A main theme of the scripture readings
of the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, Ezekiel 17:22-24; 2
Corinthians 5:6-10; Mark 4:26-34, is the growth of the Kingdom of God.
Remember, Jesus came to proclaim the Kingdom of God, as these words of his make
it clear:
This is the time of
fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel (Mark
1:15).
I must proclaim the good
news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent (Luke
4:43).
This is reflected in the Third
Luminous Mystery of the Holy Rosary. In proclaiming the Kingdom, Jesus explains
what the Kingdom is like through parables (Matthew13:3-23//Mark 4:3-20//Luke
8:5-15; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; Mark 4:26-29; Matthew 13:31-32//Mark
4:30-32//Luke 13:18-19; Matthew 13:33//Luke 13:20-21; Matthew 13:44; Matthew
13:45-46; Matthew 13:47-50; Matthew 13:52; Matthew 18:23-31; Matthew
20:1-16; Matthew 21:28-32; Matthew 22:1-14; Matthew
25:1-13).
So why in parables?
First, it is impossible to describe
the Kingdom in any human language, in a language that can be understood by
human mind, because the Kingdom is a mystery (i.e. Mark 4:27). Therefore, Jesus
uses metaphors and allegories in explaining what the Kingdom is like. Another
reason is that the Kingdom is understood and appreciated only by those who have
been granted necessary knowledge to see it in the eyes of faith and those who
are willing to see through faith. So Jesus said:
Because knowledge of the
mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has
not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I
speak to them in parables, because “they look but do not see and hear but do
not listen or understand.” Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
”You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they
have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart and be converted, and I heal them.” (Matthew
13:11-15; cf. Isaiah 6:9-10).
Those are the people reflected in the
Second Reading (2 Corinthians 5:6-10), those who walk home to the Lord by faith,
not by sight, aspired to please him. If you walk by faith, not merely by sight,
you can see what has not been seen yet, because faith assures us of what we
hope for, which is unseen (Hebrews 11:1; cf. Romans 8:24).
Has anyone seen the Kingdom in his or
her eyes? The Kingdom of God is not geopolitical one but rather has the
transcendental nature (i.e. John 18:36). In other words, it cannot be contained
and defined by any human means. But it does not mean that the Kingdom is abstract.
This is why Jesus explains what the Kingdom is like through his parables. And
there are many parables to explain what the Kingdom is like.
The Gospel Reading (Mark 4:26-34) is
one of Jesus’ parables on the Kingdom and reflects two aspects of the Kingdom’s
development. First, it grows to be fruitful (cf. Luke 10:2; cf. Revelation
14:14-16) but the exact mechanism of its development is rather mystery to us
(Mark 4:26-29). Secondly, its growth begins with a small yet potent thing, like
a mustard seed, and turns into something large to provide shelters for many.
This echoes the First Reading (Ezekiel 17:22-24), in which God proclaims that
He will establish His majestic Kingdom with the best cedar of Lebanon on His
high mountain (Ezekiel 17:22-23a). The Kingdom provides dwelling places and
shades to many, as a large tree provides these to various kinds of birds
(Ezekiel 17:23b; cf. Daniel 4:10-12; cf. Hosea 14:5b-7; cf. Mark 4:32). But,
because God humbles the haughty and exalt the lowly and meek (Ezekiel 17:24;
cf. 21:26; cf. Matthew 23:12; 1 Peter 5:5-6), only those who are worthy to be
raised by God are to be in the Kingdom (i.e. Matthew 7:13-14; cf. Luke 18:25).
The First Reading (Ezekiel 17:22-24)
gives deeper appreciation of Jesus’ parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel
Reading (Mark 4:26-34), as it is read in its context. It is a part of God’s
prophetic words to Ezekiel about the inescapable bleak fate of Judah and His
redemptive plan for the remnant of His people through Christ the Son (Ezekiel
14:12-17:24). Judah was subjected to God’s judgement for its arrogance and
defiance (Ezekiel 16:45-52).
In Ezekiel 17, God speaks of the
destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the southern kingdom, Judah, through a
set of two parables of two eagles and a vine (vv.1-10). The First Reading
(Ezekiel 17:22-24) is the concluding part of God’s explanation and application
of the parables (Ezekiel 17:11-24).
God uses two pagan nations, Babylonia,
which is represented by the first eagle (Ezekiel 17:1-6), and Egypt, as
allegorized to the second eagle (Ezekiel 17:7-10). In this two-fold parable
with two eagles describe how Judah was destroyed by Babylonia and manipulated
by Egypt.
The first eagle (great eagle) (Ezekiel
17:3) represents king of Babylonia (Ezekiel 17:12), and the cedar (Ezekiel
17:3) represents the Davidic dynasty of Judah. The native seed (Ezekiel 17:5)
is Josiah’s son, Zedekiah, uncle of Jehoiachim, and Babylonia made him king (2
Kings 24:17). Having lost its sovereignty and made vassal to Babylonia, Judah
was no longer a tall cedar but now a vine spreading low, indicating people of
Judah were being deported to Babylon (Ezekiel 17:6).
Another great eagle (the second eagle)
(Ezekiel 17:7) symbolizes Egyptian pharaoh, Psammeticus, who offered help to
Jerusalem in 586 (Jeremiah 37:5) and stood against Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia
(2 Kings 24:20). The expression, “This vine bent its roots to him, sent out
branches for him to water” (Ezekiel 17:7) means that Zedekiah of Judah
asked military assistance to Egypt (Ezekiel 17:15) to rebel against
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia (2 Kings 24:20). But, was it a good idea, in the
eyes of God that Judah uses Egypt to rebel against Babylonia, to break its
vassal agreement with Babylonia? At least, remaining in the vassal agreement
with Babylonia assured fruitfulness of Judah (Ezekiel 17:8). Thus said God in
regard to Judah, which is represented with the vine:
Can it thrive? Will he
not tear up its roots and strip its fruit? Then all its green leaves will
wither- neither strong arm nor mighty nation is needed to uproot it. True, it
is planted; but will it thrive? Will it not wither up when the east wind strikes
it, wither in the very bed where it sprouted? (Ezekiel 17:9-10).
God confronts the arrogance of Judah,
resulting in a folly to use Egypt to rebel against Babylonia with the above
words.
East wind (Ezekiel 17:10) refers to
dry hot wind, known as the khamsin, which turns vegetation
withered (Ezekiel 19:20). This represents Nebuchadnezzar’s destructive army
coming from east, Babylonia. So God calls Judah, “the rebellious
house “ (Ezekiel 17:12; cf. 2:3).
So, Judah was destroyed by Babylonia,
as hot dry east wind completely withered the vine, and Egypt was no help at all
(Ezekiel 17:13-21). This was the end of Judah, the southern kingdom, the last
remaining Jewish kingdom, after the northern kingdom was annihilated by Assyria
(i.e. 2 Kings 25).
But God will not leave the surviving
people of Judah in desolation in Babylon. Thus, God declares that he will step
in, this time. No more “eagles”(foreign empires, like Babylonia and Egypt) to affect
God’s people (Judah). But He will redeem the remnant people of Judah from the
Babylonian exile and place them in the post-exilic new house (Ezekiel
17:21-23). “A tender shoot” (Ezekiel 17:22) is a Messianic promise,
suggesting Christ as the Davidic redemptive King (cf. Isaiah 11:1 Zechariah
3:8; 6:12). And those who are raised by Christ to the Kingdom are anawim (וַעֲנָוִ֥ים) (i.e.
Ezekiel 17:24; cf. Matthew 5:3; cf. Matthew 5:5).
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