18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 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.”
Inspiration
It makes me wonder which kingdom Jesus is speaking about – the kingdom on earth or the Kingdom of Heaven. The mustard seed could be likened to the teaching of Jesus which takes place in a small part of a small country at a time when communication was limited and news was passed along person to person and around campfires in the wilderness and sometimes by caravans moving through the area. Most people were illiterate, so much of what Jesus said and did wasn’t written down until much later. And yet, this seed became like the tree with so many branches that there is no one that cannot fit under it. Or, perhaps it is the Kingdom of God in Heaven that he is talking about. If so, then it tells me that the Kingdom of Heaven is wide enough and broad enough for each of us to have room. We might like to think of the Kingdom of Heaven as limited in scope, but Jesus is telling us that it is not. There is room for all of us to shelter under its branches. Either way, this small seed planted in this obscure area of the world has grown and blossomed to cover the world and its people with the Good News of salvation. Heaven is the destination planned for all of God’s children who will accept the invitation and follow Jesus, and there is plenty of room for all.
Prayer: Lord, this small seed of your message of salvation has spread to the ends of the earth so that all might be gathered into your kingdom. For this we give you thanks. Amen.
