The Community of Taizé sing “the Kingdom of God is justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Come, Lord, and open in us the gates of your kingdom.”

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 13:31-35

[Jesus] put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’

He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’

Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. This was to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet:

‘I will open my mouth to speak in parables;

I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.’

Jesus regularly preached by telling stories. Sometimes it seems that none of his hearers really understood what he was saying; at other times they were the only ones who could follow him.

In our reading for today, we are given two parables, one of the mustard seed that became a huge tree, and the other that of the yeast that leavened the flour. Imagine you were explaining the meaning of these parables to someone... what would you say?

When you share the gospel in your everyday life with those around you, how do you present it? Do you tell stories or make analogies? Perhaps there is something we can learn from Jesus’ way of teaching...

Now listen as the scripture is read once more for you. This time, notice how these parables, these stories, affect you.

Matthew 13:31-35

[Jesus] put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’

He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’

Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. This was to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet:

‘I will open my mouth to speak in parables;

I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.’

If you were to tell a parable about how the kingdom of God has appeared in your life, what would you say? Share this with Jesus now, as one friend speaks to another.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be

World without end

Amen