mustard seeds | The Irreverent Reverend

Trinity 8: Small Things Matter

An acrylic painting on wood illustrating the bible verse in Mark 4 describing the kingdom of God like a mustard seed. Jen Norton

Romans 8:26-39
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-5

When I was first ordained, I served my curacy in a lovely three church united benefice in Slough. You may insert any number of references to Slough – John Betjeman’s poem about the friendly bombs or The Office or the McDonald’s that is apparently sitting on crown land. One of my lines was that I could see Windsor Castle from the end of my road. Having that grand castle so close was a reminder of the rule and reign of Queen Elizabeth. Her kingdom and now Charles’ is visible among us.

If you have been into Windsor, Buckingham or Kensington Palace you can see the opulence, the indulgence of the earthly kingdom. This is equally true if you travel to other countries that still have a monarchy; there are grand palaces all over Europe that attest to this.

How does the luxury, excessiveness of the earthly kingdom reconcile to the kingdom of heaven that is described in terms of mustard seeds, yeast, hidden treasure, pearls and a fishing net? These earthly kingdoms are largely off-limits to us peasants! Sure, we get glimpses of it.

Millions of people watched the Queen’s funeral and then the Coronation of Charles. Maybe some of you have received an invitation to a garden party or received an award presented by a Member of the Royal Family. Most of us have to watch television programs or pay to visit the bits of the palace or castle that they want to show us. But it is not the whole picture.

The kingdom of God on the other hand is available to us all at any time. This kingdom is about small things that suddenly swell to take over the whole world. These small things are both common (seeds, yeast, fish) and incredibly valuable treasure and pearls). The most valuable things that you come across by accident and then cannot seem to live without.

Let’s pick apart these short parables…

The mustard seed and the yeast represent everyday miracles. We all know how they work. Mustard seeds grow in a wide variety of climates; Pakistan, India and Canada are the world’s top producers of mustard seeds. Once the seeds start growing, they need very little care and not much water. And they grow! They spread quickly; not exactly something you would want in a well-tended garden! Mustard seeds have small beginnings but grow into useful shrubs for the birds and connoisseurs of mustard.

Yeast. The bread makers among us know that you only need a little bit of yeast kneaded into bread dough to make it rise. Yeast is an agent of change as it converts fermentable sugar into carbon dioxide and ethanol. Yeast gets passed on from batch to batch in the ‘old’ dough. It is thought that yeast improved the quality of bread in ancient Egypt from the hard flatbreads to lighter and tastier bread. Something like sourdough as we know it.

Mustard seeds start small and grow into large, useful bushes. Small quantities of yeast change the taste of the bread. The kingdom of God starts small and grows, spreading out and changing the taste of the world around it. The lesson is that we should not discount the small things until we know what they are capable of! Most big things come from small beginnings.

The parables of the treasure and the pearl feed into the imagination. I am sure we have all had dreams of winning the lottery or finding treasure; look at programs like Cash in the Attic (a personal favourite) or Antiques Roadshow.

We want to find treasure that is hidden away that will put some cash in our pockets. The treasure dreams of most people are about wealth, striking it rich. However the two people in the parables dream of the beauty of the treasure itself; not what the treasure will bring to them.

Jesus portrays these two people as relishing in the feeling of what it is to know the treasure is theirs. There is no indication that they intend to sell their treasures to get richer. They see the value in what they have. It could be assumed that these people already have wealth as they are able to buy land and fine things. It looks like they gave up their wealth to get the treasure in the field and the pearl. These two parables tell us that the kingdom of God is attractive and valuable; something worth looking for, searching for.

The fishing net, again a common item to those listening to Jesus on the beach, is useful and needed. The kingdom of God is meant to catch people and bring them in. All fish, all people are welcome. However not all fish are good, not all people want to know. A time will come when there will be a separation. Those who do not want to be part of the kingdom will not be. Offers can be rejected and there will be consequences. It is hard to understand this. Jesus asked the disciples if they understood all this. They answered Yes. I bet!

We do not always fully understand the things of God or to know what to ask for, what to search for. Paul, in a slightly convoluted way, writes that we do not know how to pray as we ought to but that the Spirit does. The Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words and tells God what we mean to ask for because sometimes we just do not know what is missing.

Paul suggests that what we are missing is to know that we are loved completely and fully for ever and ever. God has had plans for us from the very beginning. Once we understand how high, deep, wide and indivisibly we are loved – then we can search out the right things, the things of God, the wisdom of God and the kingdom of God.

As we grow in wisdom we can come to know where the kingdom of God can be found – in the small things, the everyday things and equally in the surprises of treasure and pearls. The kingdom of God is everywhere! It is a kingdom that is ruled by love and wisdom and we cannot be separated from it.

