EDITOR'S NOTE: In October 2017 I began a new venture as a synodically authorized minister at Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. The ride over the past nearly four years has been an amazing journey of learning, growing and a deepening of my theological mind. This sermon took place on Sunday, Sept. 12, the 16th week after Pentecost. This was the first Sunday service that we worshipped together since May.
This week's gospel: Mark 4:30-32
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
Message:
Alright Faith Family, just so that you know, one of the things that we want to do today -- we have so many things going on -- but we had such a focus on our youth in this particular service that we wanted to do a kind of children's message instead of a sermon.
So for the day, we're going to be focusing on these youngsters with these smiling faces ... and any of you out there who consider yourselves a child at. ... So, are you ready to go?
Can any of you think a favorite Bible story? Any Bible that is your favorite. ... Do you have a
favorite?
Oh, Piper, you have a favorite, Piper? ... Yes. The birth of Jesus. ... That is a wonderful story! ... The birth of Jesus. We have two votes for the birth of Jesus!
OK, well, I want to share one with you. Can you all see the sign? ... Yes, Alright. ... My favorite Bible story is about the mustard. The mustard seed is a parable that comes up a couple of times in our gospels.
Does anyone have any idea how big a mustard seed is? Have you ever seen a mustard seed? ... A mustard seed is about one to two millimeters in size. ... Do you you guys see these little tiny holes down here? Yeah. You see that? ... That's bigger than a mustard seed! ... Can you believe that? ... That's bigger than a mustard! ... I'll let you pass this around for those that want to see the visual aid. These little circles down here are bigger than a mustard.
Now, who among you has ever seen a mountain? Even if it was on TV or in a picture. Seen a mountain in person. You've seen them in person?
Can anyone describe how big a mountain is? Go ahead. ... It's up to the clouds. Yes! ... And how about you? It's bigger than the church. ... Can you believe that? ... If you were to go outside and look up to the top of the church, it's bigger than the church. ... Yes, and you're right too! ... It's bigger than all of our houses.
So, you're getting the picture here. It's kind of big, right? OK, I'm going to read a couple of things here first, and then we'll talk again. OK? ... I'm going to read two scriptures that talk about mustard seeds.
One reading is going to be from the Gospel of Mark, and one is going to be from the Gospel of Matthew. First, I'm going to read the Gospel of Mark: "And Jesus rebuked the demon, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. Then, the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, 'Why couldn't we not cast it out?' Jesus said to them because of your little faith, for truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move. And nothing will be impossible for you."
So, that's scripture about mustard seed that's mentioned on this sign, and this is a sign
I received for my birthday this year from my wife, Shelley, because she knows I love this parable so much.
And this about the mustard seed from the Gospel of Mark: "He also said, 'With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it?' It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
So, two scriptures that deal with the mustard seed. So, twice a year, we hear of the mustard seed in two passages in two different gospels. ... So, you're probably getting the picture of how important the mustard seed was to the people of Jesus' time. The mustard seed was not only a cash crop, but it also was a shelter to birds and other animals in a region where there weren't a lot of trees, right? ... There wasn't a lot of forest. This was a desert region, and so plants grew close to the ground. But even though that tiny, tiny mustard seed would often grow into a bigger bush.
But did you guys hear what Jesus talked about in the first reading? How if you have a faith, remember that little tiny hole -- that little tiny hole that was bigger than a mustard seed? -- And Jesus said, "You have a faith even that small ... smaller than that little hole that was in
that protractor ... Jesus said, if you have a faith, even that small, you can look at that mountain that's taller than four churches, and you could tell it to move. ... And that
mountain will move.
Does that not seem impossible? ... That I can go up to a mountain and just push it over.
So, what is Jesus talking about when he talks about us being able to move mountains with our faith? ... If you believe in God, you can do it. ... That is what Jesus is telling us: If you believe in God, you can do anything. ... And so why do I give you guys this message today?
So, Jesus never promises us that even though we are Christians, or even though we have faith, that everything in our lives will be all roses. You all are in a new year in school. You're coming back from a year in which many of you probably didn't go to class in person; you went to school online. So, you might be adjusting to that. There might be a new routine that you're adjusting to. Maybe you're in a new school, or maybe you're in a school for the first time.
Maybe there's been other challenging things that you've lived through in your lives. ... Maybe there's been a favorite grandpa or a grandpa or grandma that has passed away,
and you've struggled with that. ... Or maybe there's another challenge in your life right
now, and you're thinking about that. And you wonder how you possibly can get through it.
I mentioned the Parable of the Mustard Seed because this is one of the parables that has always been a favorite of mine to come back to. ... Because there have been periods in my life too that I did not think that I was going to get through. And sometimes those periods can endure for a long time.
Now, I want you to think back to that protractor, and think about how that very, very, very tiny, little mustard seed represents our faith. ... Sometimes though, even if you have the tiniest of faith, the tiniest of belief in God, it's going to carry you through any of your difficult times. And you're going to be able to look at that mountain, and be able to say to that mountain, "Move!"
So, do you guys think that you can think about that in the future when you get in a difficult spot? ... Think about that itty, bitty little hole in the protractor, and if you can even have just that much faith in the times where you're feeling challenged ... or sad, or angry ... God will carry you through.
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