Spread a Little Mustard

Matthew 13:31-32

He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the 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.’

We exist in a moment when many in the church see only diminishment. We worry we are dwindling. We worry when only a few handfuls fill the pews. We worry when budgets shrink. We worry when so many aspects of being church seem to be smaller and smaller. We worry that we will soon be nothing. 

But there is another way of seeing. Jesus told the disciples a parable.

Jesus engages in some rabbinic hyperbole here—smallest seed to tallest tree—but his point is fairly clear—a little bit can go a long way. In the context of the church becoming smaller, we need to to hear again this message that from small things, great things can happen. That makes us countercultural since we exist in a culture completely ga-ga over big things. We want things to be YUGE! That carries over into the church when we see conference after conference led by megachurch pastors. We will ignore 90% of our churches that are small to sit in the shadow of the few that are huge. Jesus, though, consistently offers something different. The kingdom itself is something tiny at its inception. Then come the consequences, which, indeed, can be cosmic.

Let’s look at this simple parable a bit more closely.

Dealing with the smallest first, a mustard seed is infinitesimal—a speck of a seed. What Jesus means in using this simile is to indicate that God’s preferred way to work the transformation and transcendence of the world will be through small, seemingly inconsequential things. Jesus always worked on this scale. He met people one on one. He avoided the crowds for the most part. His largest group that could be effectively thought of as a congregation numbered twelve. He offered the comforting knowledge that he was surely present with two or three gathered in his name.

Therefore, we should never underestimate ourselves. We may feel we are part of an inconsequential gathering, but God is present. The smallest act done with the intention of being compassionate can be the start of something powerful and meaningful. 

The key is not size, but presence. Do we believe God to be present in what we do? A seed is embodied potential. That little package contains the potential for whatever plant or tree it becomes. It carries the presence of the subsequent plant, if you will. We need to see our gatherings as such seeds. The potential is always present. Believe that. God does not need thousands to begin a movement—God needs only open hearts, open minds, and a couple of faithful souls to instigate the transformation of the world. That is the core message of our Gospel.

Now, with the proper perspective, we can look at the bigness mentioned as the seed becomes a bush. A wild mustard plant can grow into a ten foot tall shrub—certainly no redwood!

So what is Jesus trying to communicate?

If the soil is right, the rain right, the balance between light and shade right, and so on, the tiny seed can grow to its full height. In a sense, there is a parallel here between this parable and the parable of the sower—the scattered seed only comes to fruition when all other conditions are right. When the conditions are right and the plant flourishes, it becomes something with an influence in its place—all the birds come to it. Likewise, even a tiny church can have a tremendous impact on its host community. If the conditions are right, then a church—any church—can become the implement of transformation where it is. One of our congregations currently has two members. Far from closing, they are transforming themselves into a Monday through Sunday community center. The services of care, compassion, and education offered will make a real and positive change in their town. Those two people prepared themselves for this work. They created the fertile soil from which all this ministry blooms.

Therefore, we need to focus on the setting we give the seed of the kingdom—is it conducive to growth? Are our communities of faith conducive to the promotion of Christ’s self-emptying compassion? This means looking at all the details. Are we welcoming? Are we accepting? Are we affirming? Are we willing to serve? Are we sacrificial? Are we paying attention to our neighbors? Are we really seeing them? Are we hearing them? These are each questions that work to improve our ecclesiastical soil, if you will. 

But we need to do something else, too. We need to be aware of all the inverses to each of these points (i.e., the weeds) that would choke the growth of the kingdom where we are. If our answers were less than positive to any of these questions, then we know where we need to do a bit more cultivation. We need to look at why something isn’t happening. We need to know why we aren’t connecting the neighborhood. There may be a few easy fixes here, but there could also be some things that are going to take a concerted effort to overcome. Avoidance, though, is not a response. We need to honestly and humbly work to make our gathering as strong as it can be. 

Next, we need consider what growth actually is. We fix on numeric growth. Christ focuses on the growth of spirit and heart. Sheer numbers mean nothing if there is no compassion. The greatest kingdom tree is that which produces fruit of mercy, help, peace, reconciliation, etc. That may bring numeric growth, but that is beside the point. The point is to become a fellowship of Jesus. Nothing else matters. Our focus needs to be growing into Jesus. Emulation is a perfect response. Be like Jesus.

We live in a pretty agnostic context—people admire Jesus, but have little patience for the church. The reasons are varied, but some core ideas surface. Jesus is seen as an embodiment of compassion. Jesus is seen as an advocate for all people. Jesus is seen as an actualization of the power of love to transform human existence. The church is seen as embodied hypocrisy. The church is seen as enforced judgment. The church is seen as an actualization of NO. Being like Jesus means changing each of those reflections, one at a time, piece by piece, creating a blossoming emergence of the kingdom right here, right now.

Finally, we need to consider the birds. The birds find a home in the mustard bush.  They find shelter from the elements. They find a place to raise their young. They find food. They find a place safe from predators. The find a place secure enough to sleep. The church is to be such a home for whoever enters it. This idea flows directly from the previous point—if we develop the fruits of compassion, then we will indeed create a home wherein families can nest. By nature, a church is relational. A such, we often refer to a congregation as a family of faith. Yes, that means we bring all of our human dysfunction with us as we do in any family gathering, but we also bring the deep love, connection, and bonds that give our families strength, purpose, and the ability to nurture one another. Therefore, a church should be sheltering from all that tears us down. It should be a safe place for children to grow, explore, and become. It should be a place where needs are met. It should be a safe place for all people. It should be a place that truly is a sanctuary in the midst of an utterly chaotic world. If we want the birds to come to us, then we need to create a nesting place.

In the end, the kingdom is our home with God. To create such in our communities of faith, we need to emphasize hospitality as the first and last work of the church. We are to welcome whoever comes. That welcome needs to be without qualification or exception. We need to live and love into the great affirmation of our faith—every human being is a unique act of God’s creative will; therefore, treat every person as such. To do anything else or less is to deny who we are as a community of Jesus. 

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So, what we find are three admonitions for the church—

1. Small in size is not a weakness

2. Impact is the only thing about us that needs to be judged by size

3. The greatest impact comes through the greatest welcome

If we are able to keep these admonitions before us, then this parable serves its purpose.