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05 - Like a Grain of Mustard Seed - Christ's Object Lessons · Wisdom of the Ages Library

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  Chapter five, like a grain of mustard seed. In the multitude that listened
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  to Christ's teaching, there were many pharisees. These noted contemptuously how few of
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  his hearers acknowledged him as the Messiah. And they questioned with themselves how this
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  unpretending teacher could exalt Israel to universal dominion without riches, power, or honor.
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  How was he to establish the new kingdom. Christ read their thoughts and
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  answered them, whereunto shall we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what
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  comparison shall we compare it? In earthly governments? There was nothing that could
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  serve for a similitude. No civil society could afford him a symbol. It
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  is like a grain of mustard seed, he said, which, when it
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  is sown upon the earth, though it be less than all the seeds that
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  are upon the earth, Yet when it is grown, groweth up and becometh
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  greater than all the herbs, and putteth out great branches, so that the
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  birds of the heaven can lodge under the shadow thereof the germ. In the
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  seed grows by the unfolding of the life principle which God has implanted. Its
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  development depends upon no human power. So it is with the Kingdom of Christ.
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  It is a new creation. Its principles of development are the opposite of
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  those that rule the kingdom of this world. Earthly governments prevail by physical force.
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  They maintain their dominion by war. But the founder of the new kingdom
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  is the Prince of peace. The Holy Spirit represents worldly kingdoms under the symbol
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  of fierce beasts of prey. But Christ is the lamb of God which taketh
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  away the sin of the world. In his plan of government, there is
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  no employment of brute force to compel the conscience. The Jews looked for the
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  Kingdom of God to be established in the same way as the kingdoms of the
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  world. To promote righteousness, they resorted to external measures. They devised methods
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  and plans. But Christ implants a principle. By implanting truth and righteousness,
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  he counter works error and sin. As Jesus spoke this parable, the mustard
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  plant could be seen far and near, lifting itself above the grass and grain
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  and waving its branches lightly in the air. Birds flitted from twig to twig
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  and sang amid the leafy foliage. Yet the seed from which sprang this giant
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  plant was among the least of all seeds. At first it sent up a
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  tender shoot, but it was of strong vitality and grew and flourished until it
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  reached its present great size. So the Kingdom of Christ, in its beginning
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  seemed humble and insignificant compared with earthly kingdoms. It appeared to be the least
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  of all by the rulers of this world. Christ's claim to be king was
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  ridiculed. Yet in the mighty truths committed to his followers, the Kingdom of
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  the Gospel possessed a divine life. And how rapid was its growth, how
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  wide spread its influence. When Christ spoke this parable, there were only a
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  few Galilean peasants to represent the new kingdom. Their poverty, the fewness of
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  their numbers was urged over and over again as a reason why men men should
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  not connect themselves with the simple minded fishermen who followed Jesus. But the mustard
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  seed was to grow and spread forth its branches throughout the world. When the
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  earthly kingdoms, whose glory then filled the hearts of men, should perish,
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  the Kingdom of Christ would remain a mighty and far reaching power. So the
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  work of grace in the heart is small in its beginning, a word is
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  spoken, a ray of light is shed into the soul, an influence is
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  exerted. That is the beginning of the new life, and who can measure
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  its results. Not only is the growth of Christ's Kingdom illustrated by the Parable
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  of the mustard Seed, but in every stage of its growth, the experience
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  represented in the parable is repeated for his church in every generation. God has
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  a special truth and especial work. The truth that is hid from the worldly,
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  wise and prudent is revealed to the childlike and humble. It calls for
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  self sacrifice. It has battles to fight and victories to win. At the
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  outset, its advocates are few. By the great men of the world and
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  by the world conforming Church, they are opposed and despised. See John the
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  Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, standing alone to rebuke the pride and formalism
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  of the Jewish nation. See the first Bearers of the Gospel into Europe.
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  How obscure, how hopeless seemed the mission of Paul and Silas, the two
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  tent makers, as they with their companions took ship at Treos for Philippi.
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  See Paul the aged in chains preaching Christ in the stronghold of the Caesars.
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  See the little communities of slaves and peasants in conflict with the heathenism of Imperial
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  Rome. See Martin Luther withstanding that mighty Church which is the masterpiece of the
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  world's wisdom. See him holding fast God's word against Emperor and Pope, declaring,
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  here I take my stand. I can not do otherwise, God be
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  my help. See John Wesley preaching Christ and his righteousness in the midst of
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  formalism, sensualism, and infidelity. See one burdened with the woes of the
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  heathen world, pleading for the privilege of carrying to them Christ's message of love.
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  Hear the response of ecclesiasticism. Sit down, young man. When God
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  wants to convert the heathen, he will do it without your help or mine.
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  The great leaders of religious thought in this generation sound the praises and build
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  the monuments of those who planted the seed of truth centuries ago. Do not
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  many turn from this work to trample down the growth springing from the same seed.
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  Today the old cry is repeated. We know that God spake unto Moses
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  as for this fellow Christ in the Messenger he sends, we know not from
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  whence he is. As in earlier ages, the special truths for this time
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  are found not with the ecclesiastical authorities, but with men and women who are
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  not too learned or too wise to believe the word of God. For ye
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  see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh,
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  not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God hath
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  chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath
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  chosen the weak things of the world to confound. The things which are mighty
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  and base things of the world, And things which are despised hath God chosen,
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  yea, and things which are not to bring to naught, things that
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  are that. Your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but
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  in the power of God. And in this last generation, the parable of
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  the musted seed is to reach a signal and triumphant fulfillment. The little seed
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  will become a tree. The last message of warning and mercy is to go
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  to every nation and kindred and tongue, to take out of them a people
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  for his name, and the earth shall be lightened with his glory end of
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  chapter five,