Johannine Hours               Mark 4:26-29                June 1997
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en
199706
June 1997
MARK 4:26-29 

Several times, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God with the growth of
a seed. He sees in this phenomenon of nature an image of the
dynamism of the love which is his life. The sown seed, small and
vulnerable as it is, will bear fruit in an incomprehensible manner.
In the same way, the word of Christ meets us in the deepest part of
ourselves and transforms us. And in the same way again, self-giving
love builds up little by little a communion where everyone finds a
place, like the birds of the air in the branches that grow from the
grain of mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds (Mark 4,30-32).

The one who sowed the seed began of course by carefully preparing
the soil. But as for the growth itself, Jesus insists on the
indispensible attitude of trust: "He does not know how". While the
seed is germinating and growing, it is not the moment to measure
the depth of the roots or to verify the presence of the grain in
the ear. The succession of transformations escapes us. Jesus
mentions only five which affect the grain during the process of
growth. But in our lives, how many transformations are there,
impossible to predict or to perceive? The Kingdom of God, the
presence of Christ in our lives, becomes apparent in this multitude
of transformations - unexpected, imperceptible, and often
inexplicable.

What matters, Jesus says, is to be able to perceive the fruit when
it is ripe. All through the Gospel, Jesus has his eyes fixed, as it
were, on the fruit, the reaping, the grape-harvest. Close to the
soil, he knows the joy of the harvest, but he sees there something
more than the blessing of God. The reaper is also the one who gives
meaning to everything that has remained hidden, who reveals the
best, even in the place where the weeds seemed to have gained the
upper hand (Mt 13,29-30). This is also the way in which Jesus sees
the mission of the disciples: "The harvest is plentiful, but the
workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send
out workers into his harvest field" (Lk 10:2).
What transformations in my life give me confidence that the grain
grows "all by itself"?
What helps me to see that which is good, that which gives meaning
to my life and to the lives of others?


Taizé Community, France © Copyright 1997. All Rights Reserved. Material may
be copied and redistributed for non-commercial purposes and provided that its
editorial content remains unaltered in any way. 


       _________________________________________________________


Taizé Community, France © Copyright 1997. All Rights Reserved. Material 
may be copied and redistributed for non-commercial purposes and provided 
that its editorial content remains unaltered in any way.


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