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119. Like a Mustard Seed


Psalm 78:1-3, Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 4:31-34, Luke 13:18-19
Key Verse: "O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.  I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old, what we had heard and known, what our Fathers have told us."
Psalm 78:1-3

In Jesus' day, the common expectation was that the Kingdom of God would come crashing in to save the day, in a similar way that we view His Second Coming today. God would come in, triumphantly to set all things right; demolish the enemy’s strongholds, (in this case overthrow the Romans), and bring in a reign of peace and tranquility for all the good, devoted, righteous Jews.

With this parable of the mustard seed, once again, Jesus is turning expectations on their head. Like a mustard seed, the Kingdom of God will begin small, but grow to an amazing size and serve as a refuge for many.

To the people of Jesus’ day, the mustard seed was known to be the smallest of all seeds. A healthy seed, however, could produce a shrub that would be between six and ten feet tall at maturity. Both the seeds and leaves were useful to the people for flavoring and medicine.
It is important to note here that Jesus compares this plant to the Kingdom of God, but that does not necessarily mean the church. After all, Jesus was bringing in the Kingdom of God, with his very small and humble beginning in a stable. The church is His bride.

Jesus also teaches in the parable that the Kingdom of God will not be just for the Jews. Many birds will settle in its branches. Admittedly, at this point, the meaning is a bit unclear. Birds are often a way of expressing something evil, so there is debate about whether the birds, in this case, mean Gentiles who are welcome to join the fellowship of faith and “build nests in its branches” or evil ones who are not believing Christians but come into the church as satan’s minions to try to ruin it all.  What is clear is that the bush is unaffected by their presence, just as the Kingdom of God will stand, nests and all, to the glory of God.

Hymn: "Jesus Shall Reign" 

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