Trinity 3: Consequences & Moving Forward

An acrylic painting on wood illustrating the bible verse in Mark 4 describing the kingdom of God like a mustard seed. Jesus is seated with a child under the yellow-leafed branches of a tree showing her a tiny mustard seed. Jen Norton.

16/6/24
Trinity 3

1 Samuel 15:34-16:13
Psalm 20
Mark 4:26-34

If you can cast your minds back to last weeks or even better – read the readings for this week, we will continue to look at leadership and politics in the Old & New Testaments. Tis the season! Things have moved on for Samuel and Jesus.

We are a few chapters ahead in 1 Samuel. Israel’s first king Saul was anointed, it was a complete disaster as predicted and ended badly. Saul died by suicide and all his sons were killed by enemies. Saul was almost constantly at war and profited greatly from the plundering of his enemies. God had warned the Israelites what would happen; and it all came to pass in Saul’s kingship.

It was so bad that 1 Samuel 15:34 says “the Lord was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.” Think about God’s sadness for a moment. God was sad. Sad that the people disobeyed him, turned away from the plans and purposes he had. I suspect he was sad over Saul’s awful death and the deaths of his sons. Sad about the loss of life. There are events and people in this world that make God sad.

As a king, Saul was the ideal candidate. He was handsome, from the right family as he had a wealthy father. You know what he did at his coronation? Saul hid! Samuel the prophet had to go and find him to present him to his people. Imagine King Charles running out of Westminster Abbey! Saul tried at the beginning. He was given two jobs: reign over the people of Israel and save them from their enemies. Yet Saul acts out of turn, does not obey God, makes his own decisions. God would have established Saul’s kingdom forever but does not in the end. We pick up the reading this morning where God has finally had enough; He is sorry that he made Saul king over Israel. Samuel and Saul part company too.

The whole of the OT is the story of a people who messed up and the God who loved them anyway. Part of the problem with the Israelites is that they keep worshipping other gods along with God. They make some decisions that they did not consult big G God on and they are punished. Samuel pleads with Israel to return to God with all their hearts and put away the foreign gods and God will deliver them from the Philistines. The Philistines are one of the biggest and most troubling enemies of Israel. Goliath was one of them.

If we are feeling frustrated at the state of this country or community, Israel provides an excellent example of what it is to get what it wants and then realise it isn’t that great. The story would have been totally different if Israel had sought out what God wanted for them.

How often do we do that in our own lives? Demand things of God, want him to do things our way? Sometimes he will give us what we want and we learn the hard way! God wants our obedience, we are to listen and follow him. Not the other way around.

In the end God will get his way. It is a new day for Samuel at the start of chapter 16. He is to put Saul and the past behind him so that he can anoint the next king, one of the sons of Jesse. David. The ruddy faced and beautiful boy.

We do well to remember that God does not look at outward appearances, but on the heart. It is jarring to think that God can be sad. I do not want to be the cause of God’s sadness nor be part of a country or community that makes God sad.

Mark – Jesus is still going strong. He remained in Galilee where he appointed his 12 apostles who were sent out to proclaim the good news. The crowds are growing as more and more people come to listen. Jesus begins teaching in parables about the kingdom of God. He uses analogies of the seed and sower, lamps under bushel baskets, more scattered seed and the mustard seed.

Why these things? Lamps and mustard seeds represent everyday miracles. We all know how they work. The kingdom of God is in the everyday stuff of life. This is drastically different from the kingdom of military power that many people thought Jesus would bring including the disciples.

Jesus is saying no. This Kingdom of God starts small and grows large; much larger than we can ever imagine. Once a mustard seed starts growing they need very little care and not much water. And they grow! They spread quickly, not exactly something you want in a well-tended English garden! Mustard seeds have small beginnings and also make a delicious mustard. The greatest of all condiments!

The kingdom of God starts small and grows as it spreads out and changes the flavour of the world around it.

As a church and I mean as a parish, we need to spread out and change the flavour of the world, the village and our families around us. Church is not contained to these four walls, this hour on a Sunday and only the people sitting here. Lord help us if that ever becomes our view of His church!

What we do as a church may feel small but it will grow like a mustard seed if we let it. If we choose to learn from the example in Israel as Samuel pleaded with them to serve God and follow him. If we focus more on our hearts, and the hearts of others and not on outside appearances – then we live in obedience and it will be well.

Proper 6: God the Gardener

The Generous Sower — Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘The Sower’

13/6/21 – Proper 6
2 Corinthians 5:6-10, 14-17
Mark 4:26-34

I would like to welcome you all this morning to Jesus’ Summer School! We recently changed into the ‘ordinary time’ on the church calendar – which I think is anything but ordinary. The world and our times are certainly not ordinary! Over the coming weeks and months our weekly readings turn to the teaching of Jesus and his parables. Today’s lesson is about gardening and the particular use of seeds.

