What Mustard Seed Has God Planted in You?
Scripture — Mark 4:30–32 (NRSV)
He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
Focus
God has chosen to use that which appears to be inconsequential in the work of the kingdom. Our calling is not to make a big splash for God, but rather, to be faithful in whatever part of the world God has placed us. The mustard seed of God’s reign will grow through us in our workplace, family, school, community, church, and society.
This devotion is part of the series: Following Jesus in the Gospel of Mark.
Devotion
In one of the parables of the kingdom of God in Mark 4, Jesus compares the kingdom to a mustard seed. Like this seed, the kingdom of God is quite small. But, from this tiny seed, the mustard plant grows to a prodigious size. So it is with the kingdom of God.
If Jesus were alive today, I wonder if he’d have used a different metaphor for the kingdom of God. Not a mustard seed, but a redwood seed, specifically the seed of a Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum). We have tens of thousands of these trees in California, growing in groves along the western Sierra Nevada. Giant Sequoias are the largest trees in the world (in terms of volume; their cousins, the Coast Redwoods, also in California, are the tallest). Though these redwood trees are impressive, the seeds from which they grow are not. In fact, they are about the size of a single oat.
Jesus used the metaphor of a mustard seed and a mustard plant because they were familiar to his audience. Apparently, mustard plants proliferated in Judea during the first century AD. They provided Jesus with a colorful and insightful way to describe the kingdom of God.
We must remember that the phrase “kingdom of God” did not refer to a place, but rather to the reign of God. God’s reign was truly present in the ministry of Jesus, but its impact was relatively small at the time. Yes, Jesus stirred up the crowds and distressed many Jewish leaders. Yes, he was popular among common people, especially those who needed healing or deliverance. But, for the most part, Jesus didn’t even show up as a blip on the cultural radar screen. As ancient Roman historians recounted the key events and people of the first century AD, Jesus received only the tiniest mention. Though God’s reign was truly present in the ministry of Jesus, it was small and apparently inconsequential. It was like a tiny mustard seed, seemingly insignificant. In time, it would grow and make its full impact known.
Sometimes we Christians lose sight of the image of the mustard seed and the encouragement it brings. We admire huge, successful ministries while discounting the importance of our local churches. Or we see a few Christians who impact millions of people and figure that our contribution doesn’t count. We try to live our faith in our workplace, but we don’t see any major change in our jobs or within our colleagues. We seek to demonstrate our faith as good neighbors, but nobody pays much attention.
In fact, God has chosen to use that which appears to be inconsequential in the work of the kingdom. Our calling is not to make a big splash for God, but rather, to be faithful in whatever part of the world God has placed us. The mustard seed of God’s reign will grow through us in our workplace, family, school, community, church, and society. We may not see it. We may not think we’re making a major impact. But God is at work in and through us, extending the kingdom in our world.
Reflect
Do you ever discount your contribution to the work of God because it doesn’t seem big enough?
How is God using you these days in the work of the kingdom?
How might you be more faithful in your part of God’s world, especially in your workplace or neighborhood?
Act
Take some time to reflect on the “mustard seeds” of God in your life. You may wish to talk about these with a wise friend or your small group.
Pray
Gracious God, thank you for this encouraging image of the mustard seed. You know how easy it is for us to get caught up in the idea that bigness is what really matters in your work. Then we look at our efforts, and they appear hopelessly puny and insignificant. They look, well, like some tiny mustard seed.
Indeed, it may well be that our efforts on behalf of your kingdom won’t ever win prizes, or sell thousands of books, or make headlines. But the mustard seed of your kingdom is nevertheless present in our lives, as you extend your reign through us.
So help us, Lord, to be faithful in small things. Use us for your purposes. Glorify yourself in us and all that we do in every arena of life. Amen.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the High Calling archive, hosted by the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: The Mustard Seed Kingdom.
Mark D. Roberts
Senior Fellow
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Fellow for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders, and t...