Sunday 10/04/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church
Sermon Title: “The Mustard Seed” - Matthew 13:31-32- “The Parables of Jesus” – Sermon Series – (Part 5 of 6)
(Pre-Sermon – World Mission Offering Picture (Mission Moment) – Picture)
(Cover Picture – “The Mustard Seed” – “The Parables of Jesus” – Matthew
13:31-32 - Picture)
For the past four weeks, we have been discussing some of
the “parables” or short and simple stories that Jesus told in the gospels. So far,
we have discussed the parables of “The Good Samaritan,” “The Prodigal Son,” “The
Sower,” last week, “The Lost Sheep,” and this morning, “The Mustard Seed.” Once
again, Jesus grew up in a largely farming and fishing world, and as a result,
he told parables that often connected with agriculture, farming, etc.
With all this said, I have a question for us to consider this
morning. The question is this, who likes mustard here? When I say mustard, I
mean mustard on a sandwich, or anything else that you might want mustard with?
Further, who here, loves, I mean loves mustard? So much so, maybe you have given
yourself a little squirt in the mouth before from a mustard bottle? At one of
the churches that I used to serve, I knew a man that loved hot sauce so much
that he always had a bottle of it with him, and we even kept an extra bottle of
it in the church fridge for him. Mustard of course is a plant, and from this
plant we get mustard. Mustard is the condiment that many know and live, which
is made from mustard seeds. In fact, one statistic that I read is about seven
hundred million pounds of mustard is consumed worldwide annually. It is
something that we find in so many places. In general, there is white or yellow
mustard, brown mustard, and black mustard. Maybe this is just me, but I find that
the yellow mustard that we buy in the squeeze containers to be disgusting. I do
love honey mustard and more of the brown mustard though.
(#1 - The
Mustard Seed (With Seeds) – Picture)
This morning, however, is not a teaching lesson just on mustard
plants, the making of the condiment mustard, and other products that are made from
mustard seeds. This morning is the parable or short story that Jesus tells us
comparing a mustard seed to our Christian faith. When I say short story, I am really
not joking this morning, as the parable of “The Mustard Seed” is two verses of
scripture! This is what I just read from the gospel of Matthew 13:31-32, once again:
31 Another parable he put before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches” (Matt. 13:31-32, RSV).
This same parable is also found in Mark 4:30–32, and Luke
13:18–19. Since this parable is so short, I will read the versions of the parable
of “The Mustard Seed” in Mark 4:30-32, and Luke 13:18-19. Here is this parable
in Mark 4:30-32:
30 And he said, “With
what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It
is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the
smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it
grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade” (Mk. 4:30-32,
RSV).
Finally, here is the parable of “The Mustard
Seed” in Luke 13:18-19
18 He said therefore,
“What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It
is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his garden; and
it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches”
(Lk.
13:18:19, RSV).
In looking at primarily at this parable in the gospel of
Matthew this morning though, there are a few things to mention. One, the
kingdom of heaven, or the fullness of God’s kingdom that we are ushering in on
earth, is similar to man or person throwing, sowing, and or planting mustard
seeds. Now some of us might know that a mustard seed is not the smallest seed
in the world, as an orchid seed, poppy seeds, and others are smaller. Yet the
smallest seed that would have been commonly sown, grown, and harvested for food
in Jerusalem by farmers when Jesus was alive, would be a mustard seed. Also, Jesus
is teaching us theology this morning, not botany. So, it is not important that that
mustard seed is technically not the smallest seed, but Jesus is telling the
people that it is the smallest seed that farmers sow or plant where they lived
at the time. This, therefore, made sense to the world that Jesus was preaching
and living in. Even further, the type of mustard that was most often planted
when and where Jesus lived two-thousand years ago, was black mustard. So, Jesus
knew a little farming, as this was the world that He lived in.
In that last verse of this very short parable, Jesus says
in Matthew 13:32, once again of sowing the mustard seeds:
32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade” (Matt. 13:32, RSV).
Just for reference a mustard
seed, especially a black mustard seed is 1/32 to 1/16 of an inch in diameter.
That is small! In fact, I have container of them here that Marian Higgins gave
me. I am going to pass container this around the church. You can take a seed out
of it if you want, but I cannot imagine how you will not lose it. So, a little
tiny seed of mustard, when and where Jesus lived, was very likely black mustard.
(#2 - Mustard
seed planted, sprouting, and growing – Picture)
These little seeds, if they fall on fertile ground, with good sunlight and water, and if nothing eats them or destroys them, they might just germinate and grow. How big though can a seed that is 1/32 to 1/16 of an inch in diameter grow as a plant from that seed?
(#3 – Man with
Mustard Plants in Jerusalem, Israel – Picture)
Here is a picture of man
standing in modern day Jerusalem, Israel next to black mustard plants. In this
picture we can see how a seed that is 1/32 to 1/16 of an inch in diameter can
grow into a very large plant.
