Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In two short parables Jesus portrays the amazing power of the Kingdom of God.  The size of the mustard seed is contrasted with the astonishing spread of the Kingdom as it grows to embrace countless people, just as the uncounted number of birds come to rest in the fully grown bush.  In other words, there is no end to the breadth of God’s reign on earth.  The yeast that leavens the dough tells a similar story.  A small amount can create enough bread to feed many.  But these images remind us that each of us can be instruments of the Kingdom of God.  We may only be one person, yet our faith can affect an untold number of people; we are the seeds of God’s embrace, the leaven of God’s love in the world.