Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and 'the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.'"
Again he said, "To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened."
Have you ever seen love? Just by observing it, it already works its magic on you and strikes you to the core. Love is not visible in the same way as we can see the shapes of architecture or the colors on a digital screen. But we can see love in eyes, in gestures, in symbols; love can be expressed in poems or movies; love can be witnessed in life. When seeing love we get the certainty that it is right and sacred, and more important than the rest.
Now, one could argue that this favorable feeling is the genetic reaction to something essential to the survival of the species. In effect, love procures security for the individual, identity for the group, reproduction for the population. As grounded as this may sound, who has seen love knows that this is not all of it. Not by any measure. It is precisely love which elevates us from the mere practicality of survival, pleasure or safety. Adding love to life is like adding yeast to the dow. It makes all the difference.
I have seen love. Recently, when giving out communion, it struck me once again. Face after face, person after person. Jesus, making Himself so tiny and tender, gives Himself away entirely. To you, and you, and you. Nobody has greater love than Jesus. And if you observe Him, you see love.
Jesus invites us today to be observant. His two examples - the mustard seed, and the yeast - are powerful realities which, due to their smallness, go mostly unperceived. Such is the Kingdom of God. It is all around us. But if you do not pay attention, you might miss it. Just like love.
Observe, look, see! Wherever Jesus is present in your life, He irradiates self-giving love. Allow this love - the gift of Himself to you - to grow in your heart like the mustard seed. And when it has grown, offer true protection, true joy, true meaning in the branches of that plant of grace to the people around you. Discover Jesus’ love around you, take it into your heart and become love yourself.