Lamps in Jesus' day were small clay pots with a reservoir for oil and a spout out of which a wick came from the reservoir to be lit. A single flame in a dark room is quite bright. We have to imagine a time with no electricity where it would be unthinkable to put a lamp under a bed. A lamp was placed high on the wall on a shelf where its light could be reflected in the whole room. Oil was the fuel of the lamp. The wick was made of fibrous material which soaked up the oil so that it could burn at the end. We likened the oil to the Holy Spirit and we must ask the question, are we filled with the Holy Spirit in a way that lets our lamp shine? John says in his Gospel that light is Jesus Christ himself. We are the clay pot, and we are privileged to have the presence of Christ, the flame, and the gift of God's Spirit, the oil. But are we filled? Are we holding up the lamp that others may see The Way?
Fruit is to be eaten - the more produced the more people can be fed. But we must also remember that plants have humble beginnings, and spring from a tiny seed. This is Jesus' teaching of the growing seed. The farmer scatters seed, but since the sower is God and we are His people, we are expected to prepare good ground in our hearts. We do this by rooting up sin, and doing those things which lead to loving God and loving our neighbor. By acts of love, prayer, and staying in God's word day and night (Psalm 1:2) we make the soil of our heart more fertile. "By night and day, while he's asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows." (Mark 4:27) describes the work of the Holy Spirit, without us being aware, ever changes us more into the image of Jesus.
The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds, but grows into a sizable plant. The kingdom of God started in the greatest humility, in a small shepherds cave in Jerusalem as Jesus was born into this world. Now the branches of the kingdom of God, the Church, spread out through the world. The vine is Christ himself, crucified and resurrected, from which the branches spring. The mustard seed only releases its pungent flavor when crushed, as Christ was crushed. As we are tested the fragrance of Christ will come through us as well. The mustard seed teaches us that we are to be the seasoning of Christ to this world. The mustard was a tenacious plant growing wherever it landed, even breaking through stone. As a result, the Pharisees had rules where it could be planted, but Jesus' new teaching swallowed up the old rules. As mustard would crack stone, so the Kingdom of God would take root anywhere not through the law, but through love. The kingdom is a haven for sinners - the birds of the air nesting in the branches of the mustard bush - we who are wanderers find a home for our souls. As such, the Church should be the open door and home of all who are searching, thirsty, and hungry for God.
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