The Parable of the Mustard Seed gives most of us a really warm and fuzzy feeling inside. We feel good knowing that even if our faith is TEENY, it’s enough.
“Phew”…..no heavy lifting, our puny faith will carry the day. But, while it’s true that even the smallest morsel of faith can lead to incredible things, the point of this parable is easily lost on a non-farming culture. You see, the mustard plant, in the ancient world, was viewed as an invasive, out of control, undesirable WEED. (this perspective gained from David Lose’s column at working preacher.org accessed June 14, 2012) Those itsy bitsy seeds would blow everywhere, infiltrating carefully tilled fields and spreading the mustard plant all over, upsetting the carefully laid out plans of the farmer. Nothing warm and fuzzy there.
In other words, Jesus’ parable, to the ears of his followers in the 1st century did EXACTLY what a parable is supposed to do: make us think of things in a totally new strange and uncomfortable way. This is why Jesus used parables so often—because the truth of living a faithful life, the truth of working to bring the Kingdom of God to fruition here on earth is risky, uncomfortable and upsetting. As Biblical scholar John Dominic Crossan tells us,
The point, in other words, is not just that the mustard plant starts as a proverbially small seed and grows into a shrub of three or four feet, or even higher, it is that it tends to take over where it is not wanted, that it tends to get out of control… (The Historical Jesus, pp. 278-279 as accessed through workingpreacher.org on 6.14.12)
The kingdom Jesus proclaims isn’t something we can control—it is something that, once sprouted in a community, takes over, upsets and transforms. It isn’t, as pastor David Lose tells us, something we should want if we’re even slightly satisfied with the way things are. Because the kingdom of Jesus will change EVERYTHING, not just those things we happen to find distasteful and unwanted. The kingdom Jesus speaks of comes to upset the very fabric of this world, the very kingdoms that rule our daily lives. The kingdoms of a “me first” existence. The kingdoms of big business getting bigger on the backs of the underprivileged and the poor. The kingdoms of a city where a high school graduation rate of 53% is something to celebrate. Kingdoms where royalty is made up of supermodels, athletes and reality t.v. stars instead of teachers, parents and prophets.
The good news is that I know most all of us here today are NOT SATISFIED with the way things are, that we can imagine something more than the ruling kingdoms of this world, that we can imagine a world where the humble are exalted, the hungry are fed, the naked are clothed, the illiterate read, the unemployed work , the fearful are encouraged, the lonely embraced and the lost are found.
I know that we’re a people of hope and a people of action who understand that the mustard seed faith Jesus speaks of has its roots in hope. I also know that this hope isn’t just pie in the sky platitudes for us. I know that the hope found in faith prods and pokes us into taking action. Because once that seed sprouts and those roots take hold our faith, just like the mustard plant, spreads, infiltrates, meanders and edges in. Once our faith sprouts, once the roots of our faith take hold, this faith of ours stops being a noun and starts being a verb.
Which is just what God intends. Just like a planted seed needs sunlight and water to take hold and grow, God takes initiative, plants the seed, but it is our response which helps those Divine Dreams come to life here on earth. And once those dreams are realized, new dreams sprout and grow, and spread. It just keeps going! God has a vision and through God’s call and our response, amazing things happen: a shepherd boy is chosen as king, a mustard seed grows into an immense plant, and a small child from Nazareth grows into the Christ. (Bruce Epperly, Text this Week for Proper6 Yr B)
God’s dreams and our response vary. For God is not “ a homogenous force, evenly distributing inspiration and revelation across the universe.” (Epperly ibid) Sometimes the seed of faith sprouts into something fierce and intrusive, propelling us into loud and brash acts of faith much like the mustard seed blooms into an uninvited weed spreading all over, taking on a life of it’s own. We’ve seen that with the civil rights actions of the 1960’s-- the race riots, the anti war demonstrations and the uprising at Stonewall. More recently we saw it in Egypt and in Libya and currently it seems to be brewing in Syria. But more often, the seed of faith, planted in us by God through Jesus Christ, sprouts in quieter, more subtle ways…..the point is there’s no telling how and when and where the sprouting will happen. The important thing is that we remain open to it. Because, when we’re open to it, receptive to it, Grace happens. God’s vision for the world is realized through this grace and it, like the mustard seed shows up in all sorts of places, growing and spreading and at times upsetting the status quo. Grace is when possibilities appear to emerge from nowhere and we, in response, make something happen.
(Epperly ibid).
God calls and we respond…that’s what it’s all about.
People are hungry? We’ll establish a food pantry.
Kids don’t read because they have no books of their own? We give them a book.
Pets can’t be kept because their people can’t afford to feed them? We give them pet food.
A lost soul wanders in among us looking for solace and hope? We great them with a smile, a pat on the back and an invitation to come back anytime.
A small gesture can sprout hope and then the roots become established and amazing, unexpected, uncontrollable things happen. For the Kingdom of God is amazing, it’s unexpected and it’s uncontrollable, upsetting the best laid plans of you and me. Thanks be to God.
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