Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

The ‘Kingdom of God’ is mentioned no fewer than 126 times in the Gospels.  It was one of Jesus’ central themes – perhaps the most vital.  What does it mean?  In the Bible reading for this week, we get a further glimpse.  In the parable of the mustard seed, we learn that the Kingdom of God comes magnificently, unexpectedly and SLOWLY.  The disciples looked for a swift and cataclysmic establishment of the Kingdom but Jesus teaches otherwise.  The Kingdom of God starts from tiny beginnings and through slow pervasive growth it overtakes what is around it.  From the mustard seed alone, it is impossible to ascertain what it will turn into; and yet its final form is a beautiful surprise.  Of course, there is much more that Jesus teaches about God’s kingdom but this is enough to ponder upon for the moment because, like the disciples, there is only so much teaching that we can assimilate at one time.