Over the last two weeks we have read three different parables in the Sunday gospel: the parable of the sower, the weeds in the field and the mustard seed. Jesus is presenting these parables to the community around him to convey a message about living a righteous life in the midst of turmoil and conflict. God created us, loves us and forgives us when we sin. He wants us to be kind to each other. Jesus tells us about his kingdom. This kingdom is not just something that is to come. The signs of the kingdom are around us now, and can be seen in the goodness and kindness of people.

We often hear that to fully live out the kingdom message of Jesus is to be counter-cultural. These parables are a perfect example of that call. Jesus himself acted in contrast to his cultural context and often used examples in his teaching that flew in the face of cultural expectation. What does it mean to be counter-cultural today? Our world is driven by an emphasis on the individual; an emphasis on acquisition; an emphasis on consuming. The kingdom parables of today’s gospel call us to be the agents of change that ‘irritate’ in our own small way to make a difference in the world.