09/17/2023: The Mustard Seed

September 17, 2023

 

          The kin-dom of heaven is like this or this or like that and that…It is hidden and often small but then turns into something bigger. It is as small as a mustard seed that can turn into a tree. It is as essential as yeast that when mixed with flour turns into bread.

          The kin-dom of heaven is like treasure a poor man finds and then reburies and so becomes rich.  The kin-dom of heaven is like a merchant who finds a pearl of great value and sells everything to buy it, and then becomes even richer. Each person finds something that makes them trade everything. The kin-dom of God is rare but attainable for those willing to pay the price.

          And finally, the kin-dom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea that gathers up both the good and bad fish. It is not only something we find but something which finds us and hauls us into the light.

          Dear Ones, which parable is calling you today? Is it one of the parables about something small or hidden; something that must be searched for or right beneath the surface? Or is it the one that pulls you out of the deep; that finds you? I invite you to pause and meditate for a moment on which parable has your name on it today.

          Now let’s turn to the first parable, the parable about the mustard seed that turns into a tree. For Jesus’ Jewish listeners they would have been familiar with the story of the low tree made high in Ezekiel’s prophesy. In Ezekiel 17 we hear about how God will save Israel by plucking off the top of one of the tallest cedars and then how it would be transplanted in Judea. It is important to note that the mighty cedar was symbolic of imperial authority. God is showing power to the Israelites in order to persuade them to stay faithful even when they are dwelling in the shadows of the tall cedars of surrounding empires. He reminds them that they too may produce branches that bear fruit; where all the winged creatures may find a home.

          Dear Ones, it is a similar story but with a significant twist. In the parable it is the lowly weedy mustard seed that becomes a tree that shelters the birds, not a broken off bough. Both shelter all the birds of the air but in this parable its sheltering branches become a metaphor for political sovereignty based on inclusivity rather than exclusive power or dominance. It is a story that would be retold often throughout Jesus’ ministry.

          Jesus sowed hope by reminding his oppressed listeners that they, the smallest seeds, will bear fruit for all the birds, all the nations of the world. The kin-dom of heaven will provide what is needed for all. Everyone will have the right to shelter. No one will be left out and there will be enough for all to eat.

          This is the great reversal that his mother Mary sang about in the Magnificat, is it not?

          I invite you to look at these trees on the slide. First note how big that mustard tree is. No little shrub. In Kelly Latimore’s beautiful icon, the logo for our series, note how she has painted and identified all the birds of the Middle East.  

          Dear Ones, the kin-dom of heaven is like a tall weed that shelters and feeds others. Are you ready for this kind of heaven? What part are you playing? Are you the Sower who scatters the seeds wildly? Are you the space prepared to hold the seeds? Are you the seeds? Are you the branches? Or are you one of the ones seeking shelter?

          To help you go deeper, listen to these lines from Jan L. Richardson’s Blessing that Holds a Nest in its Branches:

The emptiness
that you have been holding
for such a long season now;

that ache in your chest
that goes with you
night and day
in your sleeping,
your rising—

think of this
not as a mere hollow,
the void left from
the life that has leached out
of you.

 

Think of it like this:
as the space being prepared
for the seed.

Think of it
as your earth that dreams
of the branches
the seed contains.

 

Think of it
as your heart making ready
to welcome the nest
its branches will hold.

         Dear Ones, how is Holmdel Community UCC preparing to hold God’s seeds today?  What activities or changes are you seeing that show we are a church that values everyone---young and old alike, gay and straight, male and female and nonbinary alike? How are our branches reaching out to our community or neighbors in need?

         As we prepare to enter into the autumn--- season of change, as our church begins to gather data about who we are, who is our neighbor, and who God is calling us to be, how are we extending our branches to those who come for shelter and join our church or for those who are struggling or living without in our community?

         How are our commitments to peace and justice bearing fruit? Will we shift to solar energy in our homes or the church to help withdraw from fossil fuels so others may live.

         Dear Ones, go and scatter your seeds with wild abandon appreciating even those weedy bushy trees who offer shelter for all. Yes, go with the hope of a mustard seed. Have faith that your tiny place in relation to God’s enormous creative love, is enough. The kin-dom of God dwells within but also must be built and supported in a Beloved Community.