Eucharist Mustard Seed

Mark 4.26-34

26 He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’
30 He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32yet 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.’
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

Homily at St Martin, Scarborough

St Martin-on-the-hill, 13^th June 2009

11^th Sunday of the Year; Mark 4.26-34

“The smallest of all the seeds grows into the biggest shrub of all”

This is what the kingdom of God is like!

Last Thursday we kept the feast of Corpus Christi, which the Anglican calendar describes as ‘a day of thanksgiving for the institution of holy communion’. As you know the gospels describe that institution taking place on the Thursday evening of the first Holy Week at a simple secret meal of Jesus with the 12 in a upper room in Jerusalem. At this meal he took bread and broke it saying “This is my body” and poured out wine saying “This is my blood” and at the end of the meal he said “Do this in remembrance of me”. More than 2000 years later this is why we are gathered here this morning, as groups of Christians have done every day since our Lord gave this commandment to his first disciples. There is no moment of any day that a similar activity is not taking place somewhere in the world – “this smallest seed has grown into this huge bush” and this is what the kingdom of God is like.

In today’s epistle the apostle Paul admonishes the Corinthians – and us – to “be intent on pleasing Jesus”. I cannot think of anything that must please the Lord more than to find his disciples carrying out his last wish whilst with them here on earth. Today there is a lot of debate about the relevance of the church in the modern world and how it can make an effective contribution to contemporary life. My conviction is that it cannot claim to be a true expression of the kingdom of God if constantly at its heart it is not obedient to the Lord’s clear command “Do this in remembrance of me”.

The other day in an international publication called ‘The Anglican Digest’ I came across these reflections of a communicant headed ‘Why I come to the altar of God’:

“I come not because I am worthy, but because I have sinned and fallen short of what, by God's help I might have been.

I come, not that there is magic in partaking of Christ's body and blood, but because of the Lord's command "Do this for the remembrance".

I come, because here is portrayed the sacrifice of my Lord who gave Himself for me.

I come, because I find myself drawn closer to God, the Christ of Calvary, and to those who kneel with me at Holy Communion. Yes, I am made to feel my kinship to all those everywhere who proclaim Christ as Saviour.

I come, because I rise from the Lord's Table with a new strength, courage, and power to live for Him who died for me.”

Do you find any kind of echo there of your thoughts and feelings?

The little mustard seed growing into the huge bush is what the external viewer sees but what cause the growth is the life within the seed and the bush which comes from God via the soil, the sun and the rain. Ultimately the church and the kingdom are similarly dependent on inner life that comes from God in fulfilment of the Lord’s promise that “whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood will live in me and I in him”.

Come and eat and drink!