What God's Kingdom is Like

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed

that someone took and sowed in his field;

it is the smallest of all the seeds,

but when it has grown

it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree

so that the birds of the air

 come and make nests in its branches.”

Two years ago, I planted several Peony bulbs.

The following Spring when one shoot sprung forth, I was delighted and feeling a sense of satisfaction.

I waited for other bulbs to send a shoot forth, but they were operating on their own time-frame. 

I waited patiently for any shoot to produce a bud which produced a flower.

This is year two and I wonder which will come first, a flower or the Apocalypse?

 

Reflecting on Jesus' parable of the mustard seed, I see a description of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus stresses the seed grows into something majestic and unimaginable becoming a sign of God's Kingdom.

For me, it's not the plant's size or growing into a shrub and then a 60' tree, but the kingdom-like qualities.

Healing is one quality of a mustard seed.

In Jesus day mustard was considered an antiseptic for treating for scorpion stings and curing toothaches.

Nutritious Food is also a quality of the mustard plant.

The mustard plants' berries may be eaten dried or fresh and are very nutritious being high in fiber and vitamins.

Surprise also describes God's kingdom.

When Jesus talked about the seed becoming a shrub and then a tree, it probably surprised people since the seed rarely produces a tree or shrub.

Shelter is another description for God's kingdom.

The listeners knew birds seldom, if ever, nested in mustard shrubs or trees, but they knew of trees hosting birds in passages like Ezekiel 31:6 and Daniel 4:12, where the image symbolizes God's Kingdom.

For me, when Jesus describes God's Kingdom, he is saying it's an amazing place of healing for tired, sin-sick souls, being fed bread from heaven, and a miraculous shelter.

Jesus is deliberately describing the Kingdom of God as an astonishing, extraordinary place of hope where God is present and active among us.   

Think about it: When or where have you seen a small seed of faith magnified into something greater?