Our Reluctance to Smallness

This weekend we are gifted with three of Jesus’ parables. The first is the image of evil people sowing weeds in crop beds, hoping it destroys the yield. In the passage, Jesus will explain this parable, but he does not explain the other two. One of those is the mustard seed, and the other is how important yeast is to making bread.

Something obvious comes to mind when we think about a mustard seed and yeast spores. They are small but carry a potential for something far greater than their individual substance. Jesus often uses this imagery to describe the Kingdom of God. His mission began with a small band of followers and grew exponentially after he ascended into heaven. The key is that the Kingdom of God is built in small, incremental ways. All Christians must play a part, but first we must rethink how our contribution can make a difference.

Like it or not, we are people who have been formed in a goal-oriented world. It is a classic double-edged sword scenario. On the one hand, human beings have been mandated by God to subdue the world and become stewards of it. Having goals and achieving them are necessary characteristics of a healthy person. For without the drive, humanity’s ability to move forward would be stymied, and the stagnation would prove to be deadly.

On the other hand, goal-oriented philosophy tends to creep into all aspects of human life, to the point that even the smallest acts without a satisfactory conclusion are unacceptable. We have become so programmed that our actions have an observable result. It’s hard to break the cycle because we don’t want to waste our time and feel the need to follow through on something to the end. Through the parables, Jesus suggests that this is not always the case, especially regarding the growth of the Kingdom of God.

Focusing again on the parables, the smallest seed of the mustard bush and the yeast do not remain seeds or yeast. As the process of growth continues, the seed changes into vegetation where birds make their nests. The yeast sacrifices itself to ferment grain, producing something far greater than what it started with. By substituting the seed and yeast for a human being, we can begin to reflect on how small things can become bigger without making ourselves the center of the project.

By taking a step back from our ego, we can tease out the meaning that something small can be part of something greater than ourselves, like the mustard tree and the bread. Some might scoff at why a Christian would visit a person who has lost his cognition. Why bother? They don’t even know you were there.

Or something so apparently inconsequential as spending time listening to someone lonely. Perhaps, a teacher who goes beyond what her paycheck dictates and instills more than expected. Maybe, the small acts of generosity that no one is aware of except for the recipient. There are so many instances where a Christian can act without ever seeing the results. These parables should encourage us to do things “just because.” The “just because” is a heart filled with charity, and it is not offered for some selfish motive of feeling good or virtuous. What is not seen by the person is seen by God.

While still on earth, we have no idea how our selfless, small acts have affected others or contributed to building the Kingdom of God. “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” When our earthly journey has ended, and we are hopefully admitted to heaven, those instances will be made known to us. You will be astonished at how those small acts, ignored by the world, have made a huge difference.

A challenge for a Christian is doing good because it is the right thing to do without immediate feedback and praise. It is to hold that others’ praise is inconsequential and my ego need not be assuaged.  There needs to be a tension between acting righteously without ever knowing the results. No doubt it is hard, but it is the way the Kingdom grows and how we can grow in holiness.