The Mustard Seed
Ancient Stories for Modern Life III:
A. Background & Comments:
• in late May we began a series of sermons for the summer that are focused on the parables of Jesus Christ from Matthew Ch. 13. Being that this occurred more than a month ago – a lot has happened between then & now – let me refresh your mind:
The Parable of the Sower (vs. 3-9; 18-23)
- we receive the Word of God in different ways!
The Parable of the Weeds (vs. 24-30; 36-43)
- a day of judgment awaits imposters of the faith.
• This series is especially valuable because Jesus Christ is teaching his followers the realities of his Kingdom, a Kingdom of values that often contradict the normal understanding of any earthly kingdom, ie: power vs. service, hate vs. love, etc.
• Jesus spoke in parables (symbolic stories) as a way of instructing his followers, knowing that they – as well as we – are very often unable or unwilling to hear the instruction of God’s Word. He understood the power that story has in helping us to hear truths in a more indirect way.
• today, we move specifically to consideration of a relatively unknown agricultural item: the mustard seed. Jesus Christ uses the mustard seed to make several points regarding the quality & potential of our faith walk.
B. Main Thought:
The passage we consider today speaks to the quality & potential of our personal faith through the illustration of the lowly, underrated mustard seed!
If we will understand the significance of this teaching, we must take some time to define & discern…
I. (vs. 31) Parable of the Mustard Seed: Defining Characteristics of the Seed
“He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.’”
A. The mustard seed/plant/tree is, for the most part, a foreign seed/plant/tree to most of us. (The closest we get to it is the bottle of French’s Mustard in our fridges!) The mustard seed is used at least three times in the New Testament, as an illustration by Jesus Christ.
B. What are the specific, relevant characteristics of the seed that help us understand what Jesus was saying to his followers?
the mustard seed is about 1/20th of an inch in size;
the mustard seed is easily blown about by the wind, not discernable by the casual observer;
the mustard seed is actually an herb that may grow to be ten to twelve feet, with a stem the size of a man’s arm.
the mustard seed is tough, ardent and can grow anywhere, next to anything! Unlike many plants, it will not take on the defining characteristics of plants it grows next to or in the vicinity of. Examples:
Jalapenos & tomatoes = hot tomatoes (!)
Toxins of Black Walnut Tree = destroys most adjacent seeds or plants
II. (vs. 32) Parable of the Mustard Seed: Defining, Meaningful Lessons
“ Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”
The mustard seed means that we – similarly – can…
A. Grow Ardently & Without Compromise
• the first lesson contributed by the mustard seed is that it is unaffected by its surroundings, environment, or what conditions may be present! Our faith, when truly like the mustard seed, becomes unwavering, unaffected by what we see or what conditions may exist.
the mustard seed can grow on top of a jalapeno and eventually become a tree!
B. Possess Unlimited & Unexpected Potential
• the second lesson contributed by the mustard seed is that the seemingly small seed of the gospel message will produce phenomenal growth. From small beginnings the Kingdom, which originally had only drawn near in the person of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:14-15), grew by reason of its own inner & supernatural vitality, to tremendous proportions, including millions of conversions.
Think about the impact of the carpenter of Nazareth…
C. Be Supportive of the Weak
• the third lesson contributed by the mustard seed is that the growth of the mustard tree, noted by its thick, strong stem & branches. It is symbolic of an ability to support the weak & downtrodden. The mustard seed would be considered the most unlikely of all seeds to produce such strength!
See I Corinthians 1:18, 23-27: the faith that Christ produces is stronger than anything this world offers.
The “foolishness of the cross” creates strength to be supportive of those who are “weak” in terms of power, money & influence, the world’s measure of what strength really is. We heartily disagree…
Implications
A. In working toward a healthy faith we need to come to the place where our basic faith remains unaltered by the normal ups & downs of life. The mustard seed/plant is instructive in this regard: growth occurs even when the circumstances change around us.
B. Do not underestimate your God! There may be things in your life that give the feelings of being totally overwhelmed. I understand that reality but I am also impacted by the truth that God can do much with little, including my puny, infantile faith. Give Him his due…
