This week’s gospel is a wonderful example of the teaching style of Jesus. It even tells us that ‘he would not speak to them except in parables’. Jesus used the parable form almost exclusively to share his message. He used imagery that was familiar to his audience; parables about the everyday life of a rural community: seeds, planting, growing, harvesting. The secret of Jesus’ parables, when we understand the cultural context, is that there was always a ‘twist in the tale’ – what is called a ‘discombobulating shift’ – that turns the expected outcome of the story on its head.
This is nowhere more evident than in the image of the mustard seed. On the surface the parable is about the kingdom of God starting from very small, humble beginnings and growing into something great. However, immediately prior to this kingdom parable, Jesus has reminded us that the community makes a living out of growing grain crops like wheat for bread, etc. His parable about the mustard seed describes a tiny seed that grows into a great shrub ‘so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade’. A farming community that was growing grain crops would be greatly alarmed at the thought of actually attracting birds to their fields or even nearby. Jesus’ message about the kingdom of God is that it is actually disruptive and invasive. The kingdom brings unrest and disquiet to the predictable. The kingdom of God is unsettling. This is a much more challenging parable than it appears from a literal reading.
© Greg Sunter
Read more from here Parish Bulletin_16.06.2024
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