Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: January 26, 2024

Date:  Friday of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time/Memorial of Saints Timothy & Titus

 Scripture Text:  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.

Breaking the text open – background and summary:

Today’s text from Mark recounts Jesus’ teaching of the Kingdom using the parables of the “miraculous harvest” and of the mustard seed. In the first parable, we see that the LORD plants and harvest, and the growth of the Kingdom we can witness but we cannot explain. The same is true of the mustard seed and the great plant it becomes. We can see it, but we cannot explain it. In both parables, the LORD initiates the miracle and brings it to fulfillment.

Jesus continues to teach in parables. Those who are full of disbelief and who oppose Jesus will not take the time to wrestle with the puzzle of words. But those who are following Jesus and those who see in Jesus the Son of God are spurred on to wrestle, to engage the parable, to seek that understanding that is within it.

Meditating on the text with personal questions:

Do I acknowledge the LORD’s mysterious ways? Do I open myself to the LORD’s mystery and seek to be a part of the LORD’s divine design? Do I wrestle with the scriptures, trying to glean through the Spirit all that is within the Word?

Praying:

LORD, Almighty Father, we come to You aware of your great love for us and of the generative power of your love. We praise You for all that is and we thank You for your presence to us always and everywhere. Send your Spirit to ignite within us the fire of your love and to open our eyes to your gift of your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, whom You sent among us as our brother and our redeemer. Grant that we may be faithful to You and our eternal relationship with You, that we may cooperate with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, and that we may pick up our own crosses and follow in the footsteps of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, as his disciples. May our love produce great fruit. We ask this in the name of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Spirit, one LORD, forever and ever. Amen.