds grew fruitfully and became useful, the scattered seed grew and was usefully harvested. The small mustard seed that was sown became big and had large branches where birds dwelt in its shade. 

Let us think about and ask ourselves if we have planted seeds of faith, goodness and humility in the hearts of our fellowmen. Let us think about and ask ourselves if we have planted the seed of Jesus in their hearts. So that it may also grow within them and become as big as the mustard seed where others could benefit from it.

Let us also think and reflect if we have already sown/scattered the seeds of forgiveness, mercy and love in the hearts of our fellowmen. So that it could grow and multiply in their hearts too so that they could also sow it to those around them.

We might have not have sown anything yet that will grow and bear much fruit in their hearts. Lest we forget that one of our foremost Baptismal mission as Christians is to scatter and plant the seeds of Jesus and our faith by sharing and living it.

Have you already done something to sow the seeds of Jesus words and teachings in the hearts of your fellowmen? – Marino J. Dasmarinas