Jesus often speaks to us in parables. And in today’s Gospel, he recites three—each one helping to advance our understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven. In the first parable, a good farmer’s enemy plants weed seed throughout his wheat field. The farmer doesn’t want to risk damaging his wheat by removing the weeds right as they sprout. Instead, he decides to wait until harvest, collecting the weeds to burn and the wheat to stow safely in his barn. Explaining this parable to his disciples, Jesus reminds them that God alone can judge.

The parables that follow are shorter, but no less powerful… In fact, for us at CMMB, they are especially motivating.

In the next parable, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed. “It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”

With a similar message, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to yeast in the final parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”

Why do these parables resonate with us so deeply? The answer is faithfully woven into our mission. At CMMB, our commitment to healthier lives worldwide is so much greater than any one person, no matter who they are—and greater than any one accomplishment. Just as the smallest seed can yield the largest of plants with time, or yeast can double in size when mixed with the right ingredients, so too will our mission grow to reach more people, in more places, thanks to our compassionate supporters.

The impact we have today is built upon the work of those who came before us—and the support of those who came before you. And once we have given all that we can in our lifetimes, the same will be true for those who follow in our footsteps, embracing our shared mission—and saving precious lives.

We can’t do what we do alone. Thank you for supporting our commitment to ever more healthier lives worldwide.