HOST: Michael Whitworth
He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
Of all the herbs common to first-century Palestine, the mustard seed was the smallest. But along the banks of the Sea of Galilee, the plant that came from that tiny seed could grow to be ten to fifteen feet tall, with branches rigid enough for birds to nest in. Jesus uses this image, so well-known to His listeners, to describe the kingdom of heaven. That kingdom, He says, though it will begin very small, will grow to be very large and expansive. Just as Jesus prophesied, His church started very small with just a few individuals. But as the word of God was planted in the hearts of men, the church grew and expanded quickly so that, before the end of the first century, it had spread all over the world (Acts 17:6; Colossians 1:5-6). Through the centuries, the Lord’s church has continued to exist, often enduring persecution from without and apostasy from within, yet continually working to serve God faithfully and to plant the seed of the Word of God into the hearts of men. The church, the body and bride of Christ, purchased and paid for with His blood, was and continues to be the glorious kingdom of heaven and a wonderful blessing to all who enter it through Christ.
Why is it important to God that the church continue to grow?
Don’t forget to pray and have a great day!
