Inspired
by a CH Spurgeon message
Happy Father's Day, and to all you Mothers, thank you for putting up with us.
Everybody
has gotten their gardens planted; the farmers’ fields are full of growth. Today
scripture tells us about planting the shoots on the high mountain and scattering
seed to harvest the fruit.
Then
there is the parable of a mustard seed, the smallest of seeds. In my youth, I pictured
mustard green seeds. Mustard greens have the tiniest seeds, but they don’t grow
into trees. It’s not mustard greens.
“To
what shall we compare the kingdom of God? It is like a mustard seed that, when
it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But
once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth
large branches, so birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
Christ is the seed in me. The Christ in me is
preaching the gospel, and proclaiming the Kingdom of God. It is sowing and
scattering the seed to others. Remember, the truest way to preach the gospel is
in the way we live our lives and love each other.
We do not do this for
fame and honor. The parable tells that one planting
the seed is unknown. “A mustard seed is sown
in the ground.” All it takes is someone to
sow one seed.
This
is proclaiming the Good News. Not doing it for fame and fortune or testimonial
plaques on the wall. It is just living good and holy
everyday lives sowing the seeds of the Kingdom of God.
The mustard seed was only one
small seed; but, the sower didn’t leave it lying on the shelf; it was put to its
proper use.
It may seem a trivial act, it
is expected that a seed will be planted in the grown. But truth be told, it is a miracle of simplicity.
A single, small, naked mustard seed placed in the naked soil. Insignificant too many, but, for the seed
and the sower it is an all-important matter. It is the same for the gospel, for
the one preaching and the one who receives; it is an all-important matter.
Like the mustard seed, the gospel of
Jesus Christ is a miracle of simplicity.
But, it has to be put to proper use so it grows in the human heart. That gospel
is Jesus came; he died for the forgiveness of our sins; and rose again
on the third day. If we believe it, we will sow, proclaiming God’s Kingdom
The mustard seed, though small, is a living thing. Life slumbers in it. Just like life is in the
mustard seed, life is in the gospel; the
message the soul needs. Simplicity itself, believe the gospel and
live!
That simple seed has everything in it
that it will ever become. Every branch, every leaf, every flower, every seed to
be and even the plants essence is within the seed. It needs to be developed; but it is all there.
The gospel is simple. It is goodness
and it is love; yet, the Kingdom of God is everything we will ever need. It is
the truth of eternal life. It is there but it needs to be developed. If we are
true to ourselves and if we are true to the gospel, we will live and love as
the gospel leads us.
The mustard grew. The
seed became more than the size of the seed seemed to promise. “It becomes the largest of plants.” It puts forth great large branches. It became a tree. That proves that it’s not mustard greens.
Preach the gospel and truth will take
root and grow. Those
who accept it grow in grace to increase and strengthen the
Kingdom of God!
The tiny seed the gospel puts in
us can put forth large branches of faith to become a great tree. The
LORD will lift high the lowly tree.
The tree planted in the house
of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
The
tiny seed that grew into a tree became even more.
Birds came to dwell in its branches. A tiny mustard seed that once could
hardly be seen was providing life and peace to others. How many birds came to
that tree in a day, a week, in a year?
When you preach the Gospel do you see
this very wonderful tree? A tiny gospel seed that was once hardly seen grows to
provide life and peace to others. How many lives will it touch in day, a week, in a year?
This is the parable. Plant the seeds that are the
Kingdom of God. Plant
that seed in the hearts of others by His gospel. Let the seed of faith grow.
That is why St. Paul writes,
“We are always
courageous in this body away from the
LORD. We walk by faith, not by sight.
When we face judgement before Christ, each will receive recompense, according
to what he did in the body.”
It’s not mustard greens; but, with faith the size of a mustard seed
nothing is impossible; a little seed can grow into great
things. Faith is the seed planted in our
hearts.
That is the Kingdom of God.
Sow the seed, pray it grows. Be good, be holy and preach the gospel by
the way you live and love. Amen.
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