Like A Mustard Seed

The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed…

It is such a simple comparison. The kingdom of God is like a tiny seed that eventually grows up into a relatively gigantic plant. It starts small and ends up tall.

From a historical perspective, we can see the truth of Jesus’ words. One teacher and twelve disciples changed the world forever. Long before the era of instant communication, Jesus told his followers to make disciples of all nations. Any reasonable person would quickly conclude that was just ridiculous. There’s no way something like that could be done. Except, it was, and it still is. Today, there are people on every continent who trust in Jesus and follow Him. The tiny seed has grown explosively.

But is there any other way in which this comparison might be helpful to us? Can it shed light on our understanding of God’s Kingdom as we know it today? I believe it can. I believe this mustard seed story can help us to find God’s Kingdom in the right places. It can help us to recognize the hand of God at work.

What does Jesus want us to notice in this comparison? It isn’t just that a seed grows up into a plant. It’s that a teeny-tiny seed becomes a gargantuan bush—in some cases, close to fourteen feet tall! And in pointing out this sharp contrast, Jesus seems to be saying, “Don’t underestimate this tiny little thing. It doesn’t look like much, but it is packed with power and life. You’ll see.”

It’s here where our lesson really begins. If the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, then that means it always starts out small. It seems tiny and insignificant. The thing it is trying to accomplish seems ridiculous and impossible.

God’s kingdom seems to offer so little: a splash of water on the head; a round wafer and a sip of wine; people who are just like me; and lots of words from an old book about Jesus.

And though those words about Jesus may seem insignificant; though they may seem to have nothing to do with solving the problem you’re going through; though those words about Jesus may seem like a tiny voice drowned out by louder ones; those words about Jesus are the mustard seed, packed with power and life. From this seed something totally new and unexpected can take root and grow. That something new is faith in Jesus; the surprising, Spirit-led ability to trust in Jesus for life, forgiveness, and meaning.

Jesus Himself could be compared to a mustard seed. When He was born in Bethlehem, it was like a mustard seed being planted in the ground. Hardly anyone noticed, outside of the angels and the shepherds. By worldly standards, it was an insignificant event. As Jesus grew up, he tried to tell those who would listen that He had been sent from the Father to give his life for the world. It all seemed ridiculous and impossible, especially when Jesus was executed on a cross. Surely this had been one big, tragic mistake, and Jesus’ death marked the end of another tiny life played out on planet Earth.
But the seed had not stopped growing. On that first Easter, the earth shook as a living Jesus exploded from His grave. His great tree of life continued to grow as He ascended into heaven and sent his Holy Spirit to his friends, and they began preaching his words with fire and passion. Two millennia later, His tree of life—the kingdom of God—still preaches repentance leading to the forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name. From one seed, the true redemption of the world has grown. Jesus himself started small—born of a human mother in a stable—and ends up tall—lifted up on a cross; raised up from the dead; taken up into heaven to guide and govern our world until its end.

This is the principle by which God operates: from humble and almost embarrassing beginnings—he works life and growth by connecting people to His Son. With a splash of water on the head and His own name, God adopts a person as His own and gives them the gift of trust in Jesus. With a round wafer and a sip of wine, Jesus delivers his blood and body into ours, so that we never need doubt that our sins are really forgiven. With words from an old book, God speaks to us and makes promise after promise. And He even uses people just like us to carry out his work of compassionate service to each other and our world.

All of this can lead you and me to a major shift in perspective. With the mustard seed in mind, we might start thinking about new and potentially risky ways of sharing the good news with others. With the mustard seed in mind, we might not give up on the person who seems “unlikely” to trust in Christ. With the mustard seed in mind, you might realize that He is calling you today to plant the seed in someone else’s life. He’s not asking you to make the seed grow. That’s His job. So don’t be worried or intimidated. Just take that little seed and give it a chance.
Let’s learn the lesson of the mustard seed and learn it well. God will always provide the growth he desires. It may sometimes look like the seed is too tiny or that things aren’t happening, but when the time is right, it will be harvest time. What starts small will end up tall. There is power and life packed into that little seed. You’ll see!