| He also said, ‘With what
can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will
we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when
sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds
on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes
the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’ With
many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they
were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except
in parables, but he explained everything in private to
his disciples. |
|
| Mark 4:30-32 |
| Yesterday started out as a nice day off. I worked in my
garden and mowed my yard. Next I went to get stamps at the
post office and wrote letters. Then in the afternoon I got
online to download some resources for a premarital counseling
session I have this afternoon and that was when my laptop went
ballistic. |
| Something happened that has never happened to me before.
My computer just wouldn’t reboot. After about four hours
of struggle I called it quits. My laptop was only going to
be resurrected by a professional—on Monday. I knew it
was not the end of the world, but my sermon and worship notes
for today, were lying within my frozen laptop. There is no
other way to put it, I got mad. It didn’t help that it
was about 88 degrees in my office at home. My laptop was hot;
I was hot. This was not my vision for my day off! |
| After some groans and “why me” bellyaching I
drove here to my trusty office computer and attempted to resurrect
what I could remember from the sermon I had written. |
| I realized last night that the letdown of what happens when
what you are expecting isn’t realized, could be a metaphor
for how the disciples must have felt upon hearing the Parable
of the Mustard Seed. |
| Now Jesus knew the stories and promises of God passed down
by his ancestors. One such story from Ezekiel went like this.
During the Babylonian exile God promised Israel that one day
a sprig from the lofty top of a cedar would be planted on a
high mountain. It would grow strong, bear fruit, and become
a “noble cedar.” Every bird, every winged creature
would be able to live in its branches and also in its shade.
From the noble cedar’s great growth all the other trees,
the other nations, would finally know that Israel’s God
was the Lord. The people of God would be low no more. They
would flourish like the noble cedar, high up and lofty, looking
out over the rest of the world. |
| Jesus must have known the story of the cedar! Yet he taught
his disciples this parable instead, “With what can we
compare the reign of God, or what parable will we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown
it grows up and becomes the greatest of all….shrubs.” The
reign of God a great shrub? The branches of this “shrub” aren’t
even strong enough to hold the weight of one bird of the air.
Instead they make their nests in its shade! |
| It is helpful to remember that Mark inserted a disclaimer
for the reader right after this parable. He tells us that even
Jesus’ closest disciples, the apostles, needed him to
explain the meaning of such parables to them in private. |
| What happened to the noble cedar? This is a parable about
God’s reign? What was Jesus thinking? |
| My first thought is that Jesus is simply being realistic
about God’s reign working through humans. Being a noble
cedar is lofty work—few are capable of. I find Jesus’ downsizing
of the way we participate in the coming reign of God encouraging.
After all if we are to be part of this reign a shrub sure fits
my efforts better than a noble cedar. |
| Or did he change the image for another reason? Not realism
about our small efforts of showing forth God’s reign,
but to illustrate another point? Maybe he remembered the story
of David’s anointing and how God set a path for a way
forward in that time and place. How the littlest brother, the
youngest, who wasn’t even brought in from shepherding
in the fields when Samuel told Jesse to bring all his sons
to him, was chosen to lead God’s people. Maybe Jesus
was reflecting his own experience of God’s movement in
him. After all Jesus’ way was one of strength shown through
weakness and reliance on God. |
| The people expected the promise of the noble cedar; that
God would pluck and plant and it would be obvious to all the
nations that Israel’s God reigned. Jesus offered a new
promise that God’s reign would unfold in a subversive
way that makes no sense to the worldly powers that be. Instead
of God instituting sweeping reform and God’s glory showing
through a mighty tree lording over other trees, the disciples
are now to be a part of the coming of God’s reign making
it known through the means of…the greatest shrub. |
| The reign of God comes as glory is seen in weakness, as
the oppressed overcome the oppressor and all people live and
thrive together for the common good! The reign of God does
not shine through of the hopes of this world—aspirations
of power, prestige and military might. Imagine giving a speech
of the glory of becoming a great shrub as a graduation address.
People would think the speaker was crazy. A glorious shrub—that
is aspiration to a “successful” life in our culture? |
| God’s reign does not replicate the kind of greatness
we are drawn to. Instead its power is manifest in weakness,
and its glory is shown as an unmerited gift is received and
transforms the life of the recipient. God’s rule does
not have to be sanctioned by the great and powerful in the
world. Most of the time it is in opposition to the interests
of the powerful! |
| During my time at Princeton Theological Seminary I learned
about a new global black-market; Sexual Slavery and Sex Tourism.
A petite, blond woman named Lisa came to PTS each year to enlist
support to end the flourishing business of this growing form
of modern day slavery. Lisa works for the Salvation Army as
their lobbyist to abolish global sex slavery. The Salvation
Army is probably the leading Christian organization on this
issue in the world. Lisa is their main voice. She educates
and connects people working to end sex slavery and lobbies
congress to pass legislation that will effect change. There
is little monetary or persuasive reward for those in power
in our country and around the world to tackle the atrocity
of sex slavery. It is more lucrative than selling drugs. Humans
can be used over and over, whereas drugs can only be used once.
After Lisa’s presentation a student asked, “Don’t
you get disillusioned, they have all this money, there is so
much corruption of police and governments that turn a blind
eye! How are we ever going to make a dent?” I’ll
never forget Lisa’s answer. She responded, “I cling
to the small stories of hope from women and children freed
from sexual enslavement. I focus on the small ways leaders
are beginning to resist turning a blind eye. I cling to my
hope, my faith, my belief that by following God all things
are made possible.” Then she said, “This is God’s
work we are doing! We have abundant resources because God is
with us. So if I have the support of one policeman in India
and the brothel has five bodyguards, I still must believe a
way will open up—God’s work has always been done
by the underdog.” The greatest shrub is manifest in Lisa’s
work and witness! In the biblical stories of the coming of
the reign of God the concept of worldly power is always turned
upside down. The powers that be are made impotent by the power
of God at work for the wholeness of the world. |
| There are plenty of stories of despair in the world, but
the gospel is filled with hope! Hope that the reign of God
can be shown forth as it breaks into the world with the subversive
power…of a great shrub. |
| This week I found that the Democrat and Chronicle showed
forth the greatness possible from a shrub view of the world
by dedicating a whole page to celebrate the achievements of
the Urban League’s Black scholar awards in Rochester.
This photomontage spoke truth to me. What a beautiful shrub-like
move made by our region’s paper. There were also stories
of student who went from the Harley School to serve in the
Missionaries of Charity Home for the dying in Calcutta. Oh—the
greatest shrub shining forth! There was a story of students
who learned lessons of tolerance for those who differ from
them by going on a March of Remembrance and Hope in Poland
with their professors from Nazareth and Hobart and William
Smith. The great shrub blooms again! Stories of hope press
us forward and onward to prune and grow new branches in our
own discipleship. |
| Even when fully grown the kingdom of God found in the greatest
of all shrubs will not appear very large when compared to a
Great Oak down Nations Road. Yet this parable suggests that
Jesus’ disciples can find the secret of the reign of
God in their present experience. God has already provided protection
for the faithful. Now Jesus invites us to construct our own
understanding of discipleship and to be a part of the growing
pattern of the greatest shrub as it busts and breaks apart
the forces of evil in the world and points instead to God doing
an ever new thing. |
| Amen |
| Beth E. Godfrey - June 18, 2006 |
| Central Presbyterian Church, Geneseo, New
York |
|
| Top |
