From a Tiny Acorn

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32 ESV). Yesterday I used a story from the traditions of Texas A&M within the football program. There are so many stories I can recall from the time I spent there as a student and the years since. Just one of those concerns “The Century Tree.” It is a live oak that has been growing beside the Academic Building in the center of the campus for over 100 years. There are pictures dating back to the early 1900’s. It certainly has changed through the years. The limbs spread out, touching the ground fifty feet from the base! A small bench has been placed under the canopy, near the sidewalk that runs beside it, where many Aggies have proposed marriage to their beloveds through the years. To say there are many memories attached to this tree is to understate the significance of it in the lives of thousands. And, all of that was made possible from the growth of one tiny acorn! Jesus was certainly making such a reference when he told the disciples the parable of the mustard seed in our reading today. This parable is found in all the Synoptic Gospels. Matthew gives us the clearest picture of what Jesus was teaching as he groups it between two other parables dealing with the same subject matter. The picture painted in the Parable of the Mustard Seed by Jesus is of the humble beginnings of the church experiencing an explosive rate of growth. It grows large and becomes a source of food, rest, and shelter, for both believers and false professing individuals that seek to consume or take advantage of its benefits while residing or mixing among what was produced by the seed. In other words, Jesus predicts that, while the church will grow extremely large from just a small start, it will not remain pure. While this is not a condemnation of the "bigness" of modern Christianity, it does show us the greatest burden that comes with it. The Parable of the Mustard Seed is both a prediction and a warning. Just like the Century Tree does not provide any guarantee to the marriages of those who begin their commitment under its branches; so, being a member of a church does not guarantee the eternal life of those who begin their religious experience by joining. Our membership in the local church does nothing to redeem us. Only a relationship with Jesus can do that. Often joining a church is a great step, but the first step must always be our faith in the work of Christ on the cross. Have you done that? If not, plant that seed in your life today. Then watch as it grows to an enormous heritage!