Sermon Tone Analysis

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Matthew 13:31-32

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.

This is a story about how God would set up his kingdom on earth.

If you wanted to become king over a country, what would you do to become king?

Becoming king is a big deal; so wouldn’t you try something big to become king?

Get a big army?

Big guns?

Big tanks:  Big planes with big bombs?

That’s how people usually do it.

But if you were God, how would you set up your kingdom on earth?

Would you do something big?

Would you find a big strong warrior and put him in front of a big army?

Would you send a big army of angels?

Jesus says, “No.

When God sets up his kingdom on earth, he will start with something that looks very small and very weak.”

Small like a mustard seed.

[Look at seeds.]

Jesus did something that looked small compared to a big army and weak compared to what people usually do to become king.

What?

Instead of killing other people, he gave himself to die.

[Look at mustard seed in cross.]

So, when you hear Jesus’ story of the mustard seed, I want you to thing of Jesus becoming king by dying on the cross.

[Give paper crosses with mustard seed.]

Let’s pray.

God, help us to learn that you do really big things in ways that appear to us to be small.

In Jesus name, amen.