Living Stones – Tuesday, October 17, 2017
The mustard tree
Matthew 13:30
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
What is the Kingdom of Heaven like? The second parable Jesus uses to answers this question is about a man and his experience with a mustard seen in his field.
When Jesus told a parable, the parable of the sower, at the beginning of chapter 13, He explained to his disciples why he spoke in parables. They had asked him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” and He answered, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”
In keeping with this, after He told the parable about the sower, Jesus explained it to the disciples. He did the same with the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares. However, Jesus didn’t always explain on the pages of scripture, leaving us to interpret the meaning. As with any case of interpretation, there could be differences.
This parable of the mustard seed, to give greater understanding of what the Kingdom of Heaven is like, is very short, one sentence actually. But brevity is no guarantee of clarity. With no question of context before or after, some have concluded that the parable focuses on the sower, others that it focuses on the mustard tree and its fate. Yet others argue that it is meant to bring attention to the arrival of evil nesting birds.
Just as we established before that the parable of the sower is really a parable about different soils so too we believe this parable is not about the sower but about the mustard seed and its faith. We should note here that the mustard seed is not the smallest seed known to us today but at that time, it was the smallest seed used by the farmers in Palestine.
Using all that we have said so far it seems that the Kingdom of Heaven, from humble beginnings on the Palestinian seashores will grow to a global movement empowered by the Holy Spirit through centuries. The disciples of Jesus will become His witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth, following His command to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.”
People from all walks of life, all belief systems, and from every demographic segment will heed the call of the Holy Spirit and become a part of the family of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, Revelation 11:15, Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
A word about the birds. Some have argued, like we said before, for a different interpretation. Those persons tend to see the birds as representing evil come into the church. They argue this because in the parable of the sower birds came and ate the seeds. Let us be reminded that we focus on the condition of the soil. Further, consistently throughout the scripture, a tree that could provide a resting place and a nesting place for the birds was considered prosperous and healthy, for example, Psalm 104:2 By them the birds of the heavens have their home; They sing among the branches.
The Kingdom is constantly expanding, despite claims to the contrary. We, as members of the Kingdom, have a responsibility to contribute to that constant expansion. That those who are ravished by sin and circumstance might find shelter, healing and hope. Let’s get up and reach those who are looking for a place to land and nest. Looking for the shade and comfort of a big Kingdom tree.
Think on these things:
- Consider how these few disciples Jesus left have turned the world upside down
- We are to be the aggressive witnesses for Christ yet today we are so often silent blending in with the world rather than calling people in the world to Kingdom, why is that?
- What are some of the practical challenges to sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom today and how could we get around them?
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that we would play our part in the ever increasing Kingdom
In His Grace
Pastor Alex