Coded Kingdom Language
Preparing for the Fifth Sunday of Easter: One Day before Sunday (Year B)
Scripture
Psalter: Psalm 22:25-31
Old Testament: Amos 9:7-15
Gospel: Mark 4:30-32
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Prayer
We thank you, heavenly Father, that you have delivered us from the dominion of sin and death and brought us into the kingdom of your Son; and we pray that, as by his death he has recalled us to life, so by his love he may raise us to eternal joys; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)
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Reflection
He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade” (Mark 4:30-32).
The proclamation of the Word depends, not only upon the preacher but upon the hearer. There will be those who will reject the truth being proclaimed no matter how poetic the preacher and convincing the argument. Others will receive the word gladly, only to allow the cares and frustrations of daily life to choke off the excitement.
Jesus comes proclaiming his Kingdom. The preacher and the message are the same. Yet throughout Mark, people receive his Word differently. It is an explosive message he proclaims, which is why he speaks in parables. Just as one cannot look directly into the sun, so the proclamation of God’s Kingdom must be given in a kind of indirect speech, a kind of code language, a way of speaking about the things of God in a way that reflects the truth of the Kingdom, in the same way as one sees the sun by observing its rays shining on the grass and the trees. It is a radical message to those who believe that the Kingdom will come by violent power and might; and it is an extreme proclamation to persons who want to keep the Kingdom from coming. The former will reject Jesus’ Kingdom message because of the way he says it is now breaking in; the latter because it threatens the status quo, the benefits of which they enjoy.
The Kingdom of God is surely here, but it does not come in the way the religious leaders and the masses expect. So, Jesus speaks of the Kingdom in ordinary ways with ordinary stories containing ordinary things. The Kingdom is like a growing seed, even a mustard seed. The disciples must pay attention to what is being said. The more they understand and the more they seek to understand, the more they will receive the benefits of the Kingdom. If they don’t attend to the things that will deepen their faith, they will eventually lose what little they have. Grace is not an excuse to be lazy when it comes to discipleship.
PRAYER: O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people; Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)
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