I love that Jesus used parables to teach Kingdom truth. It resonates with the artist in me. Parables give truth room to breathe...they aren't linear and literal, but artistic and abstract.
The parable of the mustard seed found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke (and Thomas for any Catholics out there) has been on my mind lately. Here is Luke's telling from 13:18 - 19 (NRSV):
"He said therefore, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches."
Loads of meaning here...
- start small - ends big
- grows beyond its limits and provides shelter for the birds
- it was intentionally planted in a garden" (that is crazy given it was a weed)
- counter intuitive given the "cedar of lebanon" image used in the OT
- hearkens back to Daniel and Ezekiel imagery regarding the coming kingdom of God
Here is what kicks my buttocks...and why I love this parable so much:
- Mustard seeds were outlawed by the religious institution of the day. This can be found in the Torah, Mishnah, and other traditions (both oral and written) dating back to Pharisaic times.
- They were outlawed largely because they were out-of-control weeds that would overtake a crop becoming 10 - 15 foot weed-shrubs.
- The people hearing Jesus were mostly agrarian and good "law abiding" folk - they understood this stuff.
- The weed grows to provide shelter for the birds...which most farmers didn't love...since they ate their seed and crops!!
So here you have Jesus, the rabbi of all rabbis, likening God's Kingdom (aka - the Kingdom of Heaven) to a small seed which grows into a weed and overtakes the garden it has been planted in...ultimately providing shelter for the birds, which were not considered friends since they ate the crops and seeds.
This is radical stuff baby! Jesus was essentially turning the established house upside down with this parable.
I am left feeling excited...and unsettled. I like gardens. I like things controlled and predictable....safe and secure. And yet...here is Jesus saying that the Kingdom He is bringing will uproot our gardens...and provide shelter for the people we consider problematic to our garden.
I'm curious....do hear this as good news...or....?
