Why does Jesus compare the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed? Have you ever wondered why He chose that particular seed? A parable is often described as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Let's take a deeper look at the meaning of the mustard seed.
"He 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.” Matthew 13:31-32
To understand what Jesus was saying, we have to look at what a 'mustard seed' would have meant to the people he was addressing. The mustard tree was a variety of herb that came from the smallest seeds at that time in Judea. If you were to look at the minute seed, you would not expect that anything that resembles a tree could possibly grow from it! However, this tiny seed could grow to be large enough that birds could sit in its branches and even make their homes there. It is said that it was greater than all the herbs. I don't know of many herbs like that, do you?
So, how is the Kingdom of Heaven like this small seed? The Gospel, too, started out very small and seemed weak and unimportant to most people. But, over time and with God's tending, it has grown and grown and is growing larger every day! Despite hardship and much persecution, God's Kingdom has grown even during the most trying times and will continue to flourish because nothing is greater than the truth of God's love and grace. Just like the mustard seed, God's Kingdom will grow beyond anyone's expectations of it!