The Tiny Seed

Matthew 13:31-33  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 your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”

It’s about divine inspiration and revelation.

The seed Jesus spoke about here is the news of the gospel of the Kingdom.

That is good news indeed, because the kingdom of heaven has come to those who receive it, and who believe in the name of the one who brought that wonderful news to us in the first place.

This is not a difficult thing to understand, although in this secular age, many have become so hardened by the worries of this life that their eyes are blinded to it.

But for us who believe, we know that we have had a seed planted in our hearts, and daily that seed is growing into a plant of substance. The seed that was planted may have been so small that it was difficult to see with the naked eye. Yet if the soil of our hearts is good, we know that the reality of heaven is already there, within us.

Not only is the tiny seed that was once planted in our hearts growing daily as we feed it, value it, nurture it – it will one day grow into the largest of garden plants, and the birds of the air will be able to perch on its branches. In other words, others around us will come to receive from what we have been given. We will be their shade in times of heat; we will become a place of refuge for the weary, to sustain them and to see to it that they too receive the tiny seed of the news of the unfolding kingdom.

That’s the message of the kingdom of heaven that Jesus brought to us. He brought that message and raised up disciples to go tell that message to the nations. The message is one of grace and mercy. The message is good news – God who was once afar, has come near. In this, God has become father. Heaven, the place where he dwells, has entered our hearts, and the reality of that wonderful news, grows within us every single day of our lives.

Today, as you dwell on this mystery, focus once again on the seed that was once planted within you. Gently dig around it to protect it from the enemies of your faith. Remove the stones, clear the area of thorns, and mark out that area for growth. Rejoice greatly that the divide between you and God has been ripped apart through Jesus, who gave you access into the very courts of heaven, right now.

May the knowledge of this revelation increase daily and become a living reality.

My Daily Agreement

It’s God’s desire that I lead a humble life that is healthy, simple, uncluttered from the hurts of the past, unhindered from sin, disentangled from people and things, free from selfish ambition, free from anxiety and stress – following Jesus, loving and being loved – and filled with his grace and kindness – excited at the thought of the future.