Liturgical Colour : Green

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about the promise of God’s salvation to us all, amidst all the difficulties, challenges and sufferings that are present in this world. Today we witnessed how God gave hope to His people who had been beleaguered by all of those obstacles and pains, and how He promised deliverance and salvation through His Messiah and the coming of His kingdom.

Why is there suffering in the first place, brothers and sisters in Christ? Suffering was not intended for us, and neither was it that we were created to endure such pain and difficulties, but it was because of our own sins and wickedness that we have brought suffering upon ourselves, as due to these sins and the disobedience we showed to the Lord, we have separated ourselves from the love and grace of God, and therefore, there is nothing left for us but to endure bitter suffering on earth.

It is our punishment and our due for the disobedience, that ever since the days of our forefathers, we have been subjected to the consequences of our sins, that is suffering and pain of hard labour, and also ultimately, death, the end of our mortal life on earth. But God did not entirely leave us to our fate, and instead He promised salvation and liberation through Jesus, His Son, Whom He had sent into the world.

And through Jesus we heard the parables He mentioned with regards to the kingdom of God. These parables were meant to explain using terms that were easy for the people at that time to understand. The examples that Jesus used to describe the kingdom of God include the measures of yeast in a measure of flour, that is kept until the whole dough is rising, and also the small mustard seed that grows to become a large mustard tree.

All these spoke clearly of a very important point that we all have to take note as we live our lives, that is about the ‘potential’ that is present in each and every one of us, and what we ought to do in order to fulfil and realise that potential to the fullest. In this, we can see the clear parallel between the mustard seed and the flour with ourselves, the state we have before we embark on the path towards the Lord and His salvation.

All of us have been given the potential by the Lord to grow and become great and mighty in His eyes, not the might and power of the world, but rather great in love, in mercy and in our faith. This is represented by the growth potential in the mustard seed, the food stored in the seed to provide for its growth, and the yeast that is placed within the measures of flour and the dough.

All who have planted a plant before, or even a farmer or gardener will definitely know how seeds can be stored for many years, and yet they would not grow or germinate, unless certain conditions are fulfilled. Unless the seeds are placed on a rich and fertile soil, and provided with sufficient amount of water, air and also later on, sunlight, the seeds will not germinate, or even though they germinate, they will not last long and die.

Then, with regards to the yeast, all those who have made bread or cake before would have known that yeast that we have will need water to be able to function, and then the mixture must also be covered, like how Jesus put it, the yeast is ‘hidden’ within the dough mixture. If the dough and the yeast mixture is not covered, then the dough will not rise, since the yeast need to be free from oxygen in the air in order to be able to ferment the starch in the flour and the dough to form what we know as the leavened bread or the cake.

How are all these relevant to us, brothers and sisters in Christ? This is because it is the same for all of us! Without proper action and genuine sincerity in living our faith, we shall never be able to cultivate and let the gifts of God, the potential for great things inside us to grow and develop. Instead, as long as we dwell in sin and live in darkness, then we will be just like the seed that never grows or the flour and dough that never rises to become bread or cake.

Let us all therefore from now on reflect on our own lives’ actions and deeds. Have we been true disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, not just in words or on paper only, but also through real action and commitment? Let us all love one another and show genuine care for each other, and let us all walk faithfully in the holy presence of our God. May God show us His love and bless us richly and abundantly always, now and forever. Amen.