…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...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."…- (Mk 4:26-34)
God is good, all the time.
Friends, here we are with two parables about seeds. These seeds parables fixate on the grace of God and how it functions in extraordinary ways. The unique thing about grace is its experiential and inexplicable nature.
Jesus says of the seeds that were scattered in the land, "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." The application of the parables to grace occurs in two levels:
First, our basic experience of grace is that it is behind all we do. God initiates his grace in our hearts purely out of love, not by any reason of entitlement, for no one is entitled to God's love, kindness, and protection.
Second, grace is for our mature Christian living, which is what God seeks to harvest. The process of growth and maturity that occurs in the seeds from the rains, air, and sunshine, is manifest in the believer's experiences with Jesus in the Eucharist, the scriptures, the sacraments, the church, and Christian fellowship that fortify him or her to respond in words, thoughts, and deeds fitting for a Christian.
The emergence of the blade for the Christian occurs as good desires that the believer conceives to be right to live by them. Christians do not keep their good desires in their hearts; they perform them in the same way that the blade of corn trees turn into ears. This should be the actual practice of good deeds such as loving, forgiving, showing kindness, praying, etc., as expected of a Christian.
Finally, Christian maturity occurs when the will to regularly practice these good virtues towards all people are fully embraced, and it is done with joy. It is such maturity that God seeks to harvest time. It is this maturity that I see many parishioners striving for in their daily personal and family lives. There is so much encouragement from the families in our parishes and families and friends everywhere. It is wonderful, and I am inspired each day by your grace-filled lives and deeds.