Jesus 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." (Mark 4:26-34)
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. (John 15:16)
Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)
I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)
Have you ever seen a mustard seed? If so, you know that it really is very small. Yet, when it's planted, it has the potential to grow into a very full tree. That's the way the kingdom of God manifests itself in our lives. Like a seed at our baptism, our faith can eventually grow large enough to provide "shade" and life to others. And, like a tree, our faith will go through growth stages until it's fruitful.
It's only after a seed is buried-planted into the ground-that it begins to become something that we'd consider substantial. Because we tend to look at preliminary, outer manifestations, we might not see the promising results possible from a mustard seed. In the same way, we may not realize the promising results possible from the tiny seed of faith that we received when we were baptized, and the way this faith has grown.
God looks deeper than we tend to look. He is concerned with inner transformation, not just outer appearances (1 Samuel 16:7). Nothing escapes his attention. Because it was God who formed you and who carries you in the palm of his hand, it is God who can bring his work to completion in you. This may be a time of waiting, or it may be a time of deeper prayer and fellowship with Jesus, and fellowship with other men. Perhaps God is calling you to read his word a bit more every day or to experiment with sharing your faith with a neighbor. Perhaps, he is calling you to start a men's ministry in your parish where men can pray for and support one another. Whatever the case, God is watching over you, giving you opportunities for your faith to blossom and bear marvelous fruit.
Are you ready to grow? Do you want to see more of God in your life? Do you want to bear more fruit for God? Don't just try to do all the right things (which you must), but look to the work of the Spirit in your heart as well. Is he trying to put some sin to death in you? Is he trying to help you get over a wound that someone has left you with? Give the Spirit the chance to take the seed of your faith and grow it into something magnificent for God. After all, even more than you, he desires that you "bear fruit that will remain."
"Father, I say yes to you today in everything you ask of me. Take hold of my life more deeply and reveal your will for my life. Build a firm foundation within me, so that I might also help others to know you and live a fruitful life for you."
[Many thanks to The Word Among Us (http://www.wau.org/) for allowing us to adapt material from daily meditations in their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission.]
Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men
1. How important is it to you that the "seed of faith that we received when we were baptized" grow even more in your life? What steps can you take to allow this to happen?
2. How important is it to you to bear fruit for the Lord that will last? Why?
3. How would you define the fruits that we should bear for the Lord? How would you rate how you are doing and how can you do better?
4. In 1 Samuel 16:7, we hear these words: "Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart." How does this Scripture relate to the importance of being transformed inwardly by the Lord? What are some ways you can cooperate with this work and allow the Lord to bring it to "completion"?
5. If you are in a men's group, take some time at the end of your meeting to pray for one another that each of you would say yes to God's call for your life, and that your lives would be "fruitful." Use the prayer at the end of the article as the starting point.
