First Reading - Romans 8:18-25
Gospel - Luke 13:18-21
In the first reading, Paul speaks about suffering that accompanies membership in the family of God. He also instills encouragement and hope in the believers about the glory that is to come despite suffering and hardships. The main emphasis of the passage impinges on the contrast of sorrows and glory. Paul emphatically says that the present suffering of our time pales before the glory of the future. Therefore, let the present suffering not become stumbling block for us by getting us trapped in it rather we should let our focus be fixed on the spiritual glory that awaits us. This in other passage refers to as keeping our eyes fixed on the things above (Col. 3:2) or spiritual concerns of eternal significance (2 Cor. 4:18). The same glory, Paul reiterates, is awaited even by the groaning earth for liberation in the glory of children of God.
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 symbolized 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 invites us to fix our look on the things above which means to become optimistic about the spiritual promise of Jesus and the gospel invites us to remain optimistic even in the midst of the impossible because God is able to make impossible possible.
It's despair and discouragement which stand as antithesis to the virtue of hope. As Christians we are to root out despair and discouragement. Hence, 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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