Matthew 13:31 Yeshua put before them another parable. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed which a man takes and sows in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows up it is larger than any garden plant and becomes a tree, so that the birds flying about come and nest in its branches.”
Mark 4:30 Yeshua also said, “With what can we compare the Kingdom of God? What illustration should we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when planted, is the smallest of all the seeds in the field; 32 but after it has been planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all the plants, with such big branches that the birds flying about can build nests in its shade.”
Luke 13:18 So he went on to say, “What is the Kingdom of God like? With what will we compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his own garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds flying about nested in its branches.”
Look closely at the seed above.
Within that seed lies all the information needed for that tiny little thing to become a fully grown tree. The trunk, bark, branches, leaves -- all wrapped up in that tiny speck. A tree that grows taller and taller each year, and produces more flowers and more fruit every year like clockwork. A tree that carries the seeds that can then be planted for all of time. Seeds with all of the same information bottled up inside each and every one. Seeds that will continue to produce for generations -- in fact, for all Eternity.
Lastly, the tree is a beautiful feature in your field. And every tree is unique. Different trunks sizes, different branch placement, and different number of leaves. But despite no two trees looking the exact same, they all resemble the Original Mustard Tree. It is no mistake that every tree is of the same type and anyone that looks upon one of these trees knows exactly what to expect during the harvest.
The purpose of the tree is not just so it can make more trees. It also provides shade and protection from predators. Birds find their way into the branches and they find these branches to be secure enough that the turbulent winds will not toss their nest and eggs to the ground. The leaves shed water so they stay mostly dry even in a torrential downpour. Not only does the tree carry within itself the seed to continue its legacy, but it also allows Abba’s creation to have refuge and continue its own trek towards Eternity.
The ground upon which the seed was planted is critical. Is it the hard ground of the walking path? Or the rocky ground, perhaps? Maybe it fell among the thorns? Or did it find good ground? Even then, is it ground that will produce 30-, 60- or 100-fold?
Let’s assume going forward, it fell upon good ground.
The soil is your will. It’s your willingness to receive the seed and let the roots expand and grow deep down within you. You don’t fight it. You let it all get disrupted because you realize there is a harvest coming someday soon.
As you begin the growth process, your roots must dig and dig and dig. Without them, you will topple over before you can even start to branch. If the soil is at least decent, you will pull the water and nutrients necessary for you to grow.
You must be rooted in His Word and His Ways. This is the only source of life.
Your core being, the trunk, is the centerpiece of your existence. This is what holds the branches high in the sky and allows the tree to be a tree. Interestingly enough, when people look upon a tree, they tend to focus on the leaves first and the trunk last. But all life flows through the trunk. The roots grab the water and nutrients then usher that provision up through the trunk into the branches.
The trunk is you. You are what is NOT seen when the tree has grown and is in full bloom. If you want the attention for yourself, you’ll be an odd looking trunk standing in the middle of the field with no branches. People will notice you but not how you’re expecting. They will look upon you in wonder and amazement -- that you aren’t really a tree. But if you grow correctly, you are what connects the roots with the branches.
The branches push out from the trunk into the open air. They start close in then begin their expansion out, seemingly suspended above ground. Life dwells among you.
Your branches are the areas in life where you have been granted reach. You must stay connected to the trunk or else that branch will wither, die, and fall off. The areas you reach into will be areas of influence and people will flock to you for protection.
The leaves that come are in and of themselves somewhat insignificant. Lose a leaf and the tree is still fine. But the collection of leaves provide shade and protection to all that is within your dripline. The leaves also receive the sunlight that fuels yet another miracle process: photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, carbon dioxide and water are taken in by the plant, and using the energy from sunlight, these molecules are converted into glucose and oxygen.
Your leaves are your words and actions. It is through the leaves that life is sustained through a miracle process. A conversion from something that brings death to something that brings life.
Finally, the seed that comes from the harvest is the culmination of this entire process. All of the sprouting, slow growing, branching, leafing, covering, protecting…it has ended up here. With others ready to take from you fruit that has both life for today and life for tomorrow all wrapped up in one beautiful thing. And you let it go because you know another harvest is coming again next year.
Your harvest is both the fruit and the seed. Some is used for eating today, some is used for eating over winter, and some seed is reserved for planting the following spring. You get the immediate pleasure in watching people be satisfied today, but it is in the long term that you really begin to see what you’ve done. When they root themselves and begin to produce on their own, that’s when you finally understand.
Are you still a seed? Or have you started to grow? If you have grown, where are you in the process? Small stalk with the start of branches? Or fully grown, reaching out above the land ready to produce a harvest?
If you’re still a seed, that’s ok. The interesting thing about seeds is that they can remain dormant for a very long time then go into the ground and sprout. Just be sure to prepare the ground FIRST.
And just because you started small does not mean you are to stay there.
When His Spirit comes to you everything you will ever need is there.
The Sower has planted His seed. So I suppose the next question is: What kind of ground has it fallen on?