First Reading - Ephesians 5:21-33
Gospel - Luke 13:18-21
In the first reading, Paul expounds the relationship between Christ and the Church by citing the example of spousal relationship. In fact, Paul beautifully demonstrates the obligation of a wife as embodied in the example of the Church in obedience to Christ and the obligation of a husband embodied in the example of the sacrificial love of Jesus for the Church. The similitude of relationship between the wife and the husband in comparison to the relationship between Christ and the Church depicts the intimacy of relatedness that we enjoy as the members of the Church. At the same, the passage remindes us that we do enjoy special relationship with Christ but we do have our obligations towards Christ, that is, our obedience and submission to him. The obedience signifies the obedience of faith. This also means we can't fail to place our trust and hope in Jesus. Our failure to place our hope and trust in Jesus equals to our failure to fulfill the obligation as the spouses of Christ.
In the gospel, Jesus speaks about the kingdom of God 'already' and 'not yet'. Jesus wants to emphasize that the kingdom of God has already come or rather has already been inaugurated in him. Though the impact of the kingdom currently looks insignificant but is potential to grow big like the mustered seed which is small in inception but grows to a big tree in the end, so be the case with the kingdom of God in Jesus. Jesus further adds that the greatness of kingdom will be manifested in the end when it accepts even the gentiles and others to it as is symbolised by the birds making nests on the branches of the tree. The other similar impact of the kingdom, from simple beginning to the magnificent, is narrated in the parable of the yeast mixed with three measures of flour. The littleness of quantity of yeast impacts whole dough reiterates the small beginning of the kingdom but is endowed with the potential to become pervading.
The main emphasis of the kingdom narration is to highlight the impact of the kingdom in the end of it. This parables give hope to the disciples who seemed to be impatient to see relatively no progress or impact of the kingdom as per their expectations. Hence, the parables of the kingdom remind them that they have to wait patiently to see the impact of it in the end, as it has a simple beginning but is potentially significant and all-encompassing.
Dear friends, it's the virtue of hope that keeps us going. We are given a great hope in Christ of the future glory as is mentioned by Paul in the first reading. It's our hope in Christ that impels us to remain faithful to our Christian vocation. It's our hope that encourages us to see silver lining in thick cloud which means to remain optimistic even if the situation is bad. It's the virtue of hope that keeps our trust unshakeable when things look unexpected as is mentioned by Jesus in the parables of the kingdom.
We are invited by the readings to remain optimistic. The optimism comes from hope. The first reading reminds us that as spouses of Jesus we carry an obligation to submit ourselves in faith to Jesus. This also means to trust in Jesus all time. The gospel also invites us to remain optimistic even in the midst of the impossible because God is able to make impossible possible.
It's dispair and discouragement which stand as antithesis to the virtue of hope. As Christians, we are to root out dispair and discouragement because it's the virtue of hope that makes us believe that God will make things possible for us whenever it is opportune.
Let this virtue of hope ever find place in our lives.
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