Small Beginnings and Unexpected Destinations of Abundance
October 20, 2024 Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost
Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church
Mark 4:30-32
“Small Beginnings and Unexpected Destinations of Abundance”
Douglas T. King
“One summer I wrestled a bear in these woods.” I looked up from the wood I was stacking. The pronouncement had come from the tall elderly gentleman standing beside me named Dave. Was he serious? Was he having some fun at the expense of this city slicker in the midst of his land in rural Maine? Was he actually a bear wrestler? Back in the day when I did youth ministry we would take the kids on a mission trip to Maine each year and Dave would organize all of the projects we would do. We would paint churches, chop wood for the winter, and build wheelchair ramps for people’s homes.
Dave loved to tell his tales, some of them were, let us say, a little tall. When I looked up Dave had a twinkle in his eye. He proceeded to give me a quick wink. Yep, he was just messing with a naïve city boy.
We have all had the experience of speaking with someone and they say something and you are not quite sure if they are just having a little fun with you or not. Then you look in their eyes and you spot a hint of mischief and you know they are pulling your leg.
Well it is entirely likely that Jesus is having a little fun with us this morning with this parable of the mustard seed. It is a good bet that he has a little twinkle in his eye. Context will reveal why. In the book of the prophet Ezekial Yahweh takes a sprig from a cedar tree and plants it atop a mountain. From that tiny sprig a mighty and majestic tree will grow forth. Cedar trees can grow to over one hundred feet tall. In Ezekial it says “Under it every kind of bird will live; in the shade of its branches will nest winged creatures of every kind.” Tom Long points out in the book of Daniel Babylon is described as “a tree standing majestically at the center of the earth, with a top that reached to heaven, a tree that was visible to the ends of the earth, abundant enough that ‘the birds of the air nested in its branches, and from it all living beings were fed’ (Dan. 4:10-12)”(Long, p. 153)
Sound familiar? Of course. We just heard of birds making a nest in its shade. But Jesus does not offer us a towering and majestic tree. We are offered a shrub. Perhaps the greatest of all shrubs but a shrub nonetheless. Majestic trees were used as metaphors for mighty kingdoms. Jesus gives us this head scratching alternative. Surely the kingdom of heaven is the greatest of all the kingdoms. Surely, he is telling us of how the tiniest seed will grow into the largest tree. All the birds will make their nests in its branches. But what we get is a shrub. Even onomatopoetically it is a bit of a letdown at first hearing. The word “tree” is elegant and majestic as those hard “e” vowels ring out as if they are raising up into the stratosphere. Tree. Shrub, on the other hand, ends with a “b” that is more likely to have me looking down at the ground then up into the sky. Shrub.
So what gives? To speak colloquially, why is Jesus messin’ with us? Well, it is the nature of parables to upend our expectations and in the midst of our confusion invite us into a deeper understanding.
We expect the kingdom of God to be one of abundance. Now, we might be surprised to learn that the kingdom of God starts from the smallest of things, a tiny mustard seed. Turning around and finding a great big stately tree towering over us as the result of that little seed gives us something to think about. But seeing the kingdom of God as a successful venture we recognize, in this case in the metaphor of a large empire of this world, would not be all that surprising.
But a shrub? A shrub? Yes, the greatest of all shrubs, but still a shrub. Nobody saw this coming. A shrub is not a symbol of grandeur. A shrub does not shout transcendence. I have never gazed upon a shrub and had my thoughts turn to the immense glory of God.
Guess what, Jesus has that twinkle in his eyes. He is wrestling bears. The kingdom of God may not look exactly like we think it will look. Jesus is telling us it will grow out of the smallest of things but do not jump to the conclusion that it will then demonstrate itself in some predictable, large, technicolor, Cecil B. DeMille scale demonstration. We might just need to stop lifting our eyes to scan the highest heavens for the kingdom and lower our gaze a little closer to the ground we walk upon.
What should not be lost in the surprise arrival of the shrub kingdom is what it provides. All the birds of the air indeed make a nest in its shade. Creation indeed finds a safe harbor and home in its branches. The kingdom may not present itself to us in the manner in which we imagine it should. Nonetheless, the kingdom is a haven for us where we are enveloped in God’s loving care.
As Ed has told you this is the kick-off to our stewardship campaign. Stewardship, in its deepest sense, is an understanding that all that we are and all that we have is a gift from God. We are the stewards of all of these gifts and asked by the divine to use them and care for them wisely. Stewardship is a spiritual discipline, inviting us into closer relationship with God, as we tangibly acknowledge that all things belong to God.
