Parable of the Mustard Seed

How did Jesus use the parable of the mustard seed to teach about the kingdom of God?

“ ‘I will open my mouth in parables,
    I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.’ ” (Matthew 13:35 and Psalm 78:2 NIV)

On a bright Sunday morning when I was nine, my Sunday School class and I sat on folding chairs in a tight-knit circle. Our teacher, suited in lemon yellow with a matching hat, opened her Bible and began by reading to us the parable of the mustard seed.

Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
Mark 4:30-32 NKJV

Piled next to her sat tiny ribboned gift boxes. After she finished reading, she placed one in each girl’s outstretched palm.

We eagerly opened the lids and held up a necklace. Encased in a wooden frame was a piece of clear glass, and inside tumbled dozens of tiny seeds–the tiniest seeds we had ever seen.

“What are they?” we asked.

“Why, mustard seeds, of course,” she replied. “I want you to remember this parable and how small a mustard seed is. Don’t forget that this tiny seed can produce a big tree where birds can live and build nests. What do you think these seeds and the tree represent in God’s kingdom?”

Our discussion suggested all sorts of theories, but we finally guessed correctly. The tiny seeds were the kingdom of God, planted when Jesus walked the earth. Over the centuries, God’s kingdom grew bigger and bigger, until it became the largest religious faith in the world. It was large enough to house and shelter all the people of the earth. God’s kingdom was established for the Jews first, then the Gentiles, who were admitted later through the ministry of the Apostle Paul.

Jesus also taught about God’s kingdom through prayer.

Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer. (Note the references to God’s kingdom.)

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV

God’s kingdom is coming to earth at the Second Coming of Christ and will be established during the Millennium. Following the White Throne Judgment, a new heaven and earth will descend from heaven as a bride on her wedding day. What a glorious and wonderful day that will be!

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.‘

Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.‘ Revelation 21:1-5 NKJV

The parable of the mustard seed takes us from the tiniest of seeds to the largest of trees, eventually leading to God’s eternal kingdom on earth.

In the next parable, we’ll also discover what is meant by “mustard seed faith.”

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for showing us another nugget of wisdom from your treasure chest. Just as the smallest seed produces a great tree to shelter every kind of bird, so Your huge kingdom accepts and protects all who seek You. May Your kingdom come quickly with all power as we anticipate Your glorious return. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed by Karen Jurgens Copyright @2024 All rights reserved.