Celebration of the Gospel

We have been listening to Jesus about welcoming the kingdom of God into our lives. We can imagine ourselves being with Jesus and his disciples where disciples were plucking and eating the grain in the field on a sabbath day. It had invited criticism from the Pharisees which we see in the beginning of chapter 12 of the Gospel according to Matthew. Chapter 13 told the parables of the Sower, weeds among wheat, mustard seed, yeast, treasure, pearl, and the net. All these speak of the value of the kingdom, our growth, and of course about our choice for or against it.

Growing of the kingdom in our lives producing a rich harvest, or the finding the precious pearl even at the cost of everything else, is a joyous experience. In growth there is already a fulfilment, and a harvest makes that joy complete. The first reading speaks of the solemn festivals of the Jews. At Passover everything that is old is discarded and we pass over to the new time. Then there are Pentecost and the feast of the tabernacle, thanksgiving and celebration of the harvest. So there is remembering, gathering thanking, giving, rejoicing.

Do we see the kingdom growing in us gradually, slowly, day by day, moment by moment? Can we see the grace at work when we toil in our daily lives with different duties, responsibilities? Are we able to see more of a Jesus quality in our words and attitudes? Rejoice! Are there temptations and trials? That is fine. If Christ is growing in us there will be encouraging voice within us. We too can be confident because we trust in God. If that trust is lacking we will be worried about what we can do to please God. This botheration can disrupt our joy in the growth of the kingdom. We can pay, we can please and expect what we want. So, there is no joy of the harvest that we can raise in thanksgiving. We are familiar with performances before God and others. Many of us suffer inside because what we live is not the truth of what we are.

Dear friends, the harvest, the joy is because of the truth of the Gospel, truth about God and truth about ourselves. We are the children of God who cares for us. God sets a home for us in Christ where we gather as brothers and sisters. Perhaps this God was not palatable because it challenges us for true love for God and others. True love includes the true self of ourselves that we can offer before God and before one another.

Jesus being carpenter’s son was not the reason that he was rejected, the problem was that he said the righteous and those condemned to be sinners, both were worthy of having the treasure of God’s kingdom in their heart and deserve to be at the joyous celebration.  The Gospel asks us to move to a new time of freedom of the children of God, freed from prejudices and fears, freed from the favourable masks we created for God. The Gospel growing in us generates a great sense of gratitude. The Gospel directs our actions, relationships, visions, and convictions that we can gather the harvest with joy. The Gospel is a celebration, gathering our fruits along with the pain, trials and suffering gone behind it. We share it joyfully too.

Leviticus 23:1,4-11,15-16,27,34-37, Matthew 13:54-58