The Kingdom and Mustard

June 1

Read: Mark 4:30-34

The Kingdom and Mustard

“With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” - Jesus

The Kingdom of God is the sort of place where things are supernaturally transformed. When seeking to teach his disciples what the Kingdom of God is like, Jesus compares it to a mustard seed… “the smallest of all seeds on the earth”. When we first read this parable, one normally becomes fixated on the idea of growth, but remember the nature of parables and what they are… they always have a punchline. Do you see the punchline(s) here?

The truth is that the sort of mustard seeds in Palestine during Jesus’ day don’t actually grow into trees (in fact most mustard plants do not grow into trees) - they grow into bushes at best! These mustard plants are not normally / necessarily “larger than all the garden plants”; notice how Jesus even uses the term “plants” as opposed to trees. The other interesting note is that Jesus mentions “garden plants”, which seems to place the setting of this seed planting in a garden. This is also quite scandalous as mustard rapidly reproduces like a weed and will quickly take over any area in which it is planted. In short, if you plant mustard in a garden, your garden is ruined because all you will end up with is mustard… your other plants will get choked out. We can start to see a very different picture of the Kingdom of God forming. This is not just a matter of the Kingdom of God “growing” or “starting small”… it is something much greater!

The Kingdom of God radically takes over any space it is planted in… it “invades” the garden around it and will choke out other competing “plants”. This is the scandal of a mustard seed getting put in a garden!

The Kingdom of God is the sort of place where something / someone that would naturally / normally only grow into a “bush” grows up into a mighty tree with branches and giving shade. This is not just outlining “growth” for those in the Kingdom… it is outlining TRANSFORMATION. This is what Jesus is seeking to do in you and in the midst of his people as the Kingdom of God expands… supernatural transformation… that is the sort if thing that happens in the Kingdom lowly bushes are made into trees.

One final thing, the Kingdom of God is the sort of place that “birds come and rest in the branches of the transformed tree”. Even the most basic of gardeners knows that birds can be a menace in your garden… this is why there are scarecrows right!?! Imagine this picture: the Kingdom of God is the sort of place where those who were once chased away (think the birds) now come and find REST!

This is what God is seeking to do in you and for you… this is the Kingdom! Never doubt his ability to “grow you”… to transform you. You will never become a “tree” by your own willpower, it is the Lords supernatural work that transforms you. Embrace the Kingdom of God in the garden of your life and know that it will eventually take over… the Kingdom is a plant that starts small and grows… and all eventually consume all of the “garden”. If you feel more like a bird, who has been chased off and shewed away… do not be afraid to approach the garden of the Lord. In the Kingdom of God, you will find rest in the branches! Here is to the K.O.G. and being like a mustard seed. Love you guys. - JDP