This is the manuscript of the third sermon in the series, “The Master Speaks to the Present through the Parables". It is a series based on Jesus’ parables that describe the nature of the kingdom of God. All the parables deal with the same subject, the kingdom of heaven, but each one approaches it from a different angle.
The first two parables, which were about the Sower and the other about the wheat and tares, deal with seed. The parable of the Sower emphasized the type of soil where the seed fell and the second one emphasized the type seed that was sown. In this sermon, which is the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus said that the kingdom of God, like a seed, contains spontaneity and divine vitality. It also points out that we should never discount “the little things,” because God has a way of multiplying our small endeavors and giving us tremendous results. Matthew 13:31-32 NIV He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
Scripture
Mark 4:26-34 NIV He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
Introduction
Text:
Matthew 13:31-32 NIV He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
We are still talking about the seven back-to-back parables in Matthew chapter 13 that Jesus used to describe the kingdom of God.
The first two parables, the first about the sower and the other about the wheat and tares, deal with seed. In the first parable Jesus described four types of soil, all,of which symbolized the four ways that people receive God’s Word
The don’t bother me; I’ busy crowd
The “hip-hip-hurrah for Jesus” crowd.
The “I love Jesus but love the world more” crowd.
The “I’m willing to grow” crowd.
In the second parable about the wheat and tares the emphasis was on the type of seed that was sown. Good seed by Jesus who and bad seed by the enemy who was identified as the devil.
Because the wheat and tare look similar they can't be separated efficiently until the harvest which in the case of the parable is the end of the age. We must never pretend there is no difference between wheat and tares, but we must be careful about taking it upon ourselves to distinguish between them. The sorting out belongs to the Lord!
The parable we are going to look at today is one of the simplest, yet it contains one of the most profound messages.
In this parable of the mustard seed, Jesus said that the kingdom of God, like a seed, contains spontaneity and divine vitality. It also points out that we should never discount “the little things,” because God has a way of multiplying our small endeavors and giving us tremendous results.
Some have wondered why, in the Parable of the Mustard Seed, Jesus calls the mustard seed the “smallest” of seeds and the mature mustard plant the “largest” of plants in the garden. Jesus’ emphasis is on the change of size—from small to large—and the surprising nature of the growth.
If anything ever began in miniature, it was the Christian movement. A baby in a manger! A Roman ruler issuing an edict to kill him! A little boy in a carpenter’s shop in a small village! This was the start of it all. Yet from that small beginning, God’s kingdom, based on love and righteousness, has extended and become worldwide in its scope.
Jesus started by himself. He taught 12 men to follow him, and slowly the Kingdom began to grow. He had but a handful of followers, He was a man of no rank and without natural and material means, and He lived in what was considered a backwater region of the world.
One of His early disciples, Philip said nothing good come from Jesus' hometown of Nazareth.
John 1:44-46 NIV Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.
The life and death of Christ did not catch the world’s attention any more than a mustard seed would lying on the ground by the road. But this was a work of God. What seemed inconsequential at first grew into a movement of worldwide influence, and no one could stop it.
In a big meeting after Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, the religious leaders where trying to figure out what to do about His followers. One of the leaders said that if this was from God there was nothing they could do to stop it.
Acts 5:34-39 NIV But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
The influence of the kingdom of God, in this world would be such that everyone associated with it would find a benefit, like the birds perched on the branches of the mature mustard plant, in this parable.
Matthew 13:32 NIV Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
There is another place, in Scripture, where the kingdom of God is also pictured as a tree.
Ezekiel 17:22-23 NIV “ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.
What about the birds. We have been talking about the plant but what about the birds.
As we just read in Ezekiel it says birds of every kind. That means that the Kingdom is not for just one kind of bird who will think, act and speak like you or me. It is for all kinds of birds all kinds of people.
How God's Kingdom grows in us
The parable of the mustard seed also describes how God’s Kingdom grows in the life of each individual believer.
When a person puts his trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live within. This is similar to the mustard seed being planted in the ground. No one can see it from the outside, but it is within the believer.
At first, the believer may not feel much different, but the Spirit is powerful and transforms that person from the inside out. Just like the seed produces a tree and branches on which the birds rest, likewise the Holy Spirit produces good fruit in those who believe.
The spiritual fruit that comes from the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And that is not all it brings — it also brings compassion, truth, knowledge, forgiveness, healing and righteousness.
The person becomes new in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 NIV So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
God’s Word says that a tree planted by the water will stand.
Jeremiah 17:8 NIV They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Psalms 1:3 NIV That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
As believers, we become like those trees, and we are solid and unmoveable in Christ.
Blessed is the person whose confident hope is in the Lord. That person will be like a tree planted by the rivers of living water - that extends its roots into His life-giving streams. That man or woman will not fear when problems and life's difficulties arise, but will hope in the Lord for strength and deliverance. They will not be anxious and they will continue to yield fruit, more fruit - much fruit, to the glory of God and to their own eternal benefit.
The history of the church has shown Jesus’ Parable of the Mustard Seed to be true.
When Jesus was on earth, God’s kingdom was almost imperceptible, because its citizens were few and it was a spiritual kingdom which means it was invisible to the natural eye.
I Corinthians 2:14 NKJV But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Here's the way Jesus explained it:
Luke 17:20-21 NIV Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
When Christ ascended to heaven, the kingdom on earth was, figuratively and relatively speaking, very small.
Acts 1:15-17 NIV In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”
One hundred and twenty people is not a lot of people especially if you are to do what Jesus wanted done.
Matthew 28:19-20 NIV Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
But the kingdom that began smaller than a mustard seed will grow larger and larger.
Here is what David wrote in one of the prophetic psalms about the coming Messiah
Psalms 72:8-11 NIV May he rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. May the desert tribes bow before him and his enemies lick the dust. May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts. May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.
David foresaw that all kinds of people, from all stations in life, would honor the Messiah, bow down to Him, and serve Him.
The church has experienced an explosive rate of growth through the centuries. It is found worldwide and is a source of sustenance and shelter for all who seek its blessing. In spite of persecution and repeated attempts to stamp it out, the church still stands And this is only a small picture of the ultimate manifestation of the kingdom of God, when Jesus returns to earth to rule and reign.
1 Corinthians 15:24-28 NLT After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.
Matthew 16:18 NLT Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
Jesus started growing the kingdom of God with a handful of disciples. Every follower of Jesus is a part of the kingdom and that means that you and I are a part of God's kingdom. Each time we tell someone about Jesus, we are helping to grow the kingdom. Isn't it great to know that we can have a part in growing God's kingdom?
Prayer, Dear Jesus, we know you are present in the little things of life. We sense that the seeds of faith which you continue to plant within us will grow, even without our awareness, sometimes despite us. When we are discouraged today, remind us again of this story, this image of growth, that we might take the longer view, we might see the bigger picture, and we might be strengthened by the good news that you are not yet through with us. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Earlier I said that the one whose confident hope in the Lord is blessed. That person will be like a tree planted by the rivers of living water - that extends its roots into His life-giving streams. That man or woman will not fear when problems and life's difficulties arise, but will hope in the Lord for strength and deliverance. They will not be anxious and they will continue to yield fruit, more fruit - much fruit, to the glory of God and to their own eternal benefit.
If you are not one of those people change that today. It is just a matter of agreeing with God that you have done things that are against his will and that you have hurt yourself and others. Ask Him to forgive you and to come into your life as Savior and Lord. The scripture tells us how to do that
Romans 10:9-10 NKJV that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13 NKJV For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
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