Sandra Myers

Sometimes the biggest lessons are found in the smallest places such as that tiny little mustard seed. Contained within this mustard seed is a giant story of life, shelter and sustenance and more.

    As I contemplated the example of the little mustard seed and all that it is I learned some profound lessons:

LIFE: This very life is Jesus and His sweet Salvation for us. In the man’s garden the mustard seed is purposefully planted, nourished and tended so that it can be shared with those with those whom we encounter.

SHELTER: Like the birds that lodge in the branches of the mustard tree, the Seed, when grown offers shelter from the buffeting storms. But notice, from so small seed, it must grow to become that shelter. As the seed matures in us, it can be offered as this same Shelter to a troubled world.

NOURISHMENT: A little drink and wash in the water of life will remove the dirt of the world. The leaves are good for food to nourish ours and our neighbors’ hunger, just like the Word of God.

SEASONING: The complimentary nature of the ground mustard seed is a seasoning and enhancement for meats and more. As such, contained within the mustard seed is the seasoning of our brothers and sisters with encouragement, companionability and even occasional admonition—of the brethren and the stranger.

    I could go on further about the smallness and simplicity of that little seed being akin to being the humble and meekness of our Saviour. Then there’s the miraculous transformation that occurs between planting and maturation. This seed, when it is grown also has a foundation of roots which give us grounding in this life. There is even a medicinal/healing nature of mustard (and the Word). The verse above also speaks to the intention and purpose of heart of the man planting this seed.

What Were the Apostles Missing?

A man came to Jesus asking Him to cure his son, a lunatic, as the apostles had tried and failed. After Jesus successfully delivered the young man, the apostles queried Jesus why they couldn’t accomplish this.

    Perhaps the apostles faith was not fully matured and grown as Jesus’ mission of final sacrifice and His glorious resurrection had not yet been completed.

Faith as a Grain of Mustard Seed and Charity

    Paul not only talks about that true faith that can move mountains, but also charity.

    In discussing various Bible versions versus the King James Bible a friend asked me why nearly all of the other Bible versions use the word love instead of charity? Although I had not studied the original languages, I posited, perhaps it is because when you love, usually you expect to be loved back—a reciprocal love. But with charity, when we truly give unselfishly of ourselves, we expect nothing in return. When you love completely unconditionally, unselfishly, and sacrificially expecting nothing in return it is a love not bound by shackles—a love like the love that God had for the whole world when He sent His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for our sins. There is nothing we could possibly give back to reciprocate for that!

The Parable of the Sower and the Seed

The parable of the sower of the seed (Matthew 13:1-23) also comes to mind. When we plant with charity—we plant with hope. We give the Seed without asking anything in return. In this we selflessly present to them life, shelter, nourishment, and seasoning—spiritually and sometimes even physically.

The mustard flower only has four petals, much like the cross of Jesus.

    As you recall, four different things happened with that Seed, and three out of four times the Seed perished. Thus the remnant of true believers. But that’s where the charity (selfless love) comes in. It is easy to want to withdraw from the world when we see the depths to which it is sinking. But we are called to present this Seed of Faith with charity, not giving up because we see no results. It is not for us to question but give it with hope yet without expectation.

    That little mustard seed, as a wild seed, can fill fields, withstand storms, droughts, floods and more. And sometimes, though it seems to fall on rocky ground, we don’t know that the wind or rain may carry it to a new place of fertile ground and it fills that field.

    Jesus never traveled outside of 100 miles from His home, yet His name is known around the world. The apostles and disciples of Jesus knew their mission, and like that little mustard seed they scattered and planted and grew beyond measure.