Parable of the mustard seed - Mark 4: 30-34
(Mr 4: 30-34) "He also said," To what shall we make the kingdom of God like, or with what parable shall we compare it? "It is like the mustard seed, which when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all There are seeds that are in the earth, but after sown, it grows and becomes the largest of all the vegetables, and throws large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade. the word, according to what they could hear, and without parables he did not speak to them, even though he told his disciples in particular everything. "
The mustard grain
The mustard seed is black and the size of the head of a pin. In the times of Jesus it was often used to refer to the smallest thing imaginable. In fact, the expression "small as a mustard seed" had become a proverb. For example, the Lord Jesus Christ used it to refer to the faith of his disciples: "If you have faith like a mustard seed ..." (Mt 17:20).
Although the seed is so small, the mustard plant can reach up to about four meters in height with a thick stem like a man's arm.
The relationship of the parable with the context
Both this parable and the previous one deal with the growth of the seed. But while in the parable of the growth of the seed the emphasis is on the fact that the seed of "his has life" and for this reason grows, in the parable of the mustard he will explain to us how far this growth reaches.
The parable in relation to the Kingdom of God
The essential point of the parable is the contrast between a small beginning and a large result, between the beginning and the end, between the present and the future of the Kingdom.
The seed of the Kingdom planted by Jesus in the field of the world, despite its tiny and derisory beginning, will finally have its own internal vitality, a disproportionate and supernatural growth.
- To what insignificant beginning did the Lord Jesus Christ refer?
Surely it had to do with his own public ministry: an unknown rabbi, in a lost corner of Palestine, surrounded by a handful of disciples without too much qualification and finally abandoned by the crowds. Without recognition of religious leaders and without any kind of political influence. What could emerge from here?
But all this is nothing compared to the terrible weakness manifested on the cross. Who could imagine that from a Jew executed on a cross by the Roman Empire, rejected by his own people and abandoned by his disciples, could a movement arise that two thousand years later would continue to grow in all the countries of the world? As Paul summarizes in (1 Cor 1:23) "we preach Christ crucified, for Jews a stumbling block, and for Gentiles folly." - What is the glorious ending to which it refers?
The tiny seed will grow into a tree much larger and more majestic than that of Nebuchadnezzar (Dn 4: 10-22). Its ramifications will extend one day to the ends of the universe, until the creation itself is freed from the bondage of corruption to the glorious liberty of the children of God (Rom. 8:21), and all in heaven and on earth. You will find security, satisfaction and delight in the magnificence of your domain.
The Kingdom of God that had this dark and hidden beginning, like the leaven hidden in the dough, will extend until there is no place in heaven, earth or hell where the strength and victorious power of that Lamb is not felt as immolated that will be sitting on the Throne of eternity.
That small group of frightened and persecuted disciples (John 20:19), will become a crowd that no one can count: (Rev 7: 9) "After this I looked, and behold a great multitude, which no one could number, of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, who were before the throne and in the presence of the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and with palms in their hands. "
So, at the present time, God does not reign manifesting all his power, but on the contrary, his presence in this world, although real and alive, is humble and often hidden. Even their own servants, although they already have within themselves the seed that will produce these extraordinary results, are fragile and weak, exposed to innumerable dangers. The apostle Paul expressed it perfectly: (2 Cor 4: 7) "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels ...", (1 Cor 1: 26-27) "Well look, brothers, your vocation, you are not many wise according to the flesh, neither many powerful, nor many noble. "
This lack of importance, influence and social strength of the Church over the centuries has come to confirm at each moment the words of Jesus: (Lc 12:32) "little flock ...", (Mt 10:16) ) "I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves."
Some spiritual applications
Weakness, smallness and poverty are the characteristics of God's work in this world until the coming of the Lord. We can think of innumerable examples:
A Sunday school teacher who struggles with a group of children.
An evangelist who rejects his brochures over and over again.
A preacher who falls asleep to those who listen to his sermon.
Parents who try to guide their children in the ways of the Lord without much success.
A pastor who only listens to criticism in the church and complaining people and who gets discouraged and depressed.
