1st Reading – Ezekiel 17:22-24
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar,
from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot,
and plant it on a high and lofty mountain;
on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it.
It shall put forth branches and bear fruit,
and become a majestic cedar.
Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it,
every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.
And all the trees of the field shall know
that I, the LORD,
bring low the high tree,
lift high the lowly tree,
wither up the green tree,
and make the withered tree bloom.
As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.
The prophet Ezekiel lived during the tumultuous period when the Babylonians destroyed Judah, the southern kingdom. According to Ezekiel 1:2, he was among the exiles in Babylon, enduring the profound anguish of losing both king and country.
In our first reading, Ezekiel delivers an oracle of salvation to his fellow exiles through the allegory of a tree. In this passage, God promises to restore a new king from the house of David, bringing hope and renewal to a devastated people.
Thus says the Lord GOD:
This phrase introduces a divine declaration, emphasizing that the message comes directly from God.
I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot,
A young, tender branch from the top of a cedar symbolizes the noblest or most esteemed part of the tree. In the context of biblical imagery, the cedar often represents the house of David or the royal line (Isaiah 11:1).
The book of Ezekiel contains several memorable allegories, including the vision of the watchman (Ezekiel 3), the allegory of the eagles and the vine (Ezekiel 17), and the vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37). This one is unique in its emphasis on divine agency, repeatedly punctuated by the resounding declaration, “I will take,” “I will plant,” “I the Lord will bring low,” and “I the Lord have spoken.”
and plant it on a high and lofty mountain; on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it.
Planting the tender sprig represents a new beginning, a future king from the Davidic line.
Placement on a high mountain signifies a prominent and stable location; the ”mountain heights of Israel” certainly suggests Zion/Jerusalem.
It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar.
The new king and kingdom will flourish and prosper.
Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.
The restored kingdom will provide refuge and protection to many, symbolizing peace and inclusivity under the new reign. The reference to “birds of every kind” highlights the universality of the new Israel, which will be echoed by Jesus himself in our gospel reading (“The kingdom of God… is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground…it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade” (Mark 4:30-32).
Similar language is found in the story of Noah and the Great Flood, where a variety of birds enter the ark. Just as the world was renewed after the flood, so too will the post-exilic Israel be renewed, both having emerged from the remnants of what once existed.
And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom.
This statement underscores God’s sovereignty and justice:
- The “tall tree” represents the proud and mighty (probably a reference to the Babylonian empire), while the “low tree” symbolizes the humble and oppressed (the exiled Israelites).
- God has the power to reverse fortunes: he can bring low those who seem prosperous without him (the green tree) and revitalize the desolate (the dry tree).
- The kings of other nations will know of God’s power when God raises Israel out of exile: “all the trees of the field shall know.”
Time and again, God overturns the fortunes of the lofty and the lowly, of the vigorous and of the withered. He chooses the weak of the world to confound the strong. The New Testament echoes this value of humility: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).
As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.
This emphatic declaration reaffirms God’s authority and the certainty of his promises. Whatever he decrees will surely come to pass.
This is an example of performative language, the kind of speech that brought light out of darkness, separated the primordial waters, and caused the dry land to appear (Genesis 1:3-31).
The Lord simply speaks it, and it is done.
2nd Reading – 2 Corinthians 5:6-10
Brothers and sisters:
We are always courageous,
although we know that while we are at home in the body
we are away from the Lord,
for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Yet we are courageous,
and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.
Therefore, we aspire to please him,
whether we are at home or away.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
so that each may receive recompense,
according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.
In today’s second reading, Saint Paul instructs the Corinthians on how to live a life of faith and courage, with an eternal perspective.
Brothers and sisters: We are always courageous,
Paul begins by expressing a continuous state of courage, a courage which is based on confidence in God.
although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,
Paul uses endēméō (“at home”) and ekdēméō (“absent”, “abroad”) as spatial metaphors to contrast the state of being in this life and the life to come.
It is a question of fully belonging. During this life, we are at home in the body, but away from the Lord. In the next life, it will be the opposite: we will be at home with the Lord, but away from the body.
Basically Paul is calling out the tension between our current physical existence and the future hope of being with the Lord.
for we walk by faith, not by sight.
This verse succinctly captures one of the core principles of Christian life. Believers live guided by faith in God and his promises rather than relying on physical senses or earthly appearances.
This means that although we are not yet fully at home with the Lord, we are not totally separated from him, either. Trusting in our full union with God in the future, we live in the present, following Christ’s example.
Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.
Paul expresses a deep yearning for the eternal and divine presence over the temporal earthly existence.
This doesn’t mean he disdains life on earth; he simply prefers the next life, where he will have full union with the Lord.
Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away.
The desire to please God transcends one’s physical state of being.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.
Paul issues a sober reminder to the Corinthians about our ultimate accountability before Christ, where every individual will be judged.
In other words, our ability to be fully at home with the Lord depends on how we live our lives here on earth.
There is universality in the scope of judgment (“we must all appear”), but the level of accountability is personal (“each one may receive recompense”). Salvation is a universal, gratuitous gift from God, but it must be received personally.
“This council exhorts Christians, as citizens of two cities, to strive to discharge their earthly duties conscientiously and in response to the Gospel spirit. They are mistaken who, knowing that we have here no abiding city but seek one which is to come (Hebrews 13:14), think that they may therefore shirk their earthly responsibilities. For they are forgetting that by the faith itself they are more obliged than ever to measure up to these duties, each according to his proper vocation (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Ephesians 4:28). … The Christian who neglects his temporal duties, neglects his duties toward his neighbor and even God, and jeopardizes his eternal salvation. Christians should rather rejoice that, following the example of Christ who worked as an artisan, they are free to give proper exercise to all their earthly activities and to their humane, domestic, professional, social, and technical enterprises by gathering them into one vital synthesis with religious values, under whose supreme direction all things are harmonized unto God’s glory.” [Vatican II (7 December 1965), Gaudium et spes, 43]
Gospel – Mark 4:26-34
Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and through it all the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”
He said,
“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.
