The Mustard Seed
The kingdom of heaven is like a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large tree where birds can nest. Great things start small.
Jesus 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.'
The mustard seed was proverbially the smallest seed known to Jewish farmers of that time. Yet from this tiny beginning, a plant could grow ten to twelve feet tall—large enough for birds to nest in its branches.
Jesus was speaking to a small group of followers in an obscure corner of the Roman Empire. The religious establishment rejected Him. The world took no notice. Yet this tiny beginning would grow into something that would reshape human history.
The parable encourages those who feel their work for God is small and insignificant. A Sunday school teacher faithfully teaching children. A parent modeling faith at home. A believer sharing the gospel with one person. These may seem like mustard seeds—but God grows them into something beyond imagination.
Do not despise the day of small beginnings. The kingdom of God starts tiny but becomes a shelter for many.