Mark 4:30-34
I think most of us are familiar with the parable of the mustard seed. If you have that small amount of faith, you can bloom. I have wondered what Jesus would use for a comparison in this day and age…an atom, a neutron, a nano-machine. I don’t know. I have also wondered whether the story of the mustard seed was used in any other religions and cultures and how it was used. I found the following in Wikipedia:
Cultural references
In the Parable of the Mustard Seed, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed. Although having some of the smallest seeds, the mustard plant grows to a large size, providing shelter for birds: Mark 4:31-32. The story has been interpreted to mean that grand things can grow from tiny actions.
Inspired by this parable, aristocrat Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf founded the Order of the Mustard Seed in Germany in 1715. [2] The aims of the order were to be true to Christ, kind to all people and to spread news of the Gospel to the world.
Buddha also told the story of the grieving mother and the mustard seed. When a mother loses her only son, she takes his body to the Buddha to find a cure. The Buddha asks her to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a family that has never lost a child, husband, parent or friend. When the mother is unable to find such a house in her village, she realizes that death is common to all, and she cannot be selfish in her grief. [3]
In the Quran, God states that the scales of justice will be established on the Day of Judgment, and no soul will suffer the least injustice. Even the equivalent of a mustard seed will be accounted for. God is the most efficient reckoner [4]
Wherever we are, we need to plant our “mustard seed” and nurture it until we realize the Kingdom of God.
Carol
Bible Breath: Kingdom of God / In our grasp
