The Greatest of All Shrubs - July 20
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 45; PM Psalm 47, 48; 1 Samuel 25:1-22; Acts 14:1-18; Mark 4:21-34
Today’s Reflection
He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’ –Mark 4: 30-32
Did you know that mustard plants are considered by many to be weeds? This is because they are plants that, by virtue of their tiny seeds, can spring up easily and spread to places where we may not have planned for them to grow. And when they grow, they really grow. Because of this, many gardeners would say that mustard seeds, and the plants they become, do not belong in the garden. But even the seed of a weed can flourish and become life-giving: a safe place for birds to find food, shade, and a place to nest. In the kingdom of God, boundaries are crossed. Categories come into question. The tiny seed of a weed becomes “the greatest of all shrubs.”
And yet, for an audience steeped in images from the Hebrew scriptures of the great cedars of Lebanon, a mustard shrub evokes a much less grand vision of God’s plans and promises. Perhaps, as scholar Pheme Perkins points out: “Jesus has pulled a swap. God’s creative presence can still provide abundantly for all creatures even in a region without mighty trees. For people who expect God's reign to show itself in mighty deeds, transforming nature and nations, the mustard bush is hardly an appropriate sign. It is just an annual plant, after all, not a great tree sought by pharaohs and kings to adorn palaces and temples.” And yet, because of its smaller scale and more humble reputation, the mustard seed is the most appropriate sign of what it means for us to grow into a kingdom for God.
However, as Jesus well knew, the mustard plant is not great because of its size but rather because of what its branches can provide: shelter and shade. The mustard seed grows from the tiny seed of an often-unwanted plant into a bush whose expansive branches provide for others.
God's economy is based on reversals or incongruities. The weak become strong. The poor become rich. A little child shall lead them. So, it makes sense that when God tells us about how we can expand his kingdom on earth, that he tells us to go about it in a different way than many earthly leaders would. It’s not about making earthly empires great and gaining power over other people. Rather, growing from a tiny seed into “the greatest of all shrubs” is about growing into a plant--or a church, or a community, or a culture—that is in fact an ecosystem, one which provides sustenance and shelter to a diversity of living things. As scholar Suzanne Henderson observes, “Where the seeds of God’s kingdom do take root, they grow with abandon even alongside the plants that wither or seeds that disappear. Like the mustard bush, the kingdom will overtake its surroundings (4:30–32), but it does so organically and offers hospitable shade to ‘the birds of the air.’”
So, how can we build God’s kingdom now? Growth and new life require changes in state. A seed ruptures open whenever a new plant begins to germinate. A tall plant or tree requires pruning. A plant cutting must first form its own new roots in water before it can be transplanted into the soil and begin to grow. The question we must consider is this: Are we willing to be tiny mustard seeds with the determination to grow into the greatest of shrubs—even when we grow within the boundaries of a garden in which we may at first be seen as just another weed?
—Becky+
Questions for Self-Reflection
In what kinds of circumstances or situations do you feel (or have you felt) especially small? Have you ever experienced a time when you entered a situation (be it a room, an event, a task, or a role) feeling very small but over time ended up growing into it?
Daily Challenge
You can read more about mustard plants in the context of the ancient Near East in this article on the Old Dominion University Bible Plants web site, where you can also read up on all other sorts of plants mentioned in Scripture.