Title and
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Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom
of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It
is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it
grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.” Matthew 13:31-32
“You
don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if
you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain,
‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
Matthew 17:20
The seed of
this sermon began cooking almost two months ago. I was in my back yard pulling weeds. It seemed every weed pulled revealed six
more. At that rate I would have been
buried under a mountain of dandelions, chickweed, and poison ivy in about twenty
minutes. I had the thought: Is this a joke these vicious, worthless
weeds are playing on me? Then I
realized, it was April 1st…and I was the weed-pulling fool! It’s appropriate – the weeds in my yard don’t
fool around; they’re deadly-serious about burying me and everything else on my
little ½ acre!
For the rest
of the afternoon I thought seriously about the mustard seed Jesus used as an
illustration of the Kingdom of Heaven.
When kingdom seed is planted here on planet Earth, it
grows like the mustard bush, overwhelmingly fast, and beyond expectation. Jesus called it a “tree,” big enough for birds
to nest on the branches. In fact it is
considered a bush, a big one, sometimes reaching twenty feet high. It’s a bush that grows big enough to act like
a shade tree. It is also not a bush many
of Jesus’ contemporaries would plant; it’s a nuisance.
Beside the
phenomenal growth possibilities of the “mustard weed” how else does this apply
to the Kingdom of Heaven?
The mustard tree was potentially a noxious weed, which could
take over your garden and crops. At the time, there were even laws prohibiting
planting mustard trees by certain crops because of its threat to other
plants. It would be like Jesus coming today and saying, ‘The Kingdom of
Heaven is like a dandelion! Even though it is a small seed, it spreads an
unstoppable plague across cities.’ Or the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pothole,
or a gopher, a pimple, used needles in your lawn. The Kingdom of Heaven is
here, but it is more like a weed and pest than a towering tree. To make things
even more complicated. Jesus adds that birds will come and perch in its
branches. Gardeners and farmers also did not want these pests indulging in
their garden. Not only is the Kingdom of Heaven like a weed, it attracts
unwanted birds which will further destroy your fields and economic livelihoods!
Now we’re
getting somewhere. The mustard tree is a
noxious weed, growing like weeds do…burying unsuspecting respectable preachers
in their back yard when given a chance, like potholes destroy Cadillacs and
Mercedes, or gophers destroy lawns, or pimples destroy your chance at becoming
a super model. And who wants the street
people nesting in the branches of your well-cared for church?
Pests in the
garden…a communal problem getting in the way of our economic stability and
comfortable worship. And mustard weed
believers are just like ‘em.
A Providence-Dependent Faith
Mustard-weed
believers have a faith that can move anything because it is Provident-Dependent. Like seeds of the mustard bush depend upon
the ground’s nutrients, rain from above, and the design of God in their DNA,
mustard-weed believers live life in the expectancy of God's provision rather
than being self-sufficient. Salvation
comes that way - by grace. There's no
reason to believe that it’s not expected by God that we continue our life in
Christ like the seed planted.
Faith
depends on God, unbelief leans on self.
We are often like the man who got a new hunting dog, and wanted him to
track a bear that was terrorizing the countryside. No sooner had they gotten into the woods than
the dog picked up the scent; but in a moment he caught the scent of a deer, and
headed off in a new direction. A few
minutes later he switched to the trail of a rabbit that had crossed the deer
trail. And so on...until finally the
hunter caught up with his new dog, barking triumphantly at a field mouse he'd
cornered in a stump. We start out
dependent on Christ for everything, moving towards glorious service in the
kingdom, and wind up far from faith, leaning on our own understanding. Jesus said the mountain would jump if you had
just the tiniest bit of faith. He meant
faith in God, not yourself, and unquestionably-not faith in having faith!
What is it
like to have faith in God? It is living
what the senses cannot see. One
commentator said it this way: If you don't live it, you don't believe it. A corollary truth is: If you don't live it, what's the point
of believing it? Faith without
works is dead! Faith, that has no daily
application in my life is worthless.
Preacher Harry Ironside told of a Christian widow in Scotland. It was extremely difficult for her to provide
food for her little family, but she trusted the Lord and taught her children
how to put their faith in Him.
One day came
when the purse was empty, and the pantry bare.
Like the widow of Zaraphath,
who had only a handful of flour remaining in the big barrel to stand against
she and her son starving, this faithful mother reached into the container to
scoop-up the last bit to make some bread for the hungry children. As she bent over the barrel, she couldn't
hold back the tears anymore; her faith was gone. Her small son heard her sobs, and ran to
her. Mother, what are ye weepin'
about? Dinna God hear ye scrapin' the
bottom of the barrel? Faith
lives what senses can never see.
Faith oftentimes
means a change in plans.
The
disciples could not accept Jesus' plans.
They did what you and I do, clinging to our plans and desires like Jesus
can't possibly know what we need, or what's best for us.
As children
bring their broken toys with tears for us to mend,
I brought my
broken dreams to God because He was my friend.
But then,
instead of leaving Him in peace, to work alone,
I hung around
and tried to help in ways that were my own.
Finally I
took them back and said, Dear God, why are you so slow?
My child, He said, what could I do? You never did let go.'"
I must admit
that I have had my plans changed so many times I should know much better than
to hold things tightly. I learned it hurts
when God either pries my fingers loose, or He allows me to plunge headfirst
into the disasters I stir up. I’ve
gotten much older, and just a little wiser, and I'm learning to let go
more. God understands my need and the
future; why shouldn't I trust Him with it?
The artist, Raphael's painting of The Transfiguration
pictures the whole of this account. Up
above, Christ is hovering in glory, accompanied by Peter, James, and John. Down below, in the same picture, the father
holds his frantic, tortured child. The
helpless disciples are looking, in despair, at the struggle which they are not
able to calm. Divine strength above,
feeble human confusion below. What keeps
the whole scene from being our worst nightmare is that the poor, confused
disciples in the foreground are pointing the distressed parents of the child up
to the mountain where Christ is seen. What
direction are you pointing in? Faith is
not some system of magic words, said in the right atmosphere, in just the right
way....that will somehow motivate God to do just what you want Him to do. Rather, it is that link, that upward look, by
which our vital connection with Him allows us to see the kingdom, and His
purposes. If you want comfortable faith
that requires no changes, no trust outside what you can see and feel, no
discomfort, or possibility of pain and loss, a faith that moves nothing, simply
do nothing – but expect nothing also!
But if you
would have faith that moves anything, depend on Jesus,
fellowship with Jesus, trust Jesus. The
mountains of your problems may be big....but the promise is that faith in Jesus
will dump them into the sea!
Mustard-weed
faith that can move anything is sometimes found in the strangest, most
unexpected places.
A bishop in
the late 19th century, paid a visit to a small college, where he had
dinner with the president of that school.
The bishop
remarked that he thought the millennium was close, since everything about
nature had been discovered, and all possible inventions made. But the college president disagreed, stating that he felt the next
fifty years would bring amazing discoveries and inventions. Human beings would be flying through the
skies like birds. Nonsense!
shouted the bishop. Flight is
reserved for angels! The bishop's name was Wright. He had two sons, Orville, and Wilbur.Fortunately
for mankind, the sons had a perseverant faith in what they could accomplish.
What is
there that prevents you from wanting, and having that kind of faith? And what are you willing to surrender to
God to get there?
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Amen!
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