Tag: Mustard Seed

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Small but significant.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Then Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.” He also asked, “What else is the Kingdom of God like? It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭18‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus, in speaking of the Kingdom of God, uses two words in his object lesson illustrations – tiny and little. Well, really he says it’s like a “kokkos” a grain and “zumé” yeast. The New Living Translation inserts the word “little,” but it’s not in the original language. Apparently yeast is so powerfully pervasive that it needs no modifier word.

Is Jesus saying that the Kingdom starts out small, but grows and expands to something much bigger and more powerful? That’s what it looks like. I don’t want to read too much into Jesus’ word-play here, but it’s interesting to think of God’s plans or His ways being anything but gigantic!

Are God’s ways subtle? I can see how they would be hidden, mysterious, even secretive in the way that would peek our curiosity. It’s hard for my brain to understand words like omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent by descriptions like a mustard seed or a smallest smidgen of yeast!

God does love to start small; creating humans from dust, choosing one unknown nomadic (Abram) to become a nation, a people that would become more populous than the sands of the sea or stars in the sky. And the most famous small to significant example, a chromosome supernaturally implanted into Mary’s ovum, where God takes on flesh and becomes a man. Yeah, this is how God has always approached us and world in which we experience life.

God comes like a grain, a smidgen of greatness, so small, so understated, that it can be easily dismissed or even entirely missed. But it does not remain small, nor nearly invisible. It grows exponentially larger than we can even imagine. Yeah, that sounds exactly like God, like Jesus’ birth, life and death, like what the Kingdom of God will become. It starts small, but hardly insignificant. To find it, to discover it, to live it, we must look for it, like a young child, so curious to touch everything, to exploring their environment constantly. God is not hidden, and neither is His Kingdom. He’s just waiting for us to find Him.

Prayer

​Dad,
It is an absolute wonder to know that, in all your magnanimity, you are still subtle when it comes to us! You still whisper to us. You still want us to come, taking a second look. You still wait to be big in our life and still patiently approach everything that exists in our world and beyond. Small enough, gentle enough for a child to see you and know you. Yet, big enough to be just, right and true above and beyond all other gods. You are enough.

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Hidden in plain sight.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.” Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand. In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭30‬-‭34‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Mark tells us Jesus used stories, parables, object lessons and illustrations. And, Mark also tells us why Jesus taught this way – maybe it was the only way we might understand. We think we thrive on facts and stats, but history has proven a great story lasts for centuries! Facts get fuzzy, but stories are deeply woven into our nature, our very psyche. Whether we are training or teaching, a good anecdote drives the sticky point home.

Jesus used over 40 parables, a baker’s dozen of them were about the Kingdom of God. Each story shared another facet of truth about God’s economy.

5 agricultural examples.
4 concerning money.
2 involving feasts.
1 fishing story.
1 even about cooking!

Here in these verses, Jesus talks about a seed. The smallest of seeds. You know God is not intimidated by small! Small seeds, small beginnings, even small people (sorry Zacchaeus). Jesus uses the familiar mustard seed, common to Galilean farmers. The mustard seed may start out small, but when the soil conditions are optimal, it grows into a massive bush as large as a tree. Jesus used the Greek word, “lachanon,” which is a garden plant. We believed Jesus said, “tree,” but none of the translations even used that word.

The simple application, the hidden in plain sight truth –

Don’t dismiss or despise small things that the culture may deem useless or irrelevant.

God’s ways, His Word, may seem small to us, but when planted in good soil will prosper and be sustainable for ourselves and others. If that tiny little seed is not snatched by birds (distractions) or choked by weeds (other desires), or lands in rocks (hardened hearts) it will grow and produce 10,000+ seeds! What God does in our lives, as small as it may seem, will grow if we tend to our faith. What we do for others, small or even hidden, when nurtured and received with love will grow to produce thousands of reciprocal results! It’s a Kingdom principle, it’s how God’s economy works.

Prayer

​Dad,
This parable, this smallest to greatest object lesson is absolutely true. However, as a young man, it was difficult. It was hard because I lacked discipline and it took time and patience that was in short supply in my life. As I got older, I was like the kid that dug up the seed to try to find out why it wasn’t growing. Time was different as a teen! I had to learn to trust you and even harder, to obey you. Yes, when I look back I see the miracles of you changing me. But leaning into long periods of time with little seen results was tough. I had to, and still have to, trust and obey! Thank for being a mustard bush builder in lives like my own.