Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What
shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted
in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its
branches.” (Luke 13:18-19)
What is the kingdom of God like? Our Lord Jesus seems like
having a bit of time to think before saying these parables of a mustard seed
and yeast to teach about the kingdom of God, saying “What shall I compare it
to?” Then he says it is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in
his garden. Obviously a man indicates Jesus Christ and the garden is people on earth.
He planted a tiny seed to grow in the people’s heart. Mustard seed in known as
the very tiny seed if not the smallest one.
Most people understand this parable like it is telling that
the kingdom of God starts almost invisibly small in size but later grows huge
like a tree. But there are some problems in that interpretation. First, mustard
is not a tree but a plant or shrub. It is very much unusual for Jesus who is
the Maker of all things to say that a mustard tree grows and becomes to a tree.
It is not true that our Lord Jesus was mistakenly ignorant of nature. But then
why did Jesus say so? When he says such a thing is happening against nature he
wants to teach something important in regard to the kingdom of God.
The smallness and tininess of mustard seed is the symbol of
church, the body of Christ. Jesus’ ministry on the earth always was like a
mustard seed. Of course, there were a lot of people coming to see him and they
were healed and delivered. But In the end when Jesus was crucified on a cross
in Calvary even the disciples ran away and only a handful of women were
present. Jesus’ earthly ministry was ended in a complete failure to the eyes of
the believers like two disciples who went down to Emmaus. But it never be a
failure at all because by means of the cross of Calvary Jesus conquered sin and
death and anyone who believes in him who shed his blood and died shall not
perish but have eternal life. On the third day in the cold and dark tomb the
power of God made Jesus alive and living with a glorious body of resurrection.
On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came into the people
in Jerusalem Temple and made them united by the power of God and so the church
was born. On that day three thousand Jews came to receive the Risen Jesus as
Lord in response to Apostle Peter’s message. The first century church was born
and grew in numbers by the power of the Spirit of God. As our Lord Jesus
compares the kingdom of God with a mustard seed, so the church does. The church
was humble and ordinary, not glowing and extraordinary in outward appearance. By
the way, church never means building but people, the regenerated people by the
Spirit through the blood of Jesus Christ the Lord.
Outwardly humble and ordinary but inwardly invincible and strong.
That’s what church is supposed to be from the beginning. That’s the
characteristics of mustard seed. It’s invisibly small and humble and yet
pungent and powerful. The first century church was in the world without a
visible and glowing mark like a decorated cross on the top of the building. They
met in homes and yet were fragrant of goodness and kindness because they were
regenerated and transformed by the power of the Spirit. They were made
righteous by the blood of Christ and given access to the throne of grace where
they could drink a living water out of rivers of water. They were filled with
hope which is not perishing, deteriorating, and fading but enduring and lasting
forever.
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in
Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge
of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those
who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma
that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to
such a task?” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can
never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through
faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is
ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)
Church never spreads its fragrance and influence in outward awesome
appearance like a fantastic building nor in a solemn and holy liturgy, but in loving
kindness and compassion and joy. Christians leave an unforgettable aroma of the
knowledge of Christ wherever they live. So, Christians are an aroma that brings
death to the perishing but life to the being saved. To the eyes of the world,
Christians are losers and failures who know nothing about life. But it is
exactly the opposite. That’s what the world called Christians in the first
century. Christians turn the world upside down which have been turned upside
down by the illusions and delusions of the devil.
“And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and
some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, ‘These men who have
turned the world upside down have come here also.’” (Acts 17:6 ESV)
Though Christians were humble and ordinary like a mustard
seed the world could not but seeing their changed life which is completely
different from the mind of the earth. For example, when a Samaritan woman
witnessed Christ to the town people they responded to her message and came to
see him. Though she was known as an immoral and outcast in the community they
could not but see something different in her. That’s the strategy of the world
evangelism. It’s not through a discipleship program but through the humble and
ordinary life of Christians who have been dramatically regenerated and transformed
by the power of the Spirit in the midst of humdrum and routine lives every day.
Then, what does it mean by a mustard see grows to a tree? Since
it is against nature, it indicates something unnatural in the growth of church
down the road. In fact, since Emperor Constantine proclaimed Christianity as a
state religion, the church was glowing and flourishing without any
persecutions. Outwardly the church was expanding and extending under the
government laws but inwardly it was losing its strength and power as the church
of Christ. The church downgraded to a political body which used the government power
to advance the church programs and agendas. They no longer relied on the true
resource, Christ Jesus to advance the gospel of good news.
Modern churches are not different from the churches which
outwardly large and glowing but inwardly dying and vanishing in its pungency
and force as the church God intended the church to be before the creation of
the world. Many evangelical churches embrace homosexual practices as an
acceptable lifestyle and even allow the homosexual pastors and ministers to teach
in the pulpit. That’s what it means by the birds perched in its branches. In
the parable of the sower the seed sown along the path was eaten by the birds. Jesus
gave the interpretation of the parable and the birds indicate the evil ones who
snatches what was sown in the heart of men.
The church in Thyatira allowed the false prophets to teach the
people and misled them into sexual immorality and the idol worship.
“Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that
woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my
servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I
have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I
will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery
with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her
children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts
and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Now I say to
the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have
not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden
on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’” (Revelation 2:20-25)
Jesus promises to give authority over the nations to those
who are victorious and do his will to the end. Our Lord Jesus remained poor and
humble throughout his earthly ministry and yet overcame the world by giving his
life for the sin of the world. Anyone who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ shall
not perish but have eternal life. At the same time they will share the
sufferings of Christ in order to share in his glory.
“To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I
will give authority over the nations— that one ‘will rule them with an iron
scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’ —just as I have received
authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star. Whoever
has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation
2:26-29)
October 8, 2015
© 2015 David Lee Ministries – All Rights Reserved.
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