Matthew 13:31

“He told them another parable, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.'”

The parable preceding this one shed light on the kingdom of God – the central feature of all Jesus’ parables, I do believe.  Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.” We have just heard that story, and were instructed by it.

I hear Jesus say again and again,”The kingdom of heaven is like…” Jesus did not find it easy to describe in full what the  kingdom of heaven is. So he resorted to parables, each with its own specific meaning and each contributing to the full understanding of this kingdom.

In these statements Jesus seems to be emphasizing “growth.” A mustard seed is, as he said, “the smallest of all your seed,” yet, if it is planted in good soil it will produce prodigiously – a huge plant. Yet the seed itself gets no larger.

Jesus then makes it clear that the mustard seed and the plant it produces are for the purpose beyond themselves. “The birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”  The mustard tree becomes a blessing to many,  So it is with the kingdom of God that thrives in weakness, as a small seed, yet delights the birds of the air with places to call home.

Again, we ponder the parable in light of Jesus’ word, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.” It is a nebulous simile but pregnant with divine meaning. And like other “things” as well, as we shall see.