I know that a lot of you are avid gardeners and others are garden appreciators (like myself). Jesus often refers to gardening in his parables as he tries to teach about what the kingdom of God is like. He uses analogies of the seed and sower, lamps under bushel baskets, and today the focus is on seeds. Why these things? I think that lamps and mustard seeds represent everyday miracles. We all know how they work. The kingdom of God is in the everyday stuff of life. This is drastically different from the kingdom of military power that many people thought Jesus would bring; including the disciples.

The first seed parable might suggest that the gardener is rather reckless by the scattering of seeds. You could picture this person flinging handfuls of seed everywhere to fall where they may. This is not neat and orderly rows of well tended vegetables. Then this gardener goes to sleep, and doesn’t pay attention as the seeds begin to sprout. They don’t seem to know how this happens, just that it does. Sometime later they can come back and harvest what has been sown.

If you are a perfectionist you might have picked up what is wrong with this parable. Good gardeners do not toss seeds randomly about and then sleep away the growing season. Good gardeners should tend their garden, watch out for the weather, protect the sprouts from the deer and the birds. Things surely need to be watered and weeded.

Or, is this gardener generous and trusting? They apparently have enough seed to scatter freely and enough trust in the soil to do it’s thing so that not much attention is required. This gardener seems to understand the mystery, the ancient cyclical nature of the growing season. The gardener has done their part by planting and harvesting. Growth will simply happen without any intervention from them.

This gardener seems to know that they are not in charge; they are operating in the realm of mystery. No amount of worrying or control will make these seeds grow. In this story of the kingdom, it is not our striving, our piety or impressive prayers that cause us to grow and thrive in God’s garden. The kingdom of God will grow on grace alone.

The mustard seed is interesting too. Jesus’ first audience would have been surprised with this reference. I read recently that the people of Jesus’ day would not have planted mustard seeds. They were a noxious weed. You also would not want to attract birds to your garden either. Birds who eat seeds and fruit. Once a mustard seed starts growing they need very little care and not much water. They spread quickly and take over where they are planted; not exactly something you would want in a well-tended garden. It would have been seen as a nuisance and not to be cultivated on purpose. It grows like a weed and looks like one too as they are not beautiful to look at.

What does the mustard seed have to say about the kingdom of God? Mustard seeds have small beginnings. Jesus is saying here that this kingdom of God starts small and grows large – much larger than we can ever imagine, the kingdom spreads out and changes the taste of the world around it.
The mustard seed also says something about what counts in God’s economy, what is beautiful and who matters. It is not only the well-tended and well organised. It is the spindly weeds, the small ones who matter. It is the birds, an unwelcome visitor who is welcomed and given a seat of honour too.

If we are going to plant then we need to be sure of the soil in which we are planting. The first gardener seems to trust the soil to do it’s thing. Whatever happens in the soil is hidden, it is generous as it feeds and nurtures the seeds deep below the surface. Eventually the soil brings forth the seedling and it begins life above the earth to be harvested. How is the soil in which we are planting? There are times when we do not trust the soil, maybe we plant our prayers but not let them be cared for by the soil of God’s love and grace.

As a church and as part of a larger benefice, we need to spread out and change the taste of the world around us. Church is not contained to these four walls, this hour on a Sunday and only the people sitting here. Lord help us if that ever becomes our view of His church and his kingdom. Without seed, that is without the word of God being shared, then nothing will grow. Where can we be planting seeds in our villages?

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he is encouraging them to be confident of the love of Christ. We are not just God’s creation but part of his new creation. We walk by faith and not by sight, think of what happens in the soil that we cannot see. Paul is calling us to be confident in Christ. Probably one of the hardest things to do is to ‘walk by faith, not by sight’.

From Psalm 119 ‘your word is a lamp unto my feet and and light to my path’. The light is on the feet; we get enough vision for the next step not the whole journey. Walking by faith in all life throws at us. Growth still comes. New creation is birthed. We are nurtured and cared for by God.

Paul talks about our eternal home: in the heavens that God is preparing for us. We are to be forward-looking people. We have the Spirit as a guarantee. This is where our confidence should be.

How is your confidence this morning? What are you confident in? What we do as a church may feel small and under confident ; but it will grow like a mustard seed if we let it. We need scatter seeds with abandon, trusting that they will fall in the right places to take hold. It is not solely down to our efforts, well executed prayers and piety. There is mystery in the soil, in the unseen where growth happens. If, like Paul, we walk by faith and refuse to let circumstances crush or perplex us and focus on the new creation we can be confident in the love and grace of God.