Tell Me the Stories of JesusSample

In Matthew 13:31–32, Jesus shared the parable of the mustard seed. The mustard seed is a very small seed indeed, and this parable is a very short parable. Jesus told them, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and make their nests in its branches.” . . .

A metaphor from agriculture serves to show us a kingdom reality. In this case, it is a very potent seed. In the same chapter, Jesus told his disciples the parable of the sower in which the key issue had been the soils. Of course, the soils only became important because of the potency of the seed. Now, in this very short parable, Jesus was looking at the seed itself. The kingdom of heaven is like the smallest seed that grows explosively to become one of the biggest plants.

Jesus didn’t explain a great deal about what happens between when the man sows the seed and the fully grown plant appears. That narration was unnecessary. It is the picture itself that looms before us as the great issue. Never underestimate the kingdom. Never believe that when you look at what appears to be a very small spiritual reality- that it will stay small. Never believe that what we might consider to be the smallest act of faithfulness is going to be seen and recognized as a small act in the kingdom. Just like the widow’s mite turned out to be huge, it turns out that the kingdom grows exponentially from small things.

Prayer

Father, I am in awe that you have the power to turn the tiniest act of faithfulness into something huge. Please use my small acts of faith to do far more than I can ask or think on my own. Amen.