Jesus paints word pictures

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Il-Ħdax-il Ħadd matul is-Sena (B)

Messain 'B' pp393

READING 1       Ezekiel 17:22-24

Thus says the Lord GOD: I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar,from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot,and plant it on a high and lofty mountain;on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it. It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs. And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom. As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do. This is the Word of the Lord.

L-EWWEL LEZZJONI   --   Qari mill-Profeta Eżekjel 17, 22-24

Dan jgħid Sidi l-Mulej: "Jien naqta' mill-quċċata taċ-ċedru l-għoli, minn tarf il-friegħi l-għolja, rimja żgħira, u nxettilha fuq il-muntanja għolja u kbira; fuq il-muntanja għolja ta' Iżrael inxettilha.  U hi toħroġ il-friegħi, u tagħmel il-frott, u ssir siġra sabiħa taċ-ċedru.  U taħtha hstkenn kull tajr tal-ġwienaħ, jistekknu għad-dell tal-friegħi tagħha.   U jagħrfu s-siġar kollha tar-raba' li jien il-Mulej, li siġra għolja nċekkinha, u siġra żgħira nkabbarha; innixxef is-siġar l-ħadra, u n-niexfa bil-weraq  nkabbarha. Jien, il-Mulej, tkellimt, u li għedt nagħmlu."Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

RESPONSORIAL PSALM               PSALM  92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16

R. (cf. 2a) Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your faithfulness throughout the night.             R.

The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.                       R.

They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the LORD,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.                        R.

SALM RESPONSORJALI                                             Salm91(92)

                R/     Tajjeb li nfaħhru l-Mulej.

Tajjeb li nfaħħru l-Mulej,

li ngħannu lil ismek, into l-Għoli,

inxandru filgħodu t-tjieba tiegħek,

u billejl il-fedela' tiegħek.                                           R/

Il-bniedem ġust bħall-palma jħaddar,

bħal ċedru tal-Libanu jikber.

Imħawlin f'dar il-Mulej,

Iħaddru fil-btiħi tat-tempju ta' Alla tagħna.        R/

Sa fu xjuħithom il-frott jagħmlu,

kollhom ħajja u ħdura,

bieix ixandru li ġust hu l-Mulej, blata tiegħi,

u ebda qerq ma jinsab fih.                                          R/

READING 2             2 Corinthians 5:6-10

Brothers and sisters: We are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni    --    Qari mit-Tieni Ittra lill-Korintin. 5, 6-10

Ħuti, aħna dejjem qalbna qawwija u nafu li sakemm  indumu mlibbsa b'dan il-ġisem, nibqgħu 'l bogħod mill-Mulej – għahx aħna ngħixu bil-fidi u mhux  bil-viżjoni.   Aħna qalbna qawwija u persważi li  aħjar noħorġu minn dan il-ġisem u mmorru  noqogħdu għand il-Mulej. Għalhekk fuq kollox aħna nfittxu li nogħġbu lilu, sew jekk nibqgħu hawn, sew jekk noħorġu minn dan il-ġisem.  Jeħtieġ li lkoll  kemm aħna nidhru quddiem it- tribunal ta' Kristu, ħalli kulħad jieħu skont it- tajjeb jew il-ħażn li jkun għamel meta kien  għadu ħaj fil-ġisem. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel        Mark 4:26-34

Jesus said to the crowds: "This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come." He said, "To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches,  so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade." With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private. This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Evanġelju                            skond Mark. 4, 26-34