It is true that the work we do for the extension of the Kingdom of God seems so insignificant and poor, that as the enemies of the people of God said in the days of Nehemiah: (Neh 4: 3) "what they build of the stone wall If a fox goes up, he will knock it down. " But nevertheless, although our efforts for the Kingdom of God are tiny and feeble, God promises to bless them. Let us not forget, that as we learned in the parable of the growth of the seed, the advance of his Kingdom does not depend on human efforts but on the power and purposes of God.
Jesus said that not even a glass of water given in his name would be unrewarded (Mt 10:42). We are often victims of deception in the sense that for something to be important it must always be accompanied by great noise. God is different in his way of acting. He acts in almost imperceptible ways.
We should be encouraged in our service to the Lord knowing that great things come from very small principles.
A child can be the beginning of a flourishing school.
A conversion the beginning of a powerful church.
A word the initiative of a great Christian company.
A seed the security of a rich harvest of souls saved.
Let us never despise the day of humble beginnings (Zech 4:10) and let us not be tempted to think that for what little we can do it is not worth even starting it. Let us not be discouraged by apparent failure and present poverty, but let us have confidence in the Word of the Lord that will make every honest effort to serve Him ultimately multiplied for His glory.
"The birds of the sky may dwell under its shadow"
It was common to see a cloud of birds in these bushes, because they love the small black seeds of mustard. But, what is the Lord referring to with these birds?
In the Old Testament the trees typified kings or empires that offered protection to subject peoples and nations, who were represented as birds. In reference to Pharaoh king of Egypt, Ezekiel wrote the following: (Ez 31: 6) "And in his branches all the birds of the sky made a nest, and under his branches all the beasts of the field gave birth, and in his shadow there were many nations. " And Daniel interpreted the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in which he and his kingdom were a great tree where many peoples and nations were sheltered (Dan 4: 10-27).
In this context it is interesting to consider the prophecy of Ezekiel that we find in (Ez 17: 1-24). The prophet also uses the figure of large trees and birds to represent kingdoms and nations. After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon conquered Jerusalem, the king of Israel made a covenant with him committing to serve him, but after this he sought help from Pharaoh king of Egypt and rebelled against the king of Babylon. Then Ezekiel, speaking on behalf of God, condemned the attitude of the king of Israel and announced to him that he would be taken to Babylon where he would be killed and also the rest of Israel that had followed him would be destroyed. But in the midst of this extreme situation, in which all hope of continuity for his people had disappeared, God announces that he was going to raise a branch from which he would form his own Kingdom (a great tree) under which nations and peoples would come to shelter. And he ends by saying: (Ezekiel 17:24) "And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord cut down the lofty tree, I have raised the low tree, I have made the green tree dry, and I have made the dry tree green. and I'll do it".
With this passage as background, Jesus dares to say that his own ministry would be the fulfillment of this prophecy. In his person God was sowing the messianic kingdom in which people of all peoples and nations would find refuge.
Jesus as Teacher
The evangelist ends this brief series of parables explaining the criteria that the Lord followed in his teaching: "He spoke to them according to what they could hear."
Here we can learn several very useful principles that every preacher should take into account:
Jesus accommodated his teaching to the capacity of his audience. There is no virtue in speaking above the heads of the audience. As someone has said: "shooting above the target only shows that you are a bad shooter". The method used by some preachers could make us think that Christ had said: "Feed my giraffes," instead of "feed my sheep." On another occasion he told his disciples: "I still have many things to say to you, but now you can not bear them." In all this God is compassionate to us, not giving us more than we can receive.
The teacher must avoid exhibitionism. Its mission is not to dazzle, but to enlighten. A good teacher must be in love with his subject and his students, but not with himself.
The teacher must avoid the feeling of superiority. He has to make an effort to understand why the student finds something difficult to understand. For this you must think with the mind of the student.
The teacher must have patience. An irascible man can not be a teacher. He must have the ability to explain the same things as many times as necessary.
The teacher should always encourage, never discourage. It is easy for the evil master to use the whip of the tongue with a skipping mind disciple.
At the conclusion of this section we have to express our admiration for the Lord Jesus Christ as Master. His way of expressing profound things about the Kingdom of God in such a graphic and simple way, in such a way that people of all times and cultures can understand, make the Lord Jesus Christ a unique Master to whom we must admire and imitate.