S-43-€/

THERE IS NOTHING QUITS SO WONDROUS AS A sxep/ WHEN WE OPENTHE PACKET AND SEZ THE

-_,

TINY LITTLE THINGS, WHEN WE TAKE 50 OF THE BETWEEN OUR THUMB AND FINGER TO PLACE

———

THEM IN THE GROUND WE CANNOT HELP BUT SHAKE OUR HEADS IN WONDER, FROM THIS INSIGNIFICANT

LITTLE PIECE OF ORGANIC MATTER WILL COME A RADISH, OR A cakor, / IT IS TRULY AMAZING.

HOMES BAKED BREAD IS RAPIDLY BECOMING A THING OF THE PAST, BUT WE STILL REMEMBER

FONDLY THE WONDER OF THE DOUGH RAISING AND EXPANDING, ALMOBT MAGICALLY.

ee

IN A SEED AND THE LEAVENING IN BREAD WE S&® THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SMALL: THE

SIGNIFICANCE OF cus*topEn. ON A LARGER SCALE IT IS THE S.ORY OF LIFE AND IN OUR SCRIPTURE

READING THIS MORNING WE SEE THAT JESUS INTENDED THIS LESSON TO APPLY TO THE CHRISTIAN

FAITH.
THE TWO PARABLES GO TOBETHER, THEY ILLUSTRiTE THE SAMB POINT. IN PARTICULAR THE

STORY_OF THE MUSTASD SEED HAS BECOME POPUULR DUE TO THE APPEARANCE OF SMALL BRACELETS

AND PINS CONTAINING THE LITTLE SEED. MUSTARD WAS CULTIVATED IN JESUS' DAY FOR BOTH

ITS VOGSTABLS AND ITS SEED. BECAUSE OF ITS BMALLNESS THE MUSTARD SEED BECAME THE

POPULAR IDIOM FOR ANYTHING DIMINUTIVE IN SIZE./ JUST AS WE) SAY, (‘uss JUST AS BIG
AS A MINU E"/THE ANCIENTS WOULD SAY SOMETHING LIK "HY SHE/'S NO BIGGER THAN A MUSTARD sam.)

IN THE CASE OF LEAVEN--BREAD WAS BAKED DAILY BY THE PALESTENIAN HOUS WIFE SOMETIMES

WITHOUT LEAVEN BUT MOSTLY WITH IT.

26

AND SO WHEN JESUS USED THESS PARABLES HE WAS SURE THA

T THEY WOULD BE UNDERSTOOD.
eeememene?

EVERYONE KNEW HOW LITTLE AND INSIGNIFICANT THE SEED OF TH MUSTARD TREE WAS, AND THEY

ALSO KNEW HOW IT GREW INTO A TREE OF TEN FEET, BIG ENOUGH

ITS BRANCHES. EVERYONE KNiW HOW BREAD CHANGED WHEN BAKED

RAISS) OF ITS OWN ACCORD.

FOR BIRDS TO SETTLE AMONGST

WITH LEAVEN, HOW IT MYSTERIOUSLY

ALTHOUGH THESE TWO PARABLES ARS RECORDED IN ONLY TRAE VERSES OF SCRIPTURE THELR

MESSAGE STRIKES DEEP AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS ARE VARIED. T

TO DEMONSTRATE MANY DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS. IT HAS S
‘Flere = las es
fal | = vel

SOME HAVE USED IT TO PROVE THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT BRANC

SO ON. IN THIS ITIS LIKE ALL OF JESUS PARABLES. THEY WE
B Y MEANS OF AN OBJECT OR ILLUSTRATION THAT HAD MEANING TO

4%
$, 900 YEARS AGO. /AS SUCH THE PARABLES ARE SOMETIMES VERY

HS MUSTARD SEED HAS BEEN USED

[GNIFIE) HOPE AND ASSURANCE
— —e

y
oer auger

:3 ON THE MUSTARD TR:E AND
2 USED TO MAKE A POINT,
EVERYONE, THEN #ND THERE

DIFFICULT FOR UST COMPRIHEND.