(#4 Mustard
Plants– Picture)
Just to see what a mustard plant looks like to us up close here
is more zoomed in picture of mustard plants. They are beautiful plants really,
and they a come from a seed that is 1/32 to 1/16 of an inch in diameter.
Something so small, a mustard seed can grow into something so big. In fact, the
largest mustard plants or shrub are ones that grow from black mustard seeds.
The most common kind of mustard seed in Jerusalem when Jesus was alive was, as
I said, the black mustard seed. I mean, mustard seeds can grow into big plants,
but Jesus said to this morning in Matthew 13:32, once again:
32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade” (Matt. 13:32, RSV).
The pictures of plants that I have shown you are certainly big mustard plants, and from such a tiny seed. Yet, how could the birds of the air make nests in the shade of its branches, if a mustard plant or shrub is only about 6-7 feet tall? The answer is that the mustard plant or shrub would need to be pretty big. Jesus knew this.
(#5 Large Black
Mustard Plant/Shrub – Picture)
This is a picture of a
large black mustard plant or shrub. From a seed that is, once again, 1/32 to
1/16 of an inch in diameter, to this large mustard shrub. Can birds of the air
safely make their nests here? Yes, they can. Jesus was talking about how a
small mustard seed, or a small amount of faith in Him can grow and grow. This
parable of “The Mustard Seed” is about what God can do in us and through us,
with just a little tiny bit of faith in Christ. It is like that song, “This little
light of mine. I am going to let it shine.”
Just to explain more specifically from the research that I
have done about how big mustard plants can grow, here is some of what I found:
Most standard garden mustard plants
grow about 3 feet tall (90 cm) and 12 to 18 inches wide.
Size
by Variety
·
White/Yellow Mustard (Brassica alba): Grows 1 to 2
feet tall (30 to 70 cm).
·
Brown Mustard (Brassica juncea): Grows up to 4
feet tall (120 cm).
·
Black Mustard (Brassica nigra): Can grow up to 6
to 7 feet tall (200 cm) in optimal conditions.
·
The "Mustard Tree" (Salvadora persica): While true
agricultural mustard plants are herbaceous annuals that stay small, the tree
referenced in biblical parables can reach 20 to 25 feet tall.
This “Mustard Tree” or mustard shrub is what Jesus is
referring to when He says:
“so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade”.
Something so small as
Mustard Seed can grow into something really big that can serve and help many.
If we have but a mustard sized faith, then God can use that small little, tiny bit
of faith to grow it into something massive. God can take your “little light,”
or this “little light of mine,” and do things that we cannot even
imagine. Do we believe that
God can take a little faith in us, a little seed of hope, and grow something
large and transformative?
(#6 “Do You
Have Mustard Seed Sized Faith?” – Picture)
Or to ask it another way, do you, do I, do we, have “Mustard Seed Sized
Faith?” Jesus started his ministry with twelve men, the twelve disciples, and
almost two-thousand years later, we are the largest faith in the entire world.
A mustard seed, and a mustard seed sized faith can grow into something much
larger than we can ever imagine.
To make this a sermon one
that walks out of the church with us this morning, and by out of the church I
mean only through sanctuary doors today, how does this parable of “The Mustard
Seed” speak to us today? How does this parable and this sermon connect with our
lives, and how can we apply what we all heard and learned this morning in our
lives and in the world? Here are some application points for us to consider
this morning:
Matthew 13:31–32 contains the
Parable of the Mustard Seed, where Jesus explains that the kingdom of heaven
starts from tiny, unassuming beginnings and grows into a massive,
transformative presence that impacts the whole world.
Significance
·
Humble Beginnings: Jesus' earthly ministry started
quietly with a small group of Galilean fishermen and outcasts, contrasting
sharply with the loud, coercive political power expected of a conquering
messiah.
·
Inevitable Growth: Just as a tiny one-millimeter
mustard seed naturally grows into a large tree-like shrub (up to 15 feet tall),
God’s quiet work possesses an unstoppable, internal life force that multiplies
over time.
·
Universal Refuge: The "birds of the air"
nesting in its branches allude to Old Testament prophecies (such as Ezekiel
17:23 and 31:6) symbolizing people from all nations and backgrounds
finding shelter and peace within God's domain.
Application
·
Patience in Ministry: Believers are
encouraged not to despise small or unnoticed acts of faithfulness, trusting
that God uses quiet obedience to yield massive long-term results.
·
Resilience in Faith: A microscopic amount of faith or
witness contains the organic potential for exponential kingdom impact in
families, communities, and cultures.
So, brothers and sisters, as we read and heard about Jesus’ parable of “The Mustard Seed,” imagine what God can do with a little seed and a little faith. Do you, do I, do we, “Have Mustard Seed size faith?” Amen.
(#7 AVBC– Communion for During Communion– Picture)
