Next door to my grandparents’ house in Auburn lived an older man I remember only as Mr. Bailey. In his younger years, he was a county agent who later worked with the agricultural department at Auburn. My grandfather would snicker every time he mentioned Mr. Bailey’s claim to fame. It seems he played a significant role in introducing kudzu to Alabama as a means of soil conservation. If you live in the South, you know kudzu. It spreads quickly and is extremely hard to remove.
Israel has a native plant similar to kudzu. In fact, Westerners have referred to the wild mustard plant as a type of Israeli Kudzu. It grows like a weed, spreads everywhere, and can be difficult to get rid of. Perhaps that is why Jesus used the mustard seed to explain what the kingdom of God is like.
Jesus said in Matthew 17:20 that it only takes faith the size of a mustard seed to move a mountain. Many Bible teachers and Christian songs use those words to compare the size of genuine faith to mustard seeds, but size isn’t the only analogy to consider. Jesus also taught another theological truth when He and the disciples noticed some mustard plants growing along the road.
“Jesus said, ‘How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.’” (Mark 4:30-32 NLT)
Tiny mustard seeds scattered by wind, water, and animals can grow into hearty plants. Similarly, Christians with faith as small as a mustard seed can sow their little seeds into other hearts, where they can grow and expand God’s kingdom. As a heart transforms, tendrils of love, joy, and peace reach out to touch others, providing a canopy of rest in the kingdom’s shade.
This is exactly how faith grew in the early days. After Jesus was crucified, fear caused the disciples to scatter. After Stephen was stoned, persecution forced believers to disperse. Jewish Christians spread out when Emperor Claudius kicked them out of Rome. With only a remnant of faith, these early followers of Christ carried their tiny mustard seed faith across the world, and the Kingdom of God grew large.
It’s easy to look at our world today and think we are doomed. But when we put our faith in Jesus and choose to follow in His steps, we enter into a kingdom that will never end. It’s a kingdom that continues to grow, expand, and welcome new members from every tribe and nation. If you have a hard time believing that’s true, scatter your faith into some young hearts and watch it grow. I have great confidence in those coming behind me because I have great confidence in the continuing power of the Holy Spirit. When the SGA president of a major university advises incoming freshmen to find a church and get in a small group, I know God is on the move!
We’ve talked about stringing new pearls in the last two blog posts. Pearl #3 is “Scattered”, so let’s not just think about mustard seeds as being tiny; let’s remember what massive power they contain once they are scattered. Like kudzu, the Kingdom of God grows like a weed, spreads everywhere, and is impossible to destroy.
“For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.” (Psalms 145:13 NLT)
“Since we are receiving our rights to an unshakable kingdom we should be extremely thankful and offer God the purest worship that delights his heart as we lay down our lives in absolute surrender, filled with awe.” (Hebrews 12:28 TPT)
