Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches.” Luke 13:18–19
From small beginnings something profound can grow that affects everything around it. That is how the kingdom of God grows, at times seeming insignificant but with wide-reaching effects. One may say that the mustard seed is not the optimal illustration: after all it is not the smallest of seeds, and the mustard is not the tallest of plants. Indeed is rather just a tall herb. But it grows fast and can give shelter in its thicket. Still, the mustard seed was probably more easily observed than some of the other seeds that could result in big trees.
Jesus also contrasted this kingdom with the great kingdoms of the world. In Ezekiel 31 the description of a tree with birds nesting in its branches refers to Egypt. And yet that had to whither and die. In Daniel 4 a similar picture is used for the Babylonian king, which then is cut down. In Ezekiel 17 meanwhile the LORD promises to take a shoot from the old Israel and plant it again to become a splendid cedar; “birds of every kind will nest in it, they will find shelter in the shade of its branches”. Through proclaiming the kingdom of God Jesus is bringing to fulfilment the promises of God. But this kingdom will be different from those of the world: it will not be built on power and control, but on the love of God that grows in humans.
In the subsequent verses Jesus compares the Kingdom to yeast that is mixed through the dough, affecting everything. That’s what Jesus’ presence can do. When we look back at history we can find that despite so much evil, God’s kingdom has broken through again and again and affected so much of the world with its goodness. I wonder whether we also experience the growth of God’s kingdom in ourselves? Does it sprout from a small seed to change us more towards the people that God wants us to be? Is everything we do in some way affected by Jesus?
