Today I have been given the chance to reflect on the parable of the mustard seed.
From Matthew 13:31-32, "He set another man before them, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches."
Firstly I asked, why mustard seed? Jesus could use any other seeds as examples.
Of all seeds, why mustard? Well first of all, mustard seeds are not the smallest in the world,
nor are they the biggest tree in the world.
Jesus would have known that. But instead, Jesus was drawing to illustrate how the kingdom of heaven could expand from very small beginnings to a huge presence.
So before you read on, I would like to ask you to think about the parable and ask yourself who the different things represent? 1) the mustard seed 2) the farmer 3) the field 4) the tree 5) the herbs 6) the trees
In most reflections I have read, people would refer to the man as God and the birds as us humans flocking over to meet our Maker in his kingdom. But I feel that there is more to it.
Here is my own meditation:
The farmer is God. He sows the seeds in the field, signifying that He is planting the goodness in each of our hearts. Each seed He plants is a gift that He sends to us through the Holy Spirit. All these tiny gifts will soon grow into our very actions - Love. The very same love that God has given to each of us. The same love that makes up His holy presence. The same act of love we give to our loved ones, to our neighbours, to ourselves and ultimately back to our God. The big tree that blooms and grow is the result of all the love and goodness that God has made us into. For the kingdom of heaven was made out of love from God. It is a place where all love will come together as one.
From Luke 17:20-21, Jesus said “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you”.
The kingdom of heaven is within us. It is in all of us. And all these birds that flock to the tree, would be all the riches and rewards that Jesus has promised us when we finally get to the kingdom of heaven and meet Him.
Finally then the herbs. Herbs are things that add taste and texture in our food. Here, it refers to me as the earthly rewards that we receive in our life on earth. Be it monetary, or anything that adds to our joy as a human. But we know that the rewards we receive in the kingdom of heaven is far greater than any rewards we receive on earth.
Thank you Vanessa for giving me the opportunity to read more into this :)
