From small seeds to the fullness of God’s kingdom
[Jesus] told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 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.’
Matthew 13:31–32 (NIVUK)
When Jesus described the kingdom of heaven1 as a mustard seed, he was teaching that God’s kingdom does not appear all at once in its completed form. Instead, it begins in a small and humble way, grows steadily over time, and ultimately reaches its glorious fulfilment.
The kingdom of God began in a new way with the coming of Jesus Christ. Through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, the reign of God broke into human history. Yet Jesus’s parable makes it clear that this was only the beginning. Like a mustard seed planted in the ground, the kingdom continues to grow throughout history until the day Christ returns and brings it to its complete fulfilment.
This means that God’s kingdom is both already, and not yet. Jesus is already king, reigning at the Father’s right hand, and through the Holy Spirit he is actively extending his reign in the hearts and lives of his people. Wherever lives are transformed by grace, the kingdom is revealing its presence: relationships are restored, the gospel is proclaimed, and the church faithfully participates in Christ’s mission. Yet we still await the day when every knee bows to Christ, evil and death is finally defeated, and God’s will is done on earth as perfectly as it is in heaven.
The growth of the mustard seed reminds us that God’s work is often gradual rather than dramatic. We may become discouraged when we do not see immediate results, but God’s kingdom grows according to his wisdom and timing. Just as a seed develops quietly beneath the soil before its growth becomes visible, Christ is continually at work through his Spirit, often in ways we cannot yet see.
Jesus tells us in the header scripture that the mature mustard plant becomes a place of shelter where birds find rest. This points to God’s expanding kingdom, which reaches people from every nation, language, and culture. The church is called to be a sign and foretaste of the fullness of that kingdom: a community where people experience the grace, love, and reconciliation of the Triune God, and rest in relationship with him.
Every act of faithful witness, every expression of Christlike love, every Christian who grows in grace, and every congregation that reflects the life of Jesus is evidence that the mustard seed continues to grow. We do not build the kingdom by our own efforts; we participate in the work that the living Christ is already accomplishing through the Holy Spirit.
One day, when Jesus returns in glory, the kingdom will no longer be growing toward its goal; it will have reached its fullness. What began as a tiny seed will be seen in all its greatness. Until then, we live with joyful hope, participating in Christ’s mission and trusting that the One who planted the seed will surely bring it to completion.
Prayer
Loving Father, thank you that your kingdom is already at work in this world through the power of the Holy Spirit, even while we look forward to its glorious fulfilment when Jesus returns. Help us not to despise small beginnings and give us eyes to see how you are faithfully advancing your kingdom through the gospel, through your Church, and through transformed lives that participate in the mission of Christ. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
1 Matthew uses the phrase kingdom of heaven instead of kingdom of God primarily out of reverence for the divine name, reflecting the Jewish practice of avoiding direct use of God’s name, while referring to the same reality.
|
Study by: Barry Robinson About the author: |
 |
Local congregation:
Grace Communion West Hampstead
Sidings Community Centre
150 Brassey Road
West Hampstead
London
NW6 2BA
Meeting time:
Sunday 12.30 pm
Local congregational contact:
Gordon Brown
gordon.brown@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church