July 29, 2018
Camp Spirit Sunday, Called to Grow
Matthew 13:31-32
-Anne Ellis
31 “The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
What is the Kingdom of God?
And why would it be like a mustard seed?
Here are some mustard seeds. And you know what? They’re not all that small. I’ve seen lots of seeds that are smaller – poppy seeds, dandelion seeds… Other seeds?
And you know something else? When a mustard plant grows it’s only a couple of feet high and it’s kinda scraggly and weedy. Once I put a bunch of old spices in my compost bin and then later when I spread that compost around the mustard seeds that had been in there sprouted and I had all these mustard plants growing all over my garden.
They got in everywhere a lot like Dandelions too actually.
Mustard plants have yellow flowers like dandelions too. Hhhhmmmm…
So while I’m not really sure about the part in this story about it being the largest plant and being a tree – it can grow everywhere, get into the cracks and grow in poor soil without a lot of water – like— Dandelions.
Dandelions spread like nothing else, right. There’s no stopping them and while birds can’t perch in the branches of a dandelion, maybe the birds like the seed to eat?
In the spring I like to see the Dandelions blooming because they are sometimes the first colour and the bees really like them, especially in the early spring they can be the only food for bees since they come out before a lot of other blossoms.
When it’s really dreary out, dandelions are like little suns shining in the lawn.
So the feed the birds and feed bees and they spread all over and grow in the tricky places and there’s really just no stopping them.
You know, I think if Jesus lived here on the west coast of Canada when he wouldn’t have told the parable of the mustard seed, he’d have told the parable of the dandelion.
Because I think the Kingdom of God is like a dandelion. I think it feeds us when there’s nothing else, it brings beauty and colour, it grows in the tricky places and can thrive in poor soil without a lot of water. It thrives the more you try to pull it out by the roots and spreads everywhere when we’re not looking. And no matter how hard someone might try to get rid of it, it grows again and keeps on growing no matter what.
And when we find a big dandelion puff and blow the seeds all over we’re spreading the kingdom of God everywhere – we’re spreading the love of God everywhere so it can grow and bring colour and nourishment to everyone.