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05 - Like a Grain of Mustard Seed - Christ's Object Lessons · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: Chapter five, like a grain of mustard seed. In the
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  Speaker 1: multitude that listened to Christ's teaching, there were many pharisees.
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  Speaker 1: These noted contemptuously how few of his hearers acknowledged him
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  Speaker 1: as the Messiah. And they questioned with themselves how this
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  Speaker 1: unpretending teacher could exalt Israel to universal dominion without riches, power,
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  Speaker 1: or honor. How was he to establish the new kingdom.
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  Speaker 1: Christ read their thoughts and answered them, whereunto shall we
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  Speaker 1: liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall
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  Speaker 1: we compare it? In earthly governments? There was nothing that
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  Speaker 1: could serve for a similitude. No civil society could afford
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  Speaker 1: him a symbol. It is like a grain of mustard seed,
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  Speaker 1: he said, which, when it is sown upon the earth,
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  Speaker 1: though it be less than all the seeds that are
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  Speaker 1: upon the earth, Yet when it is grown, groweth up
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  Speaker 1: and becometh greater than all the herbs, and putteth out
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  Speaker 1: great branches, so that the birds of the heaven can
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  Speaker 1: lodge under the shadow thereof the germ. In the seed
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  Speaker 1: grows by the unfolding of the life principle which God
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  Speaker 1: has implanted. Its development depends upon no human power. So
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  Speaker 1: it is with the Kingdom of Christ. It is a
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  Speaker 1: new creation. Its principles of development are the opposite of
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  Speaker 1: those that rule the kingdom of this world. Earthly governments
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  Speaker 1: prevail by physical force. They maintain their dominion by war.
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  Speaker 1: But the founder of the new kingdom is the Prince
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  Speaker 1: of peace. The Holy Spirit represents worldly kingdoms under the
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  Speaker 1: symbol of fierce beasts of prey. But Christ is the
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  Speaker 1: lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.
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  Speaker 1: In his plan of government, there is no employment of
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  Speaker 1: brute force to compel the conscience. The Jews looked for
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  Speaker 1: the Kingdom of God to be established in the same
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  Speaker 1: way as the kingdoms of the world. To promote righteousness,
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  Speaker 1: they resorted to external measures. They devised methods and plans.
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  Speaker 1: But Christ implants a principle. By implanting truth and righteousness,
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  Speaker 1: he counter works error and sin. As Jesus spoke this parable,
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  Speaker 1: the mustard plant could be seen far and near, lifting
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  Speaker 1: itself above the grass and grain and waving its branches
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  Speaker 1: lightly in the air. Birds flitted from twig to twig
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  Speaker 1: and sang amid the leafy foliage. Yet the seed from
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  Speaker 1: which sprang this giant plant was among the least of
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  Speaker 1: all seeds. At first it sent up a tender shoot,
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  Speaker 1: but it was of strong vitality and grew and flourished
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  Speaker 1: until it reached its present great size. So the Kingdom
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  Speaker 1: of Christ, in its beginning seemed humble and insignificant compared
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  Speaker 1: with earthly kingdoms. It appeared to be the least of
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  Speaker 1: all by the rulers of this world. Christ's claim to
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  Speaker 1: be king was ridiculed. Yet in the mighty truths committed
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  Speaker 1: to his followers, the Kingdom of the Gospel possessed a
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  Speaker 1: divine life. And how rapid was its growth, how wide
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  Speaker 1: spread its influence. When Christ spoke this parable, there were
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  Speaker 1: only a few Galilean peasants to represent the new kingdom.
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  Speaker 1: Their poverty, the fewness of their numbers was urged over
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  Speaker 1: and over again as a reason why men men should
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  Speaker 1: not connect themselves with the simple minded fishermen who followed Jesus.
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  Speaker 1: But the mustard seed was to grow and spread forth
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  Speaker 1: its branches throughout the world. When the earthly kingdoms, whose
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  Speaker 1: glory then filled the hearts of men, should perish, the
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  Speaker 1: Kingdom of Christ would remain a mighty and far reaching power.
