Jeremiah 13:1-11 / Matthew 13:31-35
One of the set of clothes that we will certainly wash everyday is the under-garments.
For obvious reasons, the under-garments must be washed regularly although it is not for public view.
Yet it is also the garment that is closest to our bodies.
In the 1st reading, the Lord ordered Jeremiah to get a loincloth, wear it and without washing it, hide it among some rocks and then after a time to take it out.
Obviously we can imagine what has happened to the loincloth. Not only is it soiled, it will also be utterly unusable.
God chose His people to be His own and He bound Himself close to them. Yet they did not listen to Him and followed the dictates of their own hearts and hence became corrupted like the loincloth.
God just wanted His people to serve Him in obedience and humility, because it is through an obedient and humble people that God shows the power of His marvelous works.
Just like in the gospel parables, it is the simple and humble mustard seed and the yeast that brought forth the marvels of God's works.
God has chosen us to be His beloved people. He wants to do great things for us and through us.
Yet we must be obedient and humble and listen to His Word. It is as simple as that; yet it is also as difficult as that.