Like a Mustard Seed. Mark 4:30-32.
And he said, “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.”
Dear Holy Nation,
Jesus is still trying to help his hearers understand that they have to change their perspective on the kingdom of God. Instead of a sudden, cataclysmic event, they should expect the kingdom to unfurl over a long period of time.
Starting Small (vv. 30-31). When a mustard seed is planted, it is so small that dropping it may mean never finding it again. At the time of planting, it is insignificant and easily ignored. Likewise, the kingdom of God started small. In the beginning, Jesus was one of several rabbis in Palestine and not necessarily the most famous. Few people believed his message and fewer still committed their lives to his cause.
Spreading Slowly (v. 32a). Again like a mustard seed that germinates and grows slowly into a large garden plant, the kingdom of God will grow and spread its influence throughout the earth. What started so small that it was hardly visible, except to those who were very close, will become impossible to ignore.
Supplying Sanctuary. (v. 32b). The mustard bush grows big enough for the birds to build their nests in its branches. Birds have to build their nests high above the ground so that they are safe from predators. One day the kingdom of God will be a haven from all danger, for those who “build their nests” in it. Even now, Christ offers eternal security to all who believe in him. We may not be out of physical danger at present, but Christ will return to provide security from all danger. We will be safer than the birds with their nests in the mustard bush.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.