“The Mustard Seed and the
Mulberry Tree”
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen. Our text is two little parables Jesus tells in today’s Gospel Reading,
“The Mustard Seed and the Mulberry Tree”: “If you have faith as small as a
mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the
sea,’ and it will obey you.” There is an Oriental legend about a boy who challenged his teacher to
prove the existence of God by performing a miracle. The teacher took a
large pot of soil, put in it an apple seed and then told the boy to watch
closely. Suddenly, a little green shoot appeared, the shoot shot up and
became a stem, the stem put out leaves and branches, and soon the whole room was
filled. Blossoms and buds appeared and formed into fruit, and soon the
tree was heavy with apples and they were falling off onto the floor. In
just a few minutes the little seed had become an apple tree laden with delicious
fruit. The boy picked up one of the apples and said, “Now I know that there is
a God, for I have seen his power.” To which the teacher replied, “Do you
only now believe? Does not what you have just seen take place all through
nature, over and over again, year after year, only by a slower process?
But, is it any less marvelous just because it is slower?” Too often we are like that boy, oblivious to God’s everyday miracles.
Every time a seed germinates, it is really a miracle. For, a seed is an
inanimate object, and yet from it comes life—a miracle which we take for
granted, but which is repeated millions of times every day. The seed in the parable represents us, in our natural spiritual state.
As Paul says in Ephesians, “As for you, you were DEAD in your trespasses and
sins.” You could never do anything to save yourself because by nature you
are spiritually dead. Like the seed in the parable you are spiritually
inanimate. But, Paul goes on to explain that just as God miraculously gives life
to an inanimate seed, “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in
mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is
by grace you have been saved.” So, the imagery of an inanimate seed in this parable emphasizes that
your spiritual rebirth, your new life in Christ, is a miracle, completely the
work of God alone. As Paul concludes in Ephesians, “For it is by grace you
have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of
God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed.” There are more
than 100 plants mentioned in the Bible. Jesus could have used for this
parable the pomegranate, which is filled with large seeds, or the grape, or many
other plants. In another, similar parable, he tells us WHY he chose the
mustard seed: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. It is the
smallest of all seeds you plant in the ground, yet when planted, it grows and
becomes the largest of all garden plants.” So, in both these parables, Jesus chose the mustard seed for his
illustration BECAUSE, “It is the smallest of all seeds.” But, what’s that
mean? What is the significance of the small size of the mustard seed? People sometimes worry that their faith is not strong enough. As
someone once told me, “Pastor, I’m like that man in the Bible who said, ‘Lord, I
believe—but help my unbelief!’” The late Mother Theresa is considered by
many a pillar of faith, but “Time” magazine recently reported letters in which
she too expressed doubts. Movie reviewer Roger Ebert complained about the
movie “Luther” several years ago: “I anticipated that Luther . . . would be an
inspiring figure, filled with the power of his convictions. . . I doubt if he
was much like the uncertain, tremulous figure in [this movie]. . . weak,
neurotic, filled with self-doubt.” Yet, that was indeed an historically
accurate portrayal of the great reformer. At times we all have doubts and questions, and we may worry: Can such a
weak, trembling faith save us? THAT is why for this parable Jesus chose
the mustard seed, “the smallest of all seeds,” specifically to assure us that
even the smallest, weakest faith in him is still saving faith. For, Jesus
doesn’t say, “If you have faith as big as a mountain,” or even as large as a
pomegranate or grape seed, but, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed.” You see, it isn’t the size of faith that’s important, but rather the
object of faith. Many followers of false religions and false gods have an
extremely fanatical faith. But, to have a great faith in the wrong thing
won’t do you any good, and in fact will only lead you to doom. Paul puts
it this way in Galatians, “It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is
good.” On the other hand, in the parable of the Mustard Seed, Jesus
assures us that even a weak faith in him is still saving faith, because he, the
object of faith, has the power to save. “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this
mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” The second little parable about the mulberry tree is a clever twist by
our Lord on a familiar theme from the Old Testament. Psalm 1 says that the
person who trusts in God, “Is like a tree planted by streams of water.”
Psalm 92 says, “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow
like a cedar of Lebanon.” Jeremiah says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in
the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by
the water that sends out its roots by the stream.” But, the surprising twist in Jesus’ parable is that the mulberry tree
isn’t planted by a stream of fresh water, but “in the sea.” The meaning in
this parable is found not in the seemingly miraculous movement of the tree, but
the miracle of WHERE it is planted, “in the sea.” Unlike the trees flourishing by streams of fresh water spoken of so
often in the Old Testament, in this parable the salt water of the sea should, of
course, KILL the mulberry tree. And that’s the point of this little
parable. The improbable picture Jesus paints of a mulberry tree growing in
the sea symbolizes the strength that faith gives us even in adversity. The troubles and struggles and problems you face in this life are like
the corrosive sea in the parable, lapping all around, but yet not killing the
mulberry tree. Jesus warned his disciples at the Last Supper, “In this
world you will have trouble.” But, immediately he assured them, “But, take
heart! I have overcome the world.” Paul says in Philippians, “I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me.” When you face troubles and struggles and problems all
around, imagine yourself like that mulberry tree, with the stinging, corrosive
saltwater lapping all around, but still thriving. As Paul says in Romans, “And we know that God works all things together
for the good of those who love him. . . If God is for us, who can be
against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us
all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who
justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that,
who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for
us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or
hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . .
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of
God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus says, “I am the Vine, you are the branches. If a man
remains in me he will bear much fruit.” When you feel like a corrosive sea
of troubles and struggles and problems lapping all around you, gain power and
strength from the Vine by tapping into the living waters of his Word and
Sacraments and prayer. In Philippians, Paul describes the strength that faith gives us even in
adversity as, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.”
That’s the meaning of the improbable picture Jesus paints of a mulberry tree
growing in the sea. Paul puts it this way in 2 Corinthians: “We are hard
pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not in despair;
persecuted, yet not aban—ed; struck down, yet not destroyed.” “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed.” With the image of
the Mustard Seed, Jesus assures you that even a weak faith in HIM is still
saving faith. “You can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the
sea,’ and it will obey you.” With the improbable picture of a mulberry
tree growing in the sea, Jesus assures you that even in adversity he will give
you strength to flourish like a tree planted by streams of living water. Return to Top | Return to Sermons | Home | Email Church Office
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