ff

ONS TING IS CLEAR HOWEVER, JESUS IS SAYING THAT TO BE IMPORTANT AND MEANINGFUL A

THING DOKS NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE BIG. SPECIFICALLY HE WAS TALKING TO HIS DISCIPLES

ABOUT THEIR NEW FAITH

jx WAS A PEASANT CARPENTER, THEY WE

AND YET TiS SHOULD NOT BE A POINT OF DESPAIR./ LIKE THE M
— es

———

HAD WITHIN THEM THE POWER AND THE EVERGY TO PROFOUNDLY INF}

THEY DID.

RE 12 MEA AMIDST & VAST EMPIRE.
JSTAR) SEED--AND THE LEAVEN, THEY

LUDENCE ALL OF MANKIND. / THAT

3.

THIS MORNING I WANT TO LOOK AT THIS DUAL PARABLE AS Ij

AND AGE THAT IS RADICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE IN WHICH

THAT THES PARABLE HAS MANY IMPLICATIONS I MAKE NO CLAIMS TO

I

INTERPRETATION IS BUT ONE _OF MANY POSSIBILITIES.

WE LIVE IN AN AGE THAT HAS GIVEN RISE TO THE "CULT OF

P RELATES TO US, IN A TIME
IT WAS METERED. RBALIZING
COVER THE WHOLE TERRITORY. MY

BIGNESS." IN A COUNTRY

THAT HAD VAST BXPANSES OF UNSETTLED LAND, A SEEMINGLY INEXJ

LUSTABLE SUPPLY OF NATURAL

RESOURCES, AND A SYSTEM THAT ENCOURAGED INVESTMENT, RESHAR(
HAS BESN THE NATURAL FERTILE VALLEY FOR BIGNESS AND IMMENS]

'

OUR HOMES AND AUTOMOBILES, OUR INDUSTRY AND EDUCATION SYSTI

THAT MAY TRULY BE MADE ADOUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IT IS THA

i

fH AND DISCOVERY AMERICA

[TY./ IF THERE 1S ANYONE STATIMENT

P WE LIKS THLNGS BIL. CONSIDER

Hi AND OUR cma, A ACCENT
ee

————

LIE ON BIGNESS, /BIGNESS FOR BIGNESSSAK]

SEEMS TO EVERYWHERE
— ee!

CRRTOON I ONCE SAW. ONE LITTLE BOY WAS WATCHING HIS LITE

DIRT. NOT A WORD WAS SPOKEN, THE LITTLE FELLOW PI

ho
dw

IT REMINDS ME OF A

| FRIEND BUSILY MAKE A PILE OF

LED AND PILED UNTIL THE MOUND WAS HIGHER

THAN HIS emo. | FROM HIS IDLE FRIEND CAME THS PROBOUND a "YOU HSALLY GOT SOMETHING

THERE Nowge IT WAS ONLY A PILE OF BARTH, BUT IT WAS BIG AN

é

WHEN ONE STOPS AND LOOKS AT THE SIZE OF MO

GENERAL MOTORS HAD A NET INCOME OF 873 MILLION. THE OTHER

DERN INDUSTRY HE IS AWE STRUCK.

D THAT MADE IT IMPORTANT.

es

IN 1959

INDUSTRIAL GIANT AM. TELE.

AND TELE. TOTALLED 1 BILLION 113 MILLION. THAT'S BIG, AND WE ARE RIGHTLY IMPRESSED. BUT

EVEN THESE GIANTS ARE TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON THE LONELY MAN WORKING LATE IN THE LABORATORY

—

ri

he

EVEN THEY ARE SOLELY DEPENDENT ON THE IDEAS AND EFFORTS OF
ee

SINGLE INDIVIDUALS. HOW

————

LONG WOULD G.M.C. SHuLL CARS IF IT NEVER HAD A FRSSH IDEA.)

