Devotion
The Kingdom of God is Like…
Frances Taylor
In today's Gospel, Jesus gives us two answers. The Kingdom of God is as if a man scatters seed which grows and yields fruit for him to harvest and the familiar parable of the mustard seed which grows into a plant capable of providing shade for all the birds to enjoy. For those of us who try to garden, we know that it usually takes work to get those seeds to grow! And, most of us have not tried to plant a mustard seed. What is Jesus trying to say to us?
We have talked about our responsibility to be disciples and we will continue to talk about our mission going forward. For some, this can be a scary proposition. Jesus is telling us that if we just plant the seed, he will take care of the rest. Telling someone in pain or who needs help making a decision that you will pray for them is a seed. Inviting someone to come with us to church or a church function is planting a seed. Helping someone realize their giftedness and that God loves them is planting a seed. We may not see the harvest. The seeds we plant might blossom years later. But God is there to water and nurture the fragile plant. As any gardener knows, not all the seeds we plant take root, but that doesn't stop us from planting them. So it is with the seeds of love and faith. However, Jesus also tells us that even the smallest seed can grow and branch out and the love that blossoms from that one seed will be passed on to others and bear fruit for years to come in the lives of all they meet. Let's get planting!
Prayer
Lord, it takes patience to plant seed, and it takes faith and trust. We pray in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy Kingdom come." It is up to us to help bring about the Kingdom by planting seeds that lead others to Christ. Give us the patience, faith and trust to be your gardeners on earth. Amen.
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
