More Like a Seed…

In some of his parables, Jesus told us that the kingdom of God is like a seed that is scattered on the ground. It is small, inconspicuous.

For the people who heard this in Jesus’ day, these parables would have sounded nothing at all like what they would have expected. It was believed that when God’s Kingdom came it would be more like a cataclysmic event, a revolution. Israel would become dominant. Maybe a better metaphor for people in Jesus’ day would have been an earthquake or a thunderstorm.

No. Jesus says it’s more like a seed.

Even for us, this can be difficult. A lot of times we are looking for the big the prominent the spectacular. And our small efforts can just feel insignificant. Sometimes we might wonder, Is my small gift going to make a difference? Does my contribution mean anything? Can what I offer really make any difference?

When Mother Teresa died, she was loved and well known all over the world. But no one would have ever guessed she would have gained such influence when she first began. What did she have to begin with? She was a small woman, who started out with almost nothing. She told her superiors, “I have three pennies and a dream from God to build an orphanage.”

“Mother Teresa,” her superiors said, “you can’t build an orphanage with three pennies. With three pennies you can’t do anything.” “I know,” she said, “but with God and three pennies I can do anything.”

Let us pray: God of Grace, Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the need in the world around us. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by our own needs. Empower us today to take even small steps, to plant even small seeds, to live even in small ways more in line with your kingdom. Help us trust beyond what we can see. We claim the promise of Christ that with you all things are possible. It is in his name we pray. Amen.