BUSINESS, NEEDS THE VITALITY OF NEWNESS TO SURVIVE LEST TH

THE LONG RUN IT IS NOT BIGNSSS FOR BIGNESS SAKE THAT COUNT

THE SMALLNESS OF A MAN'S EFFORT AND WORK: WHAT IS IMPORTAN

MUSTARD SEED, EVEN IN THE BUSINESS WORLD.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SMALLNESS, OF INDIVIDUAL MEN'S EFFO

CINA TLNG BOOK RECENTLY PUBLISHED ENTITLED THE UGLY AMERICAN.

/ LIK THE DINOUSOURS, BIG

EY BECOME EXTINCT. SO IN

WiAT IS MOST IMPORTANT is

oe
pe

r CAN SE COMPARED TO THE

RTS IS DESCRIBED IN A FAS*

DEALING WITH FOREIGN POLICY

AND FOREIGN Re BOOK BY NATURE IS A CONTROVENSIAI

LATION THE
ANALYSIS GF MhAMERICAN DIPLOMACY PHiC™=EP"ss-aweewne, IT
FACT THAT AMERICAN FOREIGN AND Tp\ THE FORM OF WEAPONS, AIR,

MACHINERY AND NSW TYPEWRITH G MSANS NOTHING TO TH& POPLE O

IN WHITE TLE AND TAILS IS A PITIFUL FIGURE BESIDE H5 RUSS]

. ONE. ITIS CUTTING IN ITS
ee

BRINGS TO THE SURFACE THE
CRAFT, UP TO DATS FARM
F ASIA. THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR

[AN COUNTERPART WHOSPEAKS

THS LANGUAGE AND KNOWSEVSRYTHING ABOUT THE LOCAL HISTORY, ¢90GRAPHY AND SOCIOALOGY

BOOK REALIZES,AS OUR COUNTRY DOES NO

y} ufos SMALL SEEMINGLY

EFFORTS ARE THE ONSS THAT COUNT. THAT WHAT IS LASTING AND

“i

INSIGNIFICANT Xk

REAL IS THE SMALLNESS OF ONE

MAN'S WORK, js UGLY KEETCAS, OR RATHER HE BECOMES THE ise ciimuai’ IS A MAN WHO

LIVES IN A NATIVE VILLAGE AND WHO HELPS THE PEOPLE DEVELOP

oo

IN THIS ONE ENDEAVOR MOR! GOOD WIil AID IAS

hs

OLD BI CYCLES.

IN A MILLION ML ML RIFLES. GAIN THE POINT IS RELEVANT. TO BE

A SYSTEM OF IRRIGATION OUT OF

STING FRIENDSHIP RESULT THAN

CRUCIAL A THING NEED NOT BE

be
BIG AND COLOSSAL.
FROM THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH WE MAY SEE ANOTHER EXAMPLE

ISOLATED ACT OF ONE MAN, | va
a

DF THE IMPORTANCE OF & SMALL,

PROTESTANT REFORMATION DLD NOT OCCUR BECAUSE THE LOCAL

—_——

CHURCHMEN GATHERED AROUUND THE COUNCIL TABLE TO DECIDE TO PROTEST.

IGNITED THE ,

~

WANTED ONLY TO

AND OF COURSE THE MOST IMPORTANT ILLUSTRATION 15 Jisu

THE SPARK THAT

FLAME WAS A LONELY MONK, WHO DIDN'T CARE FOR HIS CHURCH'S PRACTICE AND WHO

S CHRIST HIMSELF. ONE MAN

es
AND HIS 12 F@LLOWERS TALKING TO AT SAS? A FEW THOUSAND LI

THE WOMAN WHO HIDES THE LEAYEN INSIDE THE LOAF AND THEN S#

DTENERS. / IS THIS NOT LIKE

mS IT EXPAND AND RAISE. THE

MESSAGE OF OUR LORD WAS CRUCIAL AND IMPORTANT, BUT IT DID NOT MAKE THE HEADLINES, NR

WOULD IT TODAY. IT WAS SMALL AND TINY, AND LIKE A SEeD If

OF SURVIVAL. | xxassss CANLOT BE EQUATED WITH IMP@RTANCE.

