Recreate Church, Pastor Michael Shockley—Service, Sunday, November 27, 2022

Small Seed, Big Tree. Today, Pastor Michael is talking about something small becoming something BIG.  We’re back to parables, big ideas = common themes. At the time Jesus spoke, folks knew about mustard seeds and plants.  Today: not so much, but the story / parable still is strong.  So, Jesus is speaking here, in Mark 4: 30, about mustard seeds and speaking in hyperbole.  The mustard seed isn’t the smallest seed in the world but it was the smallest seed planted in Israel in those days.  The exact ‘size’ of the seed, not really that important here: it’s the core concept of something surprisingly big coming from something surprising small. And herein, ReCreate Church is the church that grew from a small seed!  But is a big tree, in helping others! (CSB Baker Illustrated Bible Study Notes) 4:30–32. The final parable stresses the contrast between the insignificant beginning and inconceivable end of a mustard seed. The OT celebrates the mighty cedar as a symbol of God’s power and splendor (Ps 80:10; Zch 11:2; Jr 22:23). Jesus, however, likens the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, so small that it is practically invisible (4:30–31). From insignificance and obscurity, God’s kingdom grows into a bush or tree that provides refuge for “the birds of the sky”—which may imply the inclusion of all the nations in God’s coming kingdom (4:32). Verses can be found today in Mark 4: 30-33. Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.