An apparent failure

Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.” Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” (Luke 13: 18-21)

At first God’s work seems, humanly speaking, destined to fail. This is so because very often the Lord makes use of people and means that are inadequate and apparently insignificant on all levels: cultural, economic, and in terms of power. Moreover, the time needed to carry out God’s work often takes a long time. So, God’s servants who sow His work are usually different from His servants who reap from it. Jesus's prophecy about the kingdom of God being originally very small, like a tiny mustard seed, is thus fulfilled by the fact that only 12 men, His Apostles, would bring the Gospel Message to the ends of the known world. Therefore, we too must learn not to be discouraged in the face of adversity, but to trust in God's help when helping to build up His Kingdom.