So what do shrubs have to teach us about stewardship? In the case of our campaign, it is that there is no single person that is not remarkably significant to our efforts. It can be easy to believe that what any single one of us does is not all that critical to how we seek to grow as a congregation; to our efforts to participate in God’s kingdom; to our growth as followers of Jesus Christ. How does my decision to pledge or to raise my pledge do anything to affect the growth of the church; to affect my spiritual journey? Seeds and surprises my friend, seeds and surprises.
We are not always privy to how our individual efforts, whatever size they may be, shape the growth of the church, the growth of God’s kingdom. But this parable lets us know that each of our individual efforts will bear much fruit in growing the kingdom among us and within us, perhaps in surprising ways. Everyone’s pledge and everyone’s decision to raise their pledge is an opportunity for God to be at work in growing us into being whom we were created to be.
The addendum to this is, don’t expect to be all that good at prognosticating what God’s kingdom will look like as it unfolds in our midst. That is the thing about the growth God provides, it will inevitably surprise us. But even as Jesus’ twinkling eye is winking at us, tall tree or surprising shrub, all find shelter under the canopy of God’s kingdom.
On some Sundays we have towering, bright flower arrangements. Frankly, I live in fear of knocking them over with my ever-flailing arm motions in the pulpit. Today we have our two lovely lemon trees that have been generously donated to the church. They are not towering. They are not flashy. But this year as we continue with our program year theme of growth, we will watch them grow. We will watch them bear fruit. We will be reminded of God at work providing growth.
As each of us is considering our pledge for this year, we should not for a moment believe that this decision is an insignificant one. From the tiniest of seeds the most remarkable growth will be born. We have been trained by life to trust in reasonable expectations. But this parable teaches us that God is ever ready to surprise us. The kingdom can grow and unfold before us in ways we have not yet begun to imagine. Shrubs can shelter all the birds of the air. Our individual pledges can help us grow into a place where God’s kingdom reigns and provides for all.
Yes, Jesus is having a little fun with us in this parable of the mustard seed. He wants to capture our attention. Hey, open your eyes. God’s kingdom is going to be born beginning in the smallest of ways. God’s kingdom will shelter us one and all. God’s kingdom will blossom in ways we cannot begin to imagine.
Let’s respond to that twinkle in Jesus’ eye with one of our own as we discern how we can contribute to all that is to come.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Long, Tom, Matthew, Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville
1997.
Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church
Mark 4:30-32
“Small Beginnings and Unexpected Destinations of Abundance”
Douglas T. King
“One summer I wrestled a bear in these woods.” I looked up from the wood I was stacking. The pronouncement had come from the tall elderly gentleman standing beside me named Dave. Was he serious? Was he having some fun at the expense of this city slicker in the midst of his land in rural Maine? Was he actually a bear wrestler? Back in the day when I did youth ministry we would take the kids on a mission trip to Maine each year and Dave would organize all of the projects we would do. We would paint churches, chop wood for the winter, and build wheelchair ramps for people’s homes.
Dave loved to tell his tales, some of them were, let us say, a little tall. When I looked up Dave had a twinkle in his eye. He proceeded to give me a quick wink. Yep, he was just messing with a naïve city boy.
We have all had the experience of speaking with someone and they say something and you are not quite sure if they are just having a little fun with you or not. Then you look in their eyes and you spot a hint of mischief and you know they are pulling your leg.
Well it is entirely likely that Jesus is having a little fun with us this morning with this parable of the mustard seed. It is a good bet that he has a little twinkle in his eye. Context will reveal why. In the book of the prophet Ezekial Yahweh takes a sprig from a cedar tree and plants it atop a mountain. From that tiny sprig a mighty and majestic tree will grow forth. Cedar trees can grow to over one hundred feet tall. In Ezekial it says “Under it every kind of bird will live; in the shade of its branches will nest winged creatures of every kind.” Tom Long points out in the book of Daniel Babylon is described as “a tree standing majestically at the center of the earth, with a top that reached to heaven, a tree that was visible to the ends of the earth, abundant enough that ‘the birds of the air nested in its branches, and from it all living beings were fed’ (Dan. 4:10-12)”(Long, p. 153)
Sound familiar? Of course. We just heard of birds making a nest in its shade. But Jesus does not offer us a towering and majestic tree. We are offered a shrub. Perhaps the greatest of all shrubs but a shrub nonetheless. Majestic trees were used as metaphors for mighty kingdoms. Jesus gives us this head scratching alternative. Surely the kingdom of heaven is the greatest of all the kingdoms. Surely, he is telling us of how the tiniest seed will grow into the largest tree. All the birds will make their nests in its branches. But what we get is a shrub. Even onomatopoetically it is a bit of a letdown at first hearing. The word “tree” is elegant and majestic as those hard “e” vowels ring out as if they are raising up into the stratosphere. Tree. Shrub, on the other hand, ends with a “b” that is more likely to have me looking down at the ground then up into the sky. Shrub.
