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 seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade." -- Mark 4:30-32

One of the masterful things Jesus did during his ministry was to speak to people in ways they could understand.  It was an agrarian society, and farming and planting were key in describing what the kingdom of God was like.  Here, he says it's like the mustard seed-- one of the smallest seeds, but which grows to be a very large garden plant.  So we get the mustard seed, and we get the plant, but how again is that like the kingdom of God?  In Matthew 17:20 and Luke 17:6, he uses the mustard seed in terms of faith-- that if you have even as little as a mustard seed, you can do great and mighty things.  Here, it's not faith, but the kingdom he's talking about.  But is there a difference?  The kingdom of God on earth is built not with brick and mortar, but with faith and love.  The kingdom therefore isn't a physical presence as much as it is a spiritual one.  When you bring faith into a group of people, it can be contagious.  When you bring love to a group of people, it can transform them.  Yes, the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed... and you are the seed.   My mind is boggled in thinking that as we read this Gospel, Jesus started with 12 followers.  Today, there are over 2 billion... and that's living followers.  I wonder if you were to count the generations of Christians that have passed away, how many people would be counted as being Christian in the years since Jesus called his first disciples?  If anyone knows, I'd really like to hear.  It is true, that even though each of us represents only 1/7 billionth of the world's population, one person can change the world.  Change it in the way you can.


Readings:  Leviticus 9:7-10:20; Mark 4:26-5:20; Psalm 37:30-40; Proverbs 10:6-7