Scripture scholars are united in saying that the primary message of Jesus while here among us was about the Kingdom of God. All the parable stories that he tells are focused on helping us to understand and to know the importance of this Kingdom.
It’s also important to know that this Kingdom of God is not only what we call heaven. While heaven is certainly part of God’s Kingdom, Jesus tells us that God’s Kingdom is already with us saying, “The Kingdom of God is among you!”
In today’s gospel passage Jesus gives us clues about this mysterious Kingdom. He says that we could compare it to a mustard seed, one of the smallest of seeds. Despite its small nature when sown it becomes the largest of plants, so large that all birds can nest in its branches. Thus, this tells us that the Kingdom of God may start with humble beginnings but keeps growing and expanding and is meant to include everyone.
Also, just as seeds sprout and grow in a way we can’t comprehend, so too the Kingdom of God. This is a sign that God is not building a Kingdom that is in line with our human expectations. The success of the Kingdom is not solely in our hands, it is ultimately in God’s hands. When it comes to God’s Kingdom, we might say that it is a two-way street of cooperation between God and us. We do the planting and harvesting, but God takes care of the growth working in mysterious and deeper ways than we are aware to ultimately bring us home...thanks be to God!