Monday, October 28

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Matthew 13:31-32

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”

I have the privilege of being a pastor at a church that includes over 4000 men, women, students and children. Every weekend we worship in six different services on two campuses and it seems like every week I meet someone who is new to our church family.

But this large, diverse, multi-site and multi-service church was not always like this! It’s hard for me to imagine but the church that I am part of was actually planted as a tiny seed by 10 Swedish immigrants in 1894. They didn’t have a building for 10 years, didn’t have a full time pastor for  many more years after that, and were sometimes uncertain about whether or not their little church would survive.

But that little plant did survive! And eventually it grew into what it is today. How does that happen?

I think this is part of what Jesus is talking about when he said:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”

I don’t know about you but when I think of the words “King” or “kingdom” I don’t think of small things! I think of crowns and robes and opulent palaces; I think of great walled cities and mighty fortresses. And yet when Jesus starts talking about the “kingdom of heaven”, the reign of the creator of the universe himself, he points our attention to a tiny mustard seed. Why?

First of all, I think Jesus uses the mustard seed as an illustration of God’s kingdom in order to surprise us! Like any good teacher he uses the unexpected to get our attention and to entice us to listen to what he is saying.

Second, he chooses an everyday, ordinary plant to illustrate the kingdom of heaven so that his followers would see the mustard bushes growing wild throughout the countryside and then remember what he had taught them about the kingdom!

Third, I think Jesus told the parable of the mustard seed because it accurately describes how God likes to work! God loves to plant the seed of his gospel in good soil and then to bring a great harvest from small beginnings.

And, finally, I think Jesus uses the mustard seed because it keeps us from being able to say, “Well, see, the kingdom of heaven is just too big, too expansive, too grand a thing for someone as small as me to play a significant part in growing.” He wants us to see that if something as tiny and as seemingly ordinary as a mustard seed can grow to become a safe place for birds to find shelter, then maybe, just maybe you and I can be part of building the kingdom of heaven as well.

Pastor Brian Coffey