Although human hands scatter the seeds of a crop and harvest the yield, they are not responsible for the quiet, powerful mechanism that causes it to sprout and develop. They can only provide favorable conditions and watch it grow.
So it is with the kingdom of God: It takes root, grows, and produces fruit in secret places deep within human reality. In fact, it is often found in places where one would least expect: among the poor and despised, in the hearts of those who suffer, in the lives of the persecuted.
A seed itself may be quite inconsequential, but deep within it is great potential. Within the acorn lies all the potential for a majestic oak tree.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.”
An apt description of the life cycle of the seed, from its first beginnings to the harvest. This image beautifully represents the gradual increase of the work of grace in the hearts of humankind: we can create the right conditions for grace to take hold, but ultimately, we must wait for the mysterious work of God to take place, like a grower waiting for the seed to unfold into a full ear of grain.
What is Jesus ultimately teaching with this parable? He is reassuring believers that, despite their limited comprehension or control, God’s kingdom is continually advancing toward its ultimate fulfillment. He is teaching us to trust in God’s power and timing, encouraging faith in the unseen and often incomprehensible work of God in the world.
He is also warning against pride. While believers are expected to plant the seeds of the kingdom of God, the power at work is God’s.
He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it?
Jesus frequently used parables in his teaching, a literary form that is associated with the wisdom tradition. Parables engage two different realities and use one to throw light on the deeper meaning of the other. They force the hearers to stretch their imaginations and to make connections they ordinarily would not make.
Here, Jesus is stimulating the intellect of his audience by asking them to help search for the appropriate similitudes.
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
The mustard seed is not actually the smallest seed, nor does it produce the largest plant. Parables are figures of speech, used to illustrate a point, not to describe things accurately. Here the exaggeration serves to emphasize the paradox of a negligible seed producing a substantial plant.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
This parable is about the contrast between insignificant beginnings and extravagant results.
The seed of the Kingdom of God on earth began as something very tiny (the chosen people of ancient Israel surrounded by hostile nations, the twelve apostles in the city of Jerusalem); it will grow to a great multitude that “no man can number” (Revelation 7:9).
and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
God’s kingdom is universal, so spacious that the birds of the sky can roost there. God will provide shelter for all.
The direct connection with the allegory of the cedar tree from our first reading is clear (a tender shoot grows into a majestic cedar, providing shelter for birds of every kind).
However, there’s a really interesting difference. While Ezekiel’s image of majestic trees was a familiar one in antiquity, used widely across various cultural, religious, and literary contexts to convey power, stability, and divine favor, the humble and decidedly non-majestic mustard plant is a curious choice. Was Jesus being intentionally humorous and ironic?
In fact, the mustard plant is a bit of a pest. It is robust and spreads rapidly, with a tendency to take over a garden, attracting birds that can destroy the rest of the garden. It’s interesting to imagine God’s kingdom as a bothersome bush that provides a haven even for unwanted birds.
As usual, Jesus challenges his listeners to rethink their preconceived notions of greatness and significance.
With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
This summary statement about Jesus’ teaching style is interesting. It suggests that the parables could be understood on multiple levels: while the crowds grasped the surface meaning, Jesus revealed the deeper significance to his disciples in private. Alternatively, it might mean that the crowds understood the parables, but the disciples needed further clarification.
Regardless, it’s evident that those who sought out Jesus were receptive to new ideas and willing to expand their understanding to embrace his teachings.
Connections and Themes
- The transcendent and immanent God. God’s transcendent presence, which permeates all things and surpasses human understanding, necessitates the use of metaphorical and poetic language to describe it. Literal language falls short of capturing the essence of a reality that is beyond the grasp of our finite minds. Metaphors, poetry, and parables allow us to approach the divine mystery with reverence, offering glimpses of the ineffable without reducing it to mundane terms. These literary forms create a sacred space where the mystery of God can be conveyed with depth and nuance, preserving its holiness and preventing its profanation. Sometimes it is the only way to describe something that cannot be precisely defined.Through the use of allegories and parables, this week’s readings convey the transcendence and immanence of God, inviting believers to levels of understanding beyond the surface of things, a kind of understanding that is closed to strict rationality.
- The mystery unfolds gradually. The imagery of growth and fruition in this week’s readings serves as a reminder that divine purposes are often realized over extended periods, requiring patience and faith from those who await their fulfillment.In the first reading, God speaks of planting a sprig of cedar on a high mountain, where it will grow into a majestic tree. The slow and deliberate process mirrors how God’s redemptive plan unfolds in history. Just as a tree takes time to reach its full stature, so too does God’s kingdom develop gradually, often in ways that are unseen and unexpected.
We see the same theme in the gospel reading, with Jesus’ parables of the growing seed and the mustard plant. These parables underscore the idea that God’s work in the world often starts in very ordinary circumstances, but eventually it becomes something holy, majestic, and all-encompassing.
- Seeing with eyes of faith. In our second reading, Paul reminds us that we need eyes of faith to recognize the subtle progress of God’s work in the world. While the gradual growth of the Kingdom is often imperceptible to our human senses, faith enables us to trust in God’s promises and discern the quiet, steady movement of his will.Just as a farmer trusts in the unseen processes that cause seeds to germinate and grow, believers are called to trust in God’s active presence and ongoing work, even when the results are not immediately evident.
Sunday Readings 