# Today’s lecturer is the co-pastor Mizuguchi

1. The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

We are reading the Gospels by following the Bible education program and today’s lecturing portion is the parable of the kingdom of heaven by Matthew. The concerning passage is in chapter 13 which contains two groups of parables. The first one is about the weeds and today we reflect on the second. Tough both of two groups focus on the kingdom of heaven, Jesus took in the latter the seed as a metaphor of a stimulus to establishment of the Kingdom of heaven. Matthew reported, ; - He (Jesus) told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."(Matthew 13:31-32)

To begin with, we should understand clearly what ‘the Kingdom of heaven’ represents. Jesus didn’t indicate the place where humans go after the death. ‘The Kingdom of heaven’ is expressed as ‘the kingdom of God’ by Mark and Luke and both of two expressions means the place which is ruled by God. And Luke explains in 17:20-21 what the kingdom of God is like ; - Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” (see also Mark 4:30-32)

Mustard plant gives yellow and flared-bell formed flowers in early summer. Then, in autumn, flowers produce fruits filled with very tiny seeds. The seeds are about 1-3 mm in diameter, and colored from yellowish white to black. Though the size is very small, they become very large plants, even till 2-3 meters’ high. The fact shows that a mustard seed has incredible growing power. For that reason, Jesus chose it as a factor which stimulates establishment of the kingdom of God.

Many biblical scholars think that the parable alludes to the historical expansion of the church. As a matter of fact, followers of Jesus were very few in early days of the church. Nevertheless they increased strongly through out 2000 years to form one of the most influential religions of the world today. It might be natural to see an image of growing mustard seed in that historical fact.

However we don’t share the same understanding. Because Jesus should not have expected such growth of Christian community at his time. His flock were literally like mustard seeds, very small or almost invisible. In that era, Jewish people aspired to a messiah who could defeat Romans to make Israel independent. But Jesus rejected such an expectation. What he aimed is to plant seeds containing the Good News, which would save segregated persons, the poor, sinners and tax-collectors, for example. His ministry didn’t have a glorious aspect but it persists unceasingly, filled with hope.

And after his death, his disciples followed in footsteps of Jesus. That way, the power of the Good News was preserved and is becoming stronger and stronger. Our first purpose must not be the increase of church members. In stead, we only make efforts to spread the Good News by believing in the power of itself. I think that it is our mission given as the message of God.

After the mustard seed which symbolizes the power of the kingdom of God, ‘the yeast’ comes as a metaphor of nature of the kingdom of God. Jesus said ; - “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” (Matthew 13:33)

Peoples of the time saved before baking a portion of dough containing yeast in order to mixed it with plain dough for the next time. The portion with yeast makes the whole of new dough swell and tasty. However the parable doesn’t concern home baking because the ‘large quantity’ is Greek ‘3 satas’ in the original text (probably about 1/2 bushel). The quantity could feed more than 100 persons.

A large quantity of bread should suggest a banquet in the kingdom of God. Dough for bread is an allusion to the Good News which must be the foundation of the kingdom of God. Yeast contained in the dough signifies the disciples of Jesus who empowered the Good News. And I wish that our church members work like yeast, as Jesus’ followers, to progress expansion of the Good News to establish the kingdom of God.

* Mustard plant¡¡ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustard_plant

2. What the kingdom of heaven is like

“The kingdom of heaven” or “the kingdom of God” is the same as “your kingdom” in Lord’s Prayer. We also pray afterwards “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Both of two prayers represent our willingness to work as tools of God. The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast tell us that God sowed Jesus Christ as a seed in our heart. Though the seed was tiny at the beginning it has a miraculous power which changes our existence, then the entire world by spreading beyond us. Apparently it is still weak. Earthy activities are carried outside the church, everywhere, regardless of christian faith in God. Indeed, non-christians live by ignoring the secret of the kingdom of God.

But the secret was already revealed to us and the tiny seed grows to form a big tree. Branches of the tree will offer a place of haven to birds in the air. The yeast makes not only our hearts but also the entire world soft and flavorful. Meanwhile, yeast and seed die and disappear. It symbolizes what Jesus Christ did for us, the death on the Cross. He came to the earth and died to bear sins of all humans on the Cross, as seeds and yeast give life to trees or to soft and tasty bread .

Jesus said ; - I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.(John 12:24)

The kingdom of God will realize in each of us, thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus. In order to realize it, we receive at first baptism then join the church. Baptisement signifies that we die at the foot of the Cross to be newly born. Establishment of the kingdom of God in us starts that way. Then God’s ruling power spreads out of us to reach the goal. The result is still invisible now but we trust in it. We believe that God’s will be done on the earth through the power of a tiny seed and small portion of bread dough. That is the very faith in God.

3. With faith as small as a mustard seed

Today’s invocation verse is Matthew 17:20 ; - He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Jesus taught that faith as small as a mustard seed could make a mountain move. What encouraging words! But it that true that our church is already in the kingdom of heaven? If the kingdom of heaven is everywhere as God’s power rules over the world, the answer is yes. Because we are one of his flocks. But is our faith approach precisely and continuously to maturity thanks to the divine power like a mustard seed or yeast?

To reflect on the question we will see back the past of this church. When I was a student in theology, about 5 years ago, I was asked to serve here as an accompanist of hymns. At that time no player was here. Believers sang hymns being accompanied by a CD player. In contrast, we have now 5 accompanists. Furthermore, we also organized the choir. Church members who attend Sunday service was around 20 then whereas almost 40 persons are together today. In short, this church grew and is growing up like a mustard seed of the Kingdom of heaven.

Presently we have a new construction project of the building. Existing one had been built about 40 years ago and we have those days problem of rain leaking through the roof. And the building structure is not para-earthquake. So we are exposed to seismic dangers. Therefore we are planning it since 3 years ago. At the beginning, we had not enough money and did not know to whom we can trust to make blueprints and carry out construction work itself. The project started under such uncertain conditions. Meanwhile God accorded us Prof. Hata, an architect and he accepted to become the chief of the construction committee. Though meetings with him, we are approaching to its realization. And Prof. Hata is about to propose us at the next committee in June an almost definite blueprint. We are also raising fund not only through offerings but also in form of church bonds. We arrived to profit from monetary support of the Japan Baptist Union. Of course, we will have numerous difficulties before us, need of more money, for example. But, facing predicaments, we will never upset because we saw how the project progressed till now. It was like the growth of mustard seeds or yeast. Today, we are given the promise that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can make this mountain move.

The message from Jesus is that even a little faith like a mustard seed can grown up to become a large tree. And Jesus’ words, or the Good News, are like yeast which makes bread swell more than more. If we believe in it and make efforts, we will succeed to form the church based on the real faith. We are already experiencing it. Therefore we never lose the hope, regardless of the size of congregation or insufficiency of money. Because, as Jesus said, nothing will be impossible for us. Only thing we need is to believe in that promise. As long as we trust in Jesus’ words, we can be empowered hopefully to establish the church as the kingdom of heaven.