My mother had a mustard seed in a small glass charm attached to her watch. As a child, I was fascinated by that little tiny seed that looked about the size of a grain of pepper.
Jesus used what his audience knew about mustard seeds to describe His kingdom.
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field;
It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches” (Matthew 13.31-32).
Similar to the parable of the mustard seed, the parable starts off very small but is expanded to large proportions as people like me try to explain what Jesus meant with this simple parable.
The Kingdom of God
The first thing we notice with the parable is that it’s about the Kingdom of God.
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15).
The first recorded words of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark involve the presence of the kingdom of God on earth. Because God’s kingdom is present, we are to repent and believe in the good news – that is, the good news that the kingdom of God has arrived.
The Greek word for repentance is a combination of two words that means “to change your mind.” When Jesus announced the presence of God’s kingdom, people were to change their minds about what was most important in life.
Rather than focusing solely on what transpired on earth, they were to concern themselves with God’s rule and how they best serve alongside the Messiah, Jesus.
Jesus told the mustard seed parable and others like it to help people with the believing part of the announcement.
To say that the kingdom of God is present and yet not see visible results of the kingdom must have been disconcerting to the people following Jesus throughout Galilee.
They surely wondered, “If God’s kingdom is present, why are the Romans still oppressing us? Why do we have so much difficulty in our world? Why is evil so active?”
Jesus assured them that the kingdom was present but small. The small kingdom would grow, he told them.
Thus, they were to change their minds about the kingdom (repent) and live as though they were in it. They were to firmly trust (believe) that the kingdom of God was a present-day reality.
The Mustard Seed’s Growth
The mustard seed of God’s kingdom did grow, and it grew to the proportions that Jesus described. Christianity has permeated all aspects of life. Even people who identify themselves as secular and non-believing are influenced by the values of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
The statement, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” is common in today’s parlance. It originated with the mustard seed of the Savior telling people that that was the second great commandment.
Even though Christian values and thought have penetrated every aspect of modern-day culture, we still need to be reminded of the parable of the mustard seed.
We can become swamped in our thinking by all the troubles that surround us: wars, political upheavals, economic disparity, racial tensions, and more. These issues can cause us to lose our focus on the fact that we are members of God’s kingdom.
Jesus’ words still ring true in our lives. The kingdom of God is present on earth. We are to change our minds about what is most important in life, and we are to believe the good news that his kingdom is true and active.
If we’re following Jesus, we’re citizens of God’s kingdom and should live up to His standards.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I have discussed this passage and the Parable of the Leaven on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
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