Like a Mustard Seed

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

Consider the mustard seed.1 It’s hardly observable. The birds of the air and the tiny field mice can hardly see it. Yet it is full of great potential. But apart from going into the ground and dying, it remains alone in the world, waiting to fulfill its purpose.2

You might be amazed to know that seeds have a certain sense of their environment. They are sensitive to the seasons and whether there will be adequate warmth in the coming months. They somehow know when they are near enough to the surface of the soil where the light of the sun is. They need to be persuaded that they are in a place where they can reach the light, so as to grow and flourish, before they will allow the water of life to penetrate their outer shell. The introduction of moisture triggers a complex series of responses within the seed called germination, which is defined as the emergence of the radicle through the seed coat.

A radicle is the first young root put forth from a seed. The young plant is determined to establish itself firmly in the good soil. Like any wise builder, it makes sure its foundation is solid before the building goes up. So the radicle goes down first, then it will send forth its first shoot up through the soil towards the sun. The world goes on about its business without realizing the great struggle this little sprout is going through just to get a solid beginning. Then, with its little roots gathering the water and nutrients from the soil, and its little leaves soaking up the sun’s strength, it has all it needs to grow and increase and eventually bear fruit.

This may all seem quite elementary, for man has learned of all this and much more through observation and experimentation. But man cannot create a living plant any more than he can create a human being, because it’s truly a miracle. One plants, another waters, but God makes it grow.3 Remember that one essential factor — it will be important as we go on. The fruit of the tree reveals the goodness of its Creator.4

In its very humble beginnings, the mustard seed is not so impressive to the natural eye. Yet when it is fully grown, it is greater than the other herbs in the garden, and becomes a tree in whose branches all the different birds can come and make a home.5 Our Master Yahshua used the example of the mustard seed as a metaphor to explain the nature of how His Kingdom would come in the last days of this age.

The Small Beginnings of the First Church

Like the little mustard seed, Yahshua and His unrefined group of disciples were not so impressive to the natural eye. The religious leaders were constantly trying to expose Yahshua as some untaught carpenter’s son from Nazareth, who had received a demon, for they were very envious of His teaching and authority. Some of the Pharisees asked Him when the Kingdom of God would come. He replied, “The Kingdom of God does not come with observation. Nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the Kingdom of God is in your midst.”6

The Pharisees did not recognize that the Kingdom of God was right before them in the hearts and lives of Yahshua and His friends. For the Jews were looking for a heroic military Messiah to come and rout out the Roman Empire, and establish His rule on the earth. They believed that they would be the ones to whom the Messiah would come to help Him establish His Kingdom, because of their great knowledge and understanding. Somehow all their great learning blinded their hearts and minds from the simple truth of God’s great love for all of mankind.

Eventually, the Jews crucified the very Messiah who was sent for them,7 believing they were doing God a favor. They had every reason to believe that this would effectively uproot this little sprout of a movement. But to the dismay of the religious leaders, Yahshua’s disciples boldly reappeared a short time later on the day of Pentecost with a powerful message of repentance and forgiveness in the name of their risen King. Of the approximately one million people in Jerusalem for Pentecost, only 3,000 people responded to Peter’s proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Those who believed left behind everything, and began living together and sharing all things in common,8 just as Yahshua had with His own disciples.9 Day by day, people were added to their numbers, and word of this radical new sect began to spread throughout the known world.

Yet, within 70 years or so, their love for their Savior and one another waned, and the nature of the Church began to change into something quite different from the way it was in the beginning. Somehow their hearts went astray from the foundational things they had been taught by the apostles,10 and they forgot their purification from their former sins.11 They began to neglect the orphans and the widows in their midst, and to speak evil of one another, defraud the laborers, give preference to the rich, and take on the ways of the world.12

Rather than having the faith, grace, and wisdom from God in their heart, there was bitter envy and selfish ambition. This, of course, brought the great confusion and every evil thing13 that the book of James describes so vividly. Rather than being a beacon light of hope as those in the New Covenant of life and peace should be, they began to appear more like those who still sit in darkness under the looming shadow of death.14