LY A CHANCE

—_—_———_____

WAS PLANTED WITH ON

THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR

POINT OF THE PARABLE AND, IF THIS IS ALL WE LEARN FROM IT hE HAVE DONE WELL.

———

a

BUT THERE IS MUCH MORE. JESUS WAS TALKING SPSCIFICALL
LT
HEAVEN OR THE KINGDOM OF GOD WHEN HE REFERRED TO THE MUSTA

"THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A GRAIN OF JUSTARD SEH

Y ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF

RD SEED AND THE LEAVE.

DP WHICH A MAN TOOK AND SOWED

IN HIS FEILD: IT IS THE SMALL'ST OF ALL SEEDS BUT WHEN IT * GROWN IT IS THE GREATEST

OF SHRUBS, AND BECOMES A TREE SO THAT THE BIRDS OF THE AIR
THE KINGDOM OF HSAVEN IS LIKE LEAVEN WHICH A WOMEN TOOK AW

MEAL, TILL IT WA’ ALL LSAVBVED."

COME AND MAKE NESTS IN ITS BRANCH:

) HID IN THRAE MEASURES OF

MEN HAVE ALWAYS LOOKED FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN A NEW AGE WOULD BE USHERED IN.

—

TH! ANCIENT JEWS THOUGHT TH# MESSIAH WOULD COME IN A CHARIDT OF FIRE BRANDISHING A SWORD,

AND WOULD ESTABLISH THE KINGDOM OF GOOBY.FORCE. THE DISC}PLES AND WRITERS OF THE

GOSPELS FIRMLY FELT THAT naw THEIR LIFE ran WOULD SBE THEIR LORD RETURN TO USHER

IN THE NEW ics,/ DURING THE DEPRESSION A GROUP OF NEW YORKERS, OF CONSIDERABLE SIZE, HAD

DETERMINED THE DAY AND HOUR FOR CHRIST'S RETURN AND THE NEW Lo a SULD ALL THEIR
pe eee

BELONGINGS AND WALTED ATOP A MOUNTAIN SINGING AND PRAYING.

~NSEDLESS TO SAY WHEN THE TIME

CAME HOTHING HAPPENED. IF YOU ARE SO INCLINED YOU CAN TAKE CERTAIN FIGURES FROM

—__

THE SCRIPTURE, ADD THEM UP AND COME TO THE DATS, THS_DAY, - WHICH THE KINGDOM OF GOv WIL

BE ESTABLISHEDON EARTH.

ee

TO THIS LINE OF esous fy JESUS DAY AID IN OUR oni is PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SHED

MND THE LEAVEN DEALS A HARSH BLOW. THE SOWER DOES NOT DIOP A SEED INTO THE GROUND AND

WATCH IT TURN INSTANTANEOUSLY INTO A MUSTARD TREE TO END AML MUSTARD TREES. TO THE

CONTARY IT IS A TEDIOUS PROCESS OF CULTIVATION, CARE_AND IHPERCEP TABLE GROWTH, AND IN

a

A SENSE THE TASK IS N&VER DONE. / WHEN THE TREE GROWS iis siteps MUST BE PLAN TED AND THE

PROCESS GOZS ON FORSVER. /» BAKING THE woMAN QS pIsoLv:
ws

NSTANRTER" FROM ANOTHER LOAF

AND SO HER PROCESS NEVER FI aratr WAS QONSTANTLY IN MOTION, NOW COMPLETE BUT RZADY

ONLY TO BHGIN AGAIN.