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' qal lill-kotrao tan-nies:  "Is-Saltna  ta' Alla hi bħal meta raġel ikun xeħet iż-żerriegħa fl-art. Rieqed jew imqajjem, billejl jew binhar, iż-żerriegħa tinbet u tikber, bla ma jaf kif.  L-art trodd minnha nfisha  l-ewwel il-barma, imbagħad is-sbula, imbagħad il-qamħ   mimli fis-sbula.   U meta l-frott isir, malajr il-bidwi  jmidd idu għall-minġel, għax ikun wasal żmien il-ħsad. U qal:  "Ma xiex sejrin inqabbluha s-Saltna ta' Alla, jew b'liema parabbola nifssurha?   Qisha żerriegħa tal- mustarda;  din meta tinżara fil-ħamrija, hi l-iċken fost iż-żrieragħ kollha fuq l-art;  imma wara li tinżara' tikber u ssir l-akbar waħda fost il-ħxejjex kollha, u toħroġ friegħi wesgħin, hekk li l-għasafar tal-ajru jkunu jistgħu jistkennu għad-dell  tagħha." B'ħafna parabboli bħal dawn kien ixandrilhom il-kelma, kif kienu jistgħu jifhmuha huma, u mingħajr xi parábola ma kienx ikellimhom;  imma lid-dixxipli tiegħu, meta  kien ikun waħdu magħhom, kien ifissrilhom kollox.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY  on next Sunday’s Gospel by Larry Broding

 A Picture Tells a Thousand Stories

Are you “visually oriented?” How does this orientation effect the language you use?

How many times have you told someone, “If you could only see it, you would understand”? Pictures do simplify explanations. Word images do the same thing. They make the difficult easy to communicate. Jesus understood this principle well when he told the people about the Kingdom of God. He publicly preached with parables.

In the first parable Jesus proposed and agricultural analogy that was familiar with his audience. At the time, farmers carefully planted grain and tended their fields to maximize yield. Yet, nature produced the plants; farmers only cooperated with creation for their plants. In the end, framers harvested the grain when the time was right. How does this analogy reveal the Kingdom? The active agent in the analogy and in the Kingdom is God. Humanity is simply a co-worker. God created the conditions for the harvest, the worker (i.e., missionary) who sowed the seeds then brought the harvest in. Notice the two parts the farmer/missionary played. He spread the seed (the word of God) and participated in the harvest at the end. Indeed, if the appearance of Christ in the Incarnation and at the crucifixion revealed the end times, the missionary/evangelist was to extend the Messianic mission of bringing all back to God for the Final Judgment. Of course, those who willingly participated in this “gathering” were saved; those who rejected the call were “lost.”

Like may other parables, this analogy spoke to the end times. The farmer/missionary spreads the Word and in doing so, he or she helped Christ bring back all to God. So, the Christian missionary was actually the Christian eschatologist. The missionary was a minister for the Final Days. Yet, his/her job was secondary. God was in charge; he was doing the “heavy lifting” to fulfill his will.

In his second parable, Jesus changed the focus from the end times to the humble beginnings of the Kingdom. The reign of God would not arrive to thunderous applause. In fact, like the small mustard seed, its coming would not be considered a major event. The Incarnation was not announced with great fanfare. However, the end of the process that began with the Incarnation would be huge.

Why did Jesus use parables in his public ministry? Jesus used parables for two reasons: to deflect criticism and to teach effectively. By speaking in analogies and stories, Jesus was able to communicate to his audience without providing a clear reason for the Roman authorities to move against him. If Jesus equated the Kingdom of God with revolution, he would have been quickly arrested, tried and executed. But, by teachings in symbols and stories, he was able to deflect charges of treason.

More important, stories and analogies are superior didactic tools. What do you remember best: a process, a principle or a story? Narrative forms create opportune conditions to communicate a moral. Think of an effective television commercial. Most likely, the commercial tells a story and ties the moral of the story directly to the product and/or product feature. Jesus and his followers used this form to pass along the faith. Over time, of course, the interpretations of many parable changed to meet the needs of the audience. But, that did not diminish the power of the narrative.

What is your favorite parable in the gospel? How do these parables help reflect on the Kingdom?

Jesus painted word pictures with symbols and stories. He understood the power of the narrative. A picture might tell a thousand stories, but a word picture can help express the Kingdom.

What story or symbol could you create to express your faith? Get creative.

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