Monday 27 July 2026

Matthew 13:31-35

Jesus put a parable before the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the biggest shrub of all and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and shelter in its branches.’

We totally miss the scandal of likening the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard shrub because we are separated by geography and time. But the scandal of it all is what preaches the most for me. See the kingdom of God was always likened to a Lebanon Cedar. It is great, majestic and rare. The Lebanon Cedar has stature. Jesus picks the most common even annoying shrub that grows everywhere and makes it a symbol of this holy great kingdom of God.

He is telling his disciples and us that God grows or is comfortable everywhere. In other words, God has broad shoulders and can house all kinds. You know I have said jokingly that if King David is in heaven given all the shenanigans he pulled, you may want to relax a little.