As Large As A Mustard Tree

Spring is approaching. I can't wait because this year I want to put in a large vegetable garden. I love gardening! I love watching tiny seeds grow into productive plants as they are nurtured and cared for.

Jesus stated in the Bible that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, which is the tiniest of all seeds. But as the mustard seed grows it becomes a large shrub, approximately twenty feet high and almost the same in width.

"He told them another parable:
'The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed,
which a man took and planted in his field.
Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows,
it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree,
so that the birds come and perch in its branches.'"

Matthew 13:31-32 (NIV)

The mustard tree has many uses. The fruit of a mustard tree is round, plump, purple, sweet, and full of nutrients. The seeds are ground up to make the popular condiment that we all love to put on our hot dogs and hamburgers. The small branches and roots of a mustard tree resist bacteria and plaque. In fact, in some places of the world, they are used to make toothbrushes. One can even chew on the small branches and roots to ease tooth aches and prevent tooth decay. The leaves are edible as well, and the ashes from the tree can be used as a salt to flavour foods. Finally, the mustard tree provides shade for animals and a protective home for birds that come and perch on its branches.

Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed because the Kingdom started off small, but by the time Jesus returns, the Kingdom of Heaven will be filled with a large number of people, as the Gospel of Christ spreads throughout the world.

The ministries that we have are the same. Our ministries may seem small and insignificant, but by the time we enter God's Kingdom, the amount of lives we will have touched will be much larger than we can really imagine. Our goal as Christians is to remain faithful to God and be willing to do whatever He asks us to do.