Like Malformed Mustard
Mark 4:30-32
The kingdom of God is like a VW Beetle. It is one of the smallest cars you will ever see. It is not very comfortable or powerful. It is not very stylish or practical. It is very cheap and not impressive in any way. There is no status with owning one.
And yet, it is one of the most recognizable cars on the road. It grew from a back water, German, cheap mode of transport into a phenomenon. It is popular beyond imagining. It is loved and an integral part of social and sociological movements. It is a marketing miracle, a cultural icon. People may smile when they look at them, but they don’t really laugh. They are a success story beyond expectation. For many people, it is actually the car of choice.
This is the force of the parable Jesus told:
Matthew, Mark and Luke all present this story with slight variations. Mark’s is the longest most emphatic version of the story.
Here’s how the story goes
A person goes out and sows a very small seed. It is not simply small, it is the smallest seed in the world. There is no seed in the ground smaller than the mustard seed.
• Note the very humble beginnings
• Note the lack of expectation
He does not simply say "a very small seed," but he specifies a mustard seed. We are expecting a very specific kind of plant.
If you want to imagine a mustard plant, imagine something a little leafy and bushy with small blossoms. The plant grows tall, but grows shoots rather than large branches. It’s height might reach 7 or 8 feet, but remains green along the stem, not very woody and certainly has no bark. It is an herb, a garden plant.
So, Jesus’ story is setting his hearers up with certain expectations.
• How can I describe the kingdom of God to you?
• Well, imagine the smallest seed in the world
• This is the seed of a thin, bushy, green plant with delicate flowers
Now imagine the unexpected
It grows, not into the thin, almost weed like plant you are expecting, but it grows, and grows and grows. Think Jack’s magic beans and the huge beans stalk. Instead of tender shoots coming off the central stem, it grows branches, and not just any branch, but huge branches.
This herb has become the biggest plant in your garden. It takes over completely. It is not seriously moved by the wind, so that birds start coming to it and building nests in it.
These branches are so big that they provide shade. Mark is the only evangelist that mentions shade, and I think it is important.
This is the Kingdom of God
Jesus came, Isaiah predicted that the Messiah would not be very attractive. He was poor and not very influential by birth. He was from a town of low reputation.
His 12 most important followers were not so great either:
• a political radical
• a tax collector
• a couple of skeptics
• a short guy (or perhaps a very young guy, it isn’t clear)
• four fishermen
and several others whose personality and position are so insignificant that we don’t know anything at all about them. Not even the gospel writers who introduce us to them thought it was worth mentioning.
The leader, Jesus is arrested, tried, and executed as a criminal.
As His movement grows, it continues to attract minorities and the persecution of the majority.
Being a disciple of Jesus does not raise expectations of greatness.
And yet, the Christian faith is the largest religion in the world. The Bible has sold more copies than any book in history, followed distantly by Shakespeare and Agatha Christie. It reaches every continent and most countries. It has been translated into scores of languages.
We often see denominations as a negative thing, but the hundreds of denominations of the Christian faith testify to its adaptability to the expressions of many different cultures and perspectives. Sunday School teachers comprise the largest single body of volunteers in the world. Every week, more Sunday School teachers than any other volunteer category converge on their churches to do their work.
• The cross
• The steeple
• The Bible
• The fish
• The Kai Rho
• The clerical collar
• The rosary
• The bread and cup
• The pulpit
These are some of the most recognizable symbols anywhere. Even though we may not use all of them in our tradition of worship, they are closely associated with the Christian faith, and their users are immediately identified with Christ.
But that is all historical.
Even today
Becoming a believer in Jesus is not a sign of greatness. For many people’s backgrounds it is an absolutely shameful thing to do. It marks the beginning of alienation.
It is, after all, a religion of rules from many people’s perspective.