7.

LIKEWISE, THE KINGDOM OF HSAVBY: IT HAS BEEN PLANTED OR STARTED: IT HAS GROWN TO

a
]

THE SIZE OF CHRISTENDOM TODAY, AND YET THE PROCESS 15 NEVHR COMPLETE. ~ IT IS HERE AND
7 ———

al

OW AND YT ALWAYS IN THES FUTURE, THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IS THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT
| Sy
THE KINGODUS OF GOD IS PRESUNT IN OUR LIVES, THAT WE MAY PARTICIPATS IN IT. BUT IS IS
Soeirchevtn dota actin ecole

ALSAYS COMING, ALWAYS IN THE aay THE TASK IS wavak & WADLLY COMPLATSU, THe

——

THS PARABLE ALSO SP 4\KS DIRECTLY TO EVERY INDIVID UAL. IT was UrYERap 19 ¢ CENTURIES
AGO BUT SVEN TOOAY IT PIERCES INTO THE LIFE OF SVECY PERSON. FIRSTLY IT TELLS US THE

IMF POR TANG & % OF THE SMA 1 THINGS, OF OUR WORK AND THE ROLS ali PLAY IN SOCIETY. S#OONDLY
2 —— prckteeraiere

/

IT INFORHS US THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS PRESENT AND THAT = MAY BS ITS CLTIZENS./ BUT
1

IT ALSO TELLS US MUCH AEDUT OUR PALTH as IT OP SA THS IN OUR LIVES.
"7\enieeeeeteeeses
HOW OFTEN HAV Wil HERD THE BE MARK pa GLON DEOSN'T) MEan ANYTHING, I DON'T GET
}
ANYTHING OUT OF IT," / HOW OF TS) DO WH THINK THAT OUR EFFORTS 1N CUR CHURCH ARE WASTSD,

=

7

NOTHING iVii HAPPWS.’ THE PARAELE SEB). AND LEAVIN ATFLRMS FOR OUR BENEFIT THAT

SOMETHING IS AP’ aSING., BY YOUR PARTICIP.TION IN THIS CHURCH YOU HAVE GIVEN E1VDENCE
(HAT THE SHED IS THERE, THAT THE ROOTS OF THE KINGIOH OF GD aka IN YOUR LIFE. GROWTH

8, |

FUXTHERMOR! THE PARABLE REPLIES TO OUR IMPATIMICE BY |TELLING US THAT THE KINGDOM
———— >i |

TO PRING US SLIZS AND HAPPINESS HiRE AND NOW. / INSTEAD IT|GLVES US CITIZENWBHIP IN A
KINGDOM TH T HAs COME BUT IS VIR COMING.
LASTLY TH& STORY OF THs TINY Sit) wHICH WAS PLANTED Sos GRsw INTO A GREAT TR. TELLS

US THAT A CERT IN RESPONSIBILITY IS OURS. Tie SED 0028 NOT GROW ALONZ IT MUST BS

(© LTIV Ta, sATERi, NUATURI AND PRUNSD. } THIS 18 oun “sj PONSIDILITY. BY THe GRACE OF

GOD WH HAVE °SEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY OF DELNG A PART OF }HIS KINGDOM, IN US HAS DEEN

PLANTSD A S44) OF TRUTT A SHED THAT IP PROP:RLY TaNoep CAN GROW TO A TRuo OF GRSAT HETGHT.

———

? THE KINGDOH OF GOO 15 LIKE A MUSTARD SSBD, A NUSTA®D SEED IS SHALL, ANU SO 1S MUCH

—> ‘(THE S&80 GROWS EVER SO SLOWLY, AND IS CONSTANTLY ReP UANTSD $0 IT IS WITH @D's

—————

i

SO IT IS WITH QR FAITH.

Je
al a GB FA

— THE SESD REQMINIS CARE AND AT'TENTIC