Gospel: Matthew 13: 31-35
It is not surprising that most people consider faith life in terms of the flashy and dramatic events. They act powerfully on our emotions, but they require constant application like an addictive drug, for once the drama fades it is often the case that such faith wanes away as so often happened in the life of the Israelite people. They were in awe of the plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the marvels at Mt. Sinai, but it did not last long and grumbling and idolatry would soon overtake them.
Jesus gives us a different model of faith, things small and ordinary but reliable and trustworthy: the mustard seed and yeast, things that produce things we need and upon which we rely each day. They are not flashy or dramatic, but rather common and unnoticed. Yet, these small things provide what is needed for the mustard tree to grow and bread to rise, giving birds their home and our daily bread for continued human existence.
Modern faith life loves the dramatic show - the stage, band, and laser light show. It sells seats and pumps up our emotions. But the high eventually fades and we are left empty with such a self-centered spirituality. Authentic faith life is in the ordinary, everyday common things that nourish and sustain us. They are small, hidden, and unnoticed, but they are reliable and trustworthy, far more fitting images for God than the flashy and brash.
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