By Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP from Martin de Porres House in Oak Park, Illinois for Tuesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time.
What is the Kingdom of Heaven Like? Jesus says it's like a tiny mustard seed that grows into a tree where all the birds can find a nest. But mustard seeds don't grow into trees… so what is he really telling us?
In today's reflection on the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Luke 13:18-21), we look at where Luke places this parable — not in a collection of teachings like Matthew and Mark, but right in the middle of an argument in a synagogue, just after Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath. That context changes everything. The parable isn't just about the Kingdom growing someday; it's about the small, easily overlooked acts of kindness done in faith that grow and grow by the grace of God until others can find healing and rest in them.
Plus, a personal story: a Bible bought 40 years ago, long before religious life, that planted a seed that changed the rest of one life.
Today's takeaway: Pay attention to the little things you do today to live out your faith in love. They are not little. They will grow.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:00 – What is the Kingdom of God like?
0:19 – The strange thing about mustard seeds
0:29 – Why Luke places this parable where he does
0:55 – A healing on the Sabbath
1:22 – Small things that grow and grow
1:54 – A Bible from 40 years ago
2:46 – Small acts of kindness are not little
3:17 – Today's invitation
📖 TODAY'S GOSPEL
Luke 13:18-21 – The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
(See also Matthew 13:31-32 and Mark 4:30-32; and the healing of the crippled woman in Luke 13:10-17)
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