“The Mustard Seed”
Mark 4:31-32

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Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
Third Sunday after Pentecost—June 14, 2015

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

It is often said that a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.  Jesus spoke in parables in order to get the attention of the people and communicate his message in such a way that they would understand it and remember it.  It’s the same reason preachers today use sermon illustrations.

The best illustrations are those that relate to the everyday lives of the people you’re talking to.  That is why Jesus so often uses parables of an agricultural nature, including the Parable of the Sower; the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard; the Parable of the Weeds in the Wheat; the Parable of the Lost Sheep; and, of course, our text from today’s Gospel reading: The Parable of the Mustard Seed.

“Again he said, ‘What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?  It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.  Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.’”

In a few weeks the wheat harvest will be starting in McPherson County, where I grew up.  Though I was raised in town, some of my fondest childhood memories are summers out on my uncles’ farms, helping with the harvest.  For those of us in a rural, agricultural community, it is easy to relate to the earthly story of this parable.  We are not like the exchange student from Japan who stayed with some of my parishioners in Indiana.  In Japan, he lived in such a large, crowded, industrial city, where space was at such a premium, that he said they had no yards or parks, and he had hardly ever in his life seen any kind of plant, grass, or trees actually growing outdoors.  But, we live and work with growing plants every day.  We know what happens when you plant a seed.  We watch each year the cycle of crops being sown, sprouting, growing, maturing, and being harvested.

That is exactly the earthly story of this parable: The tiny mustard seed grows into a large plant.  That is the earthly story, but what is the heavenly meaning of “The Mustard Seed”?  Jesus is telling us that even the tiniest spiritual seeds which we plant will bear fruit.  He is encouraging us not to give up, not to despair, but to keep on planting spiritual seeds for the kingdom of God. 

It’s very disappointing for us not to see any results from the seeds we have planted.  When I plant flowers each year, some quickly begin to sprout and grow, but others die out, or just don’t do much.  We’re really pleased when something grows and does well for us, but we’re disappointed and impatient when something doesn’t.  It’s the same way with the spiritual seeds that you and I plant.  We’re disappointed when we don’t see results.

“Again he said, ‘What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?  It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.  Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.’”

Keep on planting spiritual seeds for the kingdom of God.  First of all, plant the seeds of faith in your own heart and life.  Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of the world.  All your sins are forgiven on his account; he has made you right with God.  Trust in him as your Savior, and keep on planting in your own heart and life spiritual seeds for the kingdom of God. 

Here in worship today, a seed is being planted in you; when you study God’s Word, a seed is being planted in you; when you receive Christ’s body and blood in the Lord’s Supper, a seed is being planted in you; when you come to the Lord in prayer, a seed is being planted in you.  Even though you may not see or feel the results immediately, yet these seeds will bear fruit in your life.  But, remember, the first rule of farming:  You can’t have a harvest if you don’t plant the seeds.  Plant the spiritual seeds of faith in your own heart and life.

And plant the spiritual seeds of faith in the hearts and lives of those around you.  When you invite relatives and friends and neighbors to join you in worship, you are planting a seed.  Every time you witness to Jesus, in both word and deed, you are planting a seed.  When you reach out to help those who are troubled and hurting, you are planting a seed.  When you show kindness, compassion, Christian love, you are planting a seed.  When you give of your time to serve the Lord, you are planting a seed.  When you contribute financially to the work of the Lord, you are planting a seed.  When you pray for others, you are planting a seed.

As we observe Father’s Day next Sunday, it’s important to remind ourselves that THE number one thing you as a father or mother can do for your children is to plant the seeds of faith in Christ in their hearts and lives.  As Paul says, “Bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”  Plant the seeds of faith in your children, by bringing them to receive the Sacrament of Holy Baptism; by worshipping with your children here in God’s house; by bringing your children to Sunday School, Confirmation class, Youth Group; by praying for your children and praying with your children; by setting for your children in your own life an example of faithfulness, to them and to your Savior.

Paul says in 1st Corinthians, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God gave the increase.”  It can be very frustrating when we don’t see any fruit from the spiritual seeds we have planted.  Sometimes we may become disheartened and feel like giving up because we don’t see any results.

But, even if we don’t see it, we trust that, like the mustard seed, God will give the increase, God will make the spiritual seeds we plant sprout and grow and bear fruit in our hearts and lives, and in the hearts and lives of those around us. 

Paul says in today’s Epistle Reading, “We live by faith not by sight.”  Even when you don’t see the results, even though you don’t reap the harvest, trust that God will give the increase, and keep on planting those spiritual seeds for the kingdom of God, in your own heart, in the hearts and lives of those around you, in the hearts and lives of your children.

“Again he said, ‘What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?  It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.  Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.’”

Amen.