Greetings!

Matthew 13:31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field,

Matthew 13:32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."

The mustard seed mentioned here probably isn't the mustard plant from which we derive mustard. Instead it is likely from a tree with the botanical name " Salvadora persica" or more commonly known as the Mustard tree.

This is a tree that grows best in hot arid climates. Its seed indeed is small being enclosed in a small red berry. It spreads out fully and its abundant shade and sweet juicy berries make it a favorite of birds. Another attribute of the tree is that it grows very slowly but once it is established it is very drought resistant.

Have we ever considered the truth of this parable? The kingdom of heaven, or the kingdom of God, started off small. It started with the Lord Jesus Christ establishing his church. The church, like the tree, grows slowly. Right now there are just a few birds in the tree.

However the tree is not destined to remain small. It is destined to grow large and broad and tall and culminating with the establishment of God's kingdom on the earth and then into eternity. It will eventually bring shade and comfort to all!

This parable can also be a parable about our faith. Our faith starts off small. When we're new to the faith problems can easily beset us and we can become easily frustrated. But when our faith increases problems become less as we rely on our great God to feed, sustain and shade us from adverse conditions.

Take care and see you soon!

Doug