So what gives? To speak colloquially, why is Jesus messin’ with us? Well, it is the nature of parables to upend our expectations and in the midst of our confusion invite us into a deeper understanding.
We expect the kingdom of God to be one of abundance. Now, we might be surprised to learn that the kingdom of God starts from the smallest of things, a tiny mustard seed. Turning around and finding a great big stately tree towering over us as the result of that little seed gives us something to think about. But seeing the kingdom of God as a successful venture we recognize, in this case in the metaphor of a large empire of this world, would not be all that surprising.
But a shrub? A shrub? Yes, the greatest of all shrubs, but still a shrub. Nobody saw this coming. A shrub is not a symbol of grandeur. A shrub does not shout transcendence. I have never gazed upon a shrub and had my thoughts turn to the immense glory of God.
Guess what, Jesus has that twinkle in his eyes. He is wrestling bears. The kingdom of God may not look exactly like we think it will look. Jesus is telling us it will grow out of the smallest of things but do not jump to the conclusion that it will then demonstrate itself in some predictable, large, technicolor, Cecil B. DeMille scale demonstration. We might just need to stop lifting our eyes to scan the highest heavens for the kingdom and lower our gaze a little closer to the ground we walk upon.
What should not be lost in the surprise arrival of the shrub kingdom is what it provides. All the birds of the air indeed make a nest in its shade. Creation indeed finds a safe harbor and home in its branches. The kingdom may not present itself to us in the manner in which we imagine it should. Nonetheless, the kingdom is a haven for us where we are enveloped in God’s loving care.
As Ed has told you this is the kick-off to our stewardship campaign. Stewardship, in its deepest sense, is an understanding that all that we are and all that we have is a gift from God. We are the stewards of all of these gifts and asked by the divine to use them and care for them wisely. Stewardship is a spiritual discipline, inviting us into closer relationship with God, as we tangibly acknowledge that all things belong to God.
So what do shrubs have to teach us about stewardship? In the case of our campaign, it is that there is no single person that is not remarkably significant to our efforts. It can be easy to believe that what any single one of us does is not all that critical to how we seek to grow as a congregation; to our efforts to participate in God’s kingdom; to our growth as followers of Jesus Christ. How does my decision to pledge or to raise my pledge do anything to affect the growth of the church; to affect my spiritual journey? Seeds and surprises my friend, seeds and surprises.
We are not always privy to how our individual efforts, whatever size they may be, shape the growth of the church, the growth of God’s kingdom. But this parable lets us know that each of our individual efforts will bear much fruit in growing the kingdom among us and within us, perhaps in surprising ways. Everyone’s pledge and everyone’s decision to raise their pledge is an opportunity for God to be at work in growing us into being whom we were created to be.
The addendum to this is, don’t expect to be all that good at prognosticating what God’s kingdom will look like as it unfolds in our midst. That is the thing about the growth God provides, it will inevitably surprise us. But even as Jesus’ twinkling eye is winking at us, tall tree or surprising shrub, all find shelter under the canopy of God’s kingdom.
On some Sundays we have towering, bright flower arrangements. Frankly, I live in fear of knocking them over with my ever-flailing arm motions in the pulpit. Today we have our two lovely lemon trees that have been generously donated to the church. They are not towering. They are not flashy. But this year as we continue with our program year theme of growth, we will watch them grow. We will watch them bear fruit. We will be reminded of God at work providing growth.
As each of us is considering our pledge for this year, we should not for a moment believe that this decision is an insignificant one. From the tiniest of seeds the most remarkable growth will be born. We have been trained by life to trust in reasonable expectations. But this parable teaches us that God is ever ready to surprise us. The kingdom can grow and unfold before us in ways we have not yet begun to imagine. Shrubs can shelter all the birds of the air. Our individual pledges can help us grow into a place where God’s kingdom reigns and provides for all.
Yes, Jesus is having a little fun with us in this parable of the mustard seed. He wants to capture our attention. Hey, open your eyes. God’s kingdom is going to be born beginning in the smallest of ways. God’s kingdom will shelter us one and all. God’s kingdom will blossom in ways we cannot begin to imagine.
Let’s respond to that twinkle in Jesus’ eye with one of our own as we discern how we can contribute to all that is to come.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Long, Tom, Matthew, Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville
1997.
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