HIDDEN GREATNESS

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed,
which a man took and planted in his field.
Though it is the smallest of all seeds,
yet when it grows,
it is the largest of garden plants
and becomes a tree,
so that the birds come
and perch in its branches.”
The kingdom of heaven is like
yeast that a woman took
and mixed into about sixty pounds
of flour until it worked
all through the dough.”

Matthew 13:31-33 (read 13:31-33, 44-52) - NIV

Jesus could read the book of nature, written by his Heavenly Daddy, and he often quoted examples from nature to illustrate the Kingdom of Heaven. In the above quotes Jesus cites mustard seeds and yeast as a means of helping us understand the Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed. It is among the smallest of all seeds, but able to produce a plant so large that it can even house bird nests in its branches.

We love greatness. Dealing with things of small expression is not appealing to human nature. We judge everything by its impact on the senses, on social acceptance, on material value or on spiritual greatness. We want to be cool, cute, well liked, prosperous and mighty before God and humankind. That "speck" of a mustard seed has no external signs of greatness. It seems so insignificant! It is worth only to be thrown into the garbage.

This is its meaning - its true nature is revealed only in its "death". While it is "unburied" it cannot become a bearer of fruit or a shelter for the birds. The kingdom is revealed in this - the buried insignificant become great fruit bearers and shelters. The Kingdom is the opposite of the way we like to see things. Our pride resists humility. We consider ourselves to be the "elect of God" This leads us to "spiritual superiority" We seek greatness, not humility. We build walls of separation in place of becoming sheltering trees. Our temples represent a separation between God's elect and the lost sinners of the world. We think the good Christian is not of this world and should shy away from it in order to avoid its impurities.

Rather, the mustard has its roots in the earth, with no separation from the world in which it lives. Birds have easy access to feed on its fruit and find shelter in its branches. The tree does not try to create a parallel world, but integrates into the existing setting and makes its contribution. Seeds do not create new realms, because they already belong to the highest Kingdom.

The yeast goes even further: it loses its identity. It loses itself completely in the dough. But at the same time, it is still working. Its value lies in what it does within the dough. The yeast does not establish colonies within the batch in order to promote itself. Its mission is to transform the dough into being a "blessing" for those who need it. The life of the dough is in the yeast. Paste is lifeless unleavened dough. Unlike yeast, the church is afraid of losing its identity, and therefore it separates itself from the dough. It does not realize that this separation brings mutual destruction, not blessings to both.

Jesus is the perfect example of the mustard seed and the yeast. He was of little social expression and lived his faith in the world. He ate and drank with sinners and those who felt marginalized by society. He even died in disgrace, but is still alive in the hearts of millions, sheltering and giving them courage to strive for a better world.

Our challenge is to be like the mustard seed and yeast. Through love we can overcome the barriers of selfishness amid prejudice. We can become shelters and sustainers of life in the world in which we live.

MATTHEW 13:31-33, 44-52 – NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV)

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

---------------------------------------------

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”