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  Speaker 1: So the work of grace in the heart is small
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  Speaker 1: in its beginning, a word is spoken, a ray of
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  Speaker 1: light is shed into the soul, an influence is exerted.
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  Speaker 1: That is the beginning of the new life, and who
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  Speaker 1: can measure its results. Not only is the growth of
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  Speaker 1: Christ's Kingdom illustrated by the Parable of the mustard Seed,
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  Speaker 1: but in every stage of its growth, the experience represented
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  Speaker 1: in the parable is repeated for his church in every generation.
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  Speaker 1: God has a special truth and especial work. The truth
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  Speaker 1: that is hid from the worldly, wise and prudent is
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  Speaker 1: revealed to the childlike and humble. It calls for self sacrifice.
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  Speaker 1: It has battles to fight and victories to win. At
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  Speaker 1: the outset, its advocates are few. By the great men
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  Speaker 1: of the world and by the world conforming Church, they
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  Speaker 1: are opposed and despised. See John the Baptist, the forerunner
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  Speaker 1: of Christ, standing alone to rebuke the pride and formalism
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  Speaker 1: of the Jewish nation. See the first Bearers of the
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  Speaker 1: Gospel into Europe. How obscure, how hopeless seemed the mission
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  Speaker 1: of Paul and Silas, the two tent makers, as they
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  Speaker 1: with their companions took ship at Treos for Philippi. See
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  Speaker 1: Paul the aged in chains preaching Christ in the stronghold
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  Speaker 1: of the Caesars. See the little communities of slaves and
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  Speaker 1: peasants in conflict with the heathenism of Imperial Rome. See
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  Speaker 1: Martin Luther withstanding that mighty Church which is the masterpiece
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  Speaker 1: of the world's wisdom. See him holding fast God's word
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  Speaker 1: against Emperor and Pope, declaring, here I take my stand.
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  Speaker 1: I can not do otherwise, God be my help. See
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  Speaker 1: John Wesley preaching Christ and his righteousness in the midst
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  Speaker 1: of formalism, sensualism, and infidelity. See one burdened with the
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  Speaker 1: woes of the heathen world, pleading for the privilege of
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  Speaker 1: carrying to them Christ's message of love. Hear the response
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  Speaker 1: of ecclesiasticism. Sit down, young man. When God wants to
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  Speaker 1: convert the heathen, he will do it without your help
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  Speaker 1: or mine. The great leaders of religious thought in this
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  Speaker 1: generation sound the praises and build the monuments of those
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  Speaker 1: who planted the seed of truth centuries ago. Do not
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  Speaker 1: many turn from this work to trample down the growth
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  Speaker 1: springing from the same seed. Today the old cry is repeated.
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  Speaker 1: We know that God spake unto Moses as for this
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  Speaker 1: fellow Christ in the Messenger he sends, we know not
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  Speaker 1: from whence he is. As in earlier ages, the special
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  Speaker 1: truths for this time are found not with the ecclesiastical authorities,
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  Speaker 1: but with men and women who are not too learned
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  Speaker 1: or too wise to believe the word of God. For
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  Speaker 1: ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise
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  Speaker 1: men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble,
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  Speaker 1: are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of
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  Speaker 1: the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen
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  Speaker 1: the weak things of the world to confound. The things
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  Speaker 1: which are mighty and base things of the world, And
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  Speaker 1: things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things
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  Speaker 1: which are not to bring to naught, things that are that.
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  Speaker 1: Your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men,
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  Speaker 1: but in the power of God. And in this last generation,
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  Speaker 1: the parable of the musted seed is to reach a
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  Speaker 1: signal and triumphant fulfillment. The little seed will become a tree.
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  Speaker 1: The last message of warning and mercy is to go
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  Speaker 1: to every nation and kindred and tongue, to take out
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  Speaker 1: of them a people for his name, and the earth
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  Speaker 1: shall be lightened with his glory end of chapter five,