• In a world where we are meant to do as we please, no matter the social ramifications or the moral implications, Jesus sets a standard
• In a world where strength is often measured by the ability to exert violence, Jesus says, "be gentle"
• In a world where more is better and most is best, Jesus says give generously
• In a world where what we know and feel is primary, Jesus says to have faith
• In a world where everyone is responsible for himself, Jesus says to love your neighbor
Besides this are religious and family traditions that have deep claims on our identity, which the Christian faith may be quite opposed to.
But here is the challenge. The Kingdom of Heaven is bigger than we expect. When we accept the kingdom into our lives, we are running counter to many things, we are embracing a life that brands us as outcasts in many ways, but the Kingdom is so much bigger than we expect.
• It provides us with purpose
• It provides us with community
• It provides us with acceptance
• It provides us with forgiveness
• It gives us a sense of our place in the universe
• It gives us ultimate hope
And so much more.
An unexpected comfort
I don’t think it’s any mistake that Mark describes the Mustard plant that grew from the tiny seed as having huge branches where the birds could nest in their shade.
Not only is the Kingdom bigger than we expect, but it is also a good place to be. In the Israeli wilderness shade is a good thing. Trees are valued, because the hot, low elevation is unrelenting. The shade is an asset on any property.
If we were dealing with a mustard plant, no bird could find refuge there. In fact, birds are driven out of gardens. But this plant has done something different.
Birds, being relatively helpless and small creatures find providential life in the shade of trees. There is something welcoming and comforting about being in the shade, so much so, that some people prefer it to air conditioning.
So, not only is the kingdom bigger, both in society and in our lives than we expect, it is comforting and welcoming. A Holy God who is all powerful and just as the King of this kingdom might be expected to be stern and demanding. Instead what we find is love and rest.
Jesus and the parable
Jesus tells these stories to get our attention. Like a person in the 40s who said that VWs were important, significant cultural icons, Jesus says a Mustard seed develops into an unexpected huge, strong, comforting, welcoming tree. He says this to pique our curiosity.
What is this unexpected Kingdom? Is it really that surprising? Is it really that paradoxically powerful? How can anything so great be made up of people like me?
We feel like the mustard seed
I am small
I am insignificant
I have lived my life with disregard to the Kingdom
Perhaps even opposed to it
It may be time to reexamine your preconceptions about the Kingdom of God. Your parents, your culture, your impressions, your prejudices may have led you in the wrong direction.
• Like the woman seeing a mustard seed for the first time
• Or like the man seeing a VW Beetle for the first time
You might have misjudged what you were seeing. This is a standing challenge to anyone who has held the Christian faith at arms length for a long time. Try to open your mind to what is really going on. It is probably quite different from what you expect.
• You may find something powerful ... in a good way
• You may find something comforting
• You may find something that looms larger in your life than the trouble you’ve experienced and immoral choices you’ve made
Indulge in the Kingdom more
I spoke with someone very close to me once and he said, "I want Church to be a part of my life, but I don’t want it to be all my life." This was an unfortunate statement. What he calls "Church" is really the most recognizable expression of God’s Kingdom.
You may be feeling that way. I like coming to church, this is where my friends are and it gives my life structure. It influences me for the better. But I don’t want to get too wrapped up in it.
There are always profound ways the church can use help. Sometimes your specific gifts line up perfectly with what is needed. All you have to do is ask. Sometimes, you may be pointed in a particular direction or encouraged in the direction you are already inclined. Kingdom involvement opens avenues of strength and comfort you never would have expected.
Much of the strength and comfort that is derived from our association with God’s Kingdom can only be enhanced with deeper involvement. In coming weeks you will be hearing more about new ways of being involved in the Kingdom. Put on your adventurer’s shoes and get ready to explore.
• Don’t judge a car by its appearance
• Don’t judge a plant by its seed
• Don’t judge the kingdom by anything except what you can observe first hand
As a steward in God’s kingdom, you are uniquely positioned to enjoy all it has to offer.
