| Reading 1 | Response | Reading 2 | Gospel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ez 17:22-24 | Ps 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16 | 2 Cor 5:6-10 | Mk 4:26-34 |
| RCL: 2 Cor 5:6-10 (11-13), 14-17 |
Discipleship: actively living for others in God’s kingdom
During Ordinary time the Lectionary presents stories and teachings from Jesus’ everyday ministry. This week’s readings focus on the emergence of and life within God’s reign or kingdom.
First reading (Ez 17:22-24)
The first reading is from Ezekiel, a prophet who spoke God’s word to the Jews exiled in Babylon. He was a Jerusalem priest deported by Nebuchadnezzar II to Babylon in 597 BC. His prophetic themes include ritual purity versus sin’s defiling effects, God’s abandonment of Jerusalem because the people have turned away, and awareness of divine power.
In today’s pericope, Ezekiel, speaking for God (“Thus says the Lord GOD”), concludes an allegory about trees and vines introduced earlier. His oracle describes Israel’s ideal and lasting restoration: God plants a cedar branch (“a tender shoot,” representing the Davidic monarchy), which will grow (“become a majestic cedar”) and become a home for many people, including gentiles (“birds of every kind”). God reveals divine power by exalting the once humble tree (Israel) while humbling the higher trees (Babylon, Egypt, and other powerful nations), and healing the withered tree (the exiles in Babylon).
The Lectionary editors chose this reading because Jesus’ gospel parables echo Ezekiel’s tree allegory.
Second reading (2 Cor 5:6-10)
The second reading is the fifth part of an eight-week, semi-continuous reading from Paul’s second letter to the Corinth ekklesia. Paul writes to continue the Corinthians’ instruction, sharing his own apostolic work as an example. Written throughout 57 AD, Paul’s letter describes how a believer’s life reveals God’s power and authority, which shines through and empowers a believer’s own human weaknesses and trials.
In today’s pericope, Paul reflects on his future and the future of all believers (“we”). The goal for all believers is to be with Christ in glory. At present, believers are living an embodied, human life (“at home in the body”), and are “away from the Lord.” In this physical existence, believers encounter (“know”) the risen Lord through their faith only; human eyes cannot physically see him (“we walk by faith, not by sight”). In either case (“at home or away”), believers seek to live moral lives (“aspire to please him”), so that when Christ judges us at the end-time (“we appear before the judgment seat”), he will reward us for our embodied words and actions (“what we did in the body”).
The Lectionary editors chose this reading to continue Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from Second Corinthians.
Gospel (Mk 4:26-34)
Today’s pericope from Mark is part of Jesus’ “day of parables,” which includes the seed that grows by itself parable (Mk 4:26-29) and the mustard seed parable (Mk 4:30-32). Mark presents Jesus as the teacher, teaching in Wisdom style through parables. In Jewish tradition, parables had a set form and purpose: to describe in human terms and through scripture references what God or God’s kingdom was like. Rabbis used parables to interpret scripture; they often placed several related parables together so hearers could reflect on different possible meanings.
- The seed that grows by itself parable. Unlike the beleaguered seed in the sower parable (Mk 4:3-9), the seed in this parable is so powerful it sprouts everywhere, even when the farmer does nothing (“even while he sleeps, . . . he knows not how”). This parable presents the reassuring perspective of Wisdom literature: in spite of human limitations, God makes all things work together for good. Jesus reminds his hearers that God, not humans, controls everything; humans must trust in God’s providence.
- The mustard seed parable. This parable helps interpret the sower parable and the seed that grows by itself parable. In this parable, Jesus’ hearers would be surprised that anyone would plant mustard seeds because the plants grew wild, like weeds. Instead, in “the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade,” they would hear the echo of Ezekiel’s oracle (Ez 17:23, today’s first reading) and of Daniel’s vision interpretation (“under it the wild beasts found shade, in its branches the birds of the air nested,” Dn 4:9). The parable presents God’s kingdom as God transforming a very common thing (a mustard tree) into something mighty and life-giving. Jesus reminds his hearers that God creates every human to experience life fully in the divine kingdom.
Summary and reflection
This week’s readings ask us to think about the place of our discipleship in God’s kingdom. Ezekiel reminds the Jewish exiles that God brings the divine plan to fruition in unseen and unexpected ways. Paul reminds the Corinthians that, despite what happens around them, they must live moral lives to the best of their human abilities. Jesus teaches that, despite human limitation or interference, God is continually expanding and bringing forth the divine reign or kingdom for the benefit of all.
Throughout scripture we see God creating and creatively revealing, restoring, and growing God’s reign among humans. Some humans think they know better than God what a divine kingdom ought to look like, and build their human kingdoms through money, power, and oppression. Our role as disciples is to trust God and to live lives aligned with God’s love and care. Do we see in our own lives the unexpected emergence of God’s reign? Do we try in our daily lives to honor and to please God as best we can? Do we live our lives daily as members of God’s kingdom, witnessing God’s care and kindness to others who “dwell in its shade?”
—Terence Sherlock
The Lectionary In Context 