In a family, each person adopts a role. Oftentimes, this role is not assigned or chosen but happens because of individual traits and personality. In my family, I grew into the role of fixer and problem-solver. As the eldest, this felt natural; my mom and dad trusted me with many things and I tried to help find creative solutions to all sorts of dilemmas. I liked to make things happen, come up with a plan, and see it carried out in an efficient, perfect way. I was always willing to give advice on finances to anyone who would listen, even when it was not asked for. I even tried my hand as match-maker for some of my siblings. Let’s just say its not my gift and thankfully they ignored all my suggestions! As I have grown older, I have tried to let go of this role. I have learned that it is often not my place to solve my family’s problems. I have come to realize that my parents and my siblings are capable people and they already have a savior whose name is not Kevin! They can make it through life without my non-stop advice!
My family has been good for me because they taught me that I should not try to control so many things. This is not to say that I don’t still struggle with my desire for control in my life and in the life of my family. I do, but they do a wonderful job of reminding me that God is God and I am not! They have also helped me learn patience. Patience to let them make their own mistakes and learn from them. Patience to watch them do something in a different way than I would. This patience is essential, both in a family and in the church so that others can have a safe environment to grow and develop. One of the essential characteristics of a vibrant Christian is patience. But even the best believers lose it sometimes. Certainly all of us, even the most mild-mannered, struggle to be patient in certain circumstances and with certain people. This is even more apparent in modern times, where we have grown used to things happening right away, as soon as we want them. One only has to think about how quick communications have become with instagram, snapchat, text messages, Skype, and the fact that most people now expect a response to their message right away. We can see the same impatience in the way we shop, the way we eat, and the way we drive.
Contrast this with Jesus’ description of the kingdom of God. He says, “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.” To drive his point home, Jesus offers another image for the kingdom of God as he says, “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."
The ancient Hebrews would have understood the point of these parables instantly because they understood agriculture. Their lives depended on the crops they cultivated and the animals they raised. Yet, they knew the wonder of growth belonged to the Lord. The people who heard Jesus tell the parable of the farmer's life also shared the wonder of the soil. The farmer worked hard during the day, but he couldn’t make the seed grow into a plant, nor the plant produce fruit. It is God and God alone who caused the growth. The people of Jesus’ time would have been acutely aware of how little control they had over their crops, and the weather, and what sort harvest they could expect. Whether they liked it or not, they had to be patient and trust that God would provide for their needs.
This is a necessary lesson for us as modern people. We have grown used to thinking that we are in control and we will master any situation with enough time and research. We have grown so impatient, believing that we must take charge and seize what we want. But how much mystery still remains in the world!? And how little we actually control!
The people of the ancient world were often a step ahead of us when it came to openness to the kingdom of God. They constantly came into contact with their helplessness and knew how much they depended on God for their basic, daily needs. The parables of the farmer and the mustard seed would have described a way of life that many experienced each and every day: It is God who plants the seed and God who makes it grow. We can cooperate with his grace but ultimately it is God who controls everything. We have to be patient, acknowledging that things happen in God’s time and according to his plan.
It is good for us to reflect on God’s patience with mankind and how patience is built into a true understanding of the kingdom of God. Imagine how easy it would have been for God to make us the way he wanted right away, to make us perfect instantly. Instead, God is patient with us, he gives us many opportunities to grow, and forgives our failures if we are truly sorry. Truly, God’s patience is one of the great gifts he shares with us and one we certainly don’t deserve.
With the example of God’s patience in mind, we might look at our own approach to life’s setbacks and annoyances. Do we exercise patience when things fail to go our way? Or when God asks us to wait for what we want? Or when we have to absorb the impatience of others? Since God is so patient with us, we must learn to be patient with ourselves and others. The root of the word patience is “patio” which means “to suffer” and if we want to have patience in our day-to-day living, then we must also be willing to accept suffering in our lives. If we try to run from every suffering then we will be unable to be patient as well.
So let us reflect today on the richness of God’s patience and how it is meant to be lived out in our own lives. Let us pray for this gift each and every day so that we might live the truth taught to us in the parables. May we embrace the opportunities that come our way to exercise patience, even if it means suffering, knowing that they come from God and are born out of a wisdom much greater than ours.
