The Holy Mustard Empire
Scriptures: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
About two years ago, I tried to grow a tomato plant in a pot on a fire escape. I bought a tomato plant from the local nursery. It was about 4 inches high and was a promising true green color. As I carted it home, along with the pot and several bags of potting soil, I was full of tomato-visions. I imagined tomatoes on toast with cheese; tomatoes eaten raw like apples; tomatoes slices on a plate at dinner, lightly salted; and even tomatoes being turned into homemade spaghetti sauce—if I got ambitious.
I took the little plant home, planted it in the huge pot, and put it out on the fire escape to begin its sure-to-be-prodigious growing season. Two days later, though, I looked out the window and all that was left of what had been my plant was a thin green twig. A squirrel had eaten my plant like so much tender, delicious, tomato salad.
Disaster! I bought another plant, this time keeping the tender shoot inside until it would be bitter enough to defend itself from squirrels. When I finally put it outside, though, it died from the heat. I decided to put my gardening aspirations on hold.
I am guessing that a few of you are thinking to yourselves, “Aha! Another hapless soul I can give my extra tomatoes to,” and you’d be right. But keep in mind that I am the only person in my household who can eat tomatoes. And that I have never actually canned spaghetti sauce in my life.
Jesus talks about a different garden plant in today’s first parable: the mustard plant. As Jesus says, mustard seeds are indeed very small, but the mustard plant is not really a tree. Mustard grows to be a pretty big plant, as far as gardens go, sometimes getting to be 6 to 8 feet tall. At the most, 10 feet. But it’s not a tree, by any means. So what is Jesus doing here?
In Jesus’ time, trees were used as symbols of an empire. A mighty oak went with a mighty nation. Strength and power symbolized by a dignified, majestic tree. So when Jesus calls the mustard plant, he’s having a little fun with us. It would be as if he compared the noble bald eagle of the United States to the mighty pigeon as the imperial bird of the Holy Mustard Empire.
Jesus’ vision of the kingdom of God, an empire under God’s domain—this Holy Mustard Empire—is very different from the empire he knew: the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire lasted for hundreds of years before and after Jesus’ life. It conquered most of the Western world in its day, encircling the Mediterranean Sea during Jesus’ lifetime.
Economically, the Roman Empire was starkly unequal. One percent of the people lived in lavish wealth while most of the remaining 99 percent lived in harsh poverty, mostly because of an overwhelming tax burden. Roman citizens, by contrast, didn’t pay taxes. The Empire punished rebels harshly, setting an example with brutality and wholesale destruction. Continual wars on the borders kept the Romans safe and happy at home while destroying the lives of the conquered. Life under Roman rule in Judea during Jesus’ lifetime was life under foreign military occupation.
Jesus’ Holy Mustard Empire is a very different empire, indeed. It’s something that starts out very small and unassuming, and then grows to be far more than is natural, normal, or expected. For a mustard plant to become a tree that birds can nest in is far beyond what anyone could ever expect. It would be as though my ill-fated tomato plants, instead of dying, had yielded a thousand tomatoes each.
Why this matters, what Jesus is trying to tell us is this: this is how God works. God is not an occupier, an emperor, a destroyer. God turns small things into unexpected avenues of extravagant love. God is the one that turns an ordinary mustard plant into a gigantic tree. God is the one that turns a little bit of yeast into enough for 150 people. God is the one who turns a sickly tomato plant into a thousand tomatoes. God is the one who builds a Holy Mustard Empire. But it starts small. Consider these examples:
Montgomery Alabama, 1955. A mustard seed is planted when a woman decides she’s not going to sit in the back of the bus anymore. 50 years later, their struggle is not over, but African Americans have won the rights of full citizenship denied to them since before the Revolutionary War.
New York City, 1969. A mustard seed is planted when a drag queen at a gay bar decides she’s not going along quietly with the police raid this time. A riot breaks out, and 35 years later gays have the right to marry in Massachusetts.
Judea, late 20’s and early 30’s. A mustard seed is planted when a dirt-poor carpenter collects twelve friends and starts teaching them what he knows about God. 2000 years later, millions upon millions upon millions have met God in Jesus and have dedicated their lives to the greater purpose of following him.
In your life, a long time ago, or maybe just recently. A mustard seed is planted with an unexpected kind word, or with a voice speaking to you deeply and mysteriously, or with a little thought in the back of your mind that says: “I want my life to MEAN something.” And now, through many dangers, toils and snares, your life is totally different from what you could have ever expected or imagined.
This is how God works. This is what God does. This is how The Holy Mustard Empire comes into being. From tiny seeds that yield a thousand tomatoes.
This is not the only way God works, of course. Sometimes God is more like a gentle rain that softens the soil. Sometimes God is like hidden yeast that makes the dough rise again, even after it’s pounded down. Sometimes God is like a thunderbolt that cracks and sends us running in the opposite direction. And sometimes God is even a sorter of hearts and deeds, throwing the bad fish out and keeping the good.
But I think the mustard seed approach is one of God’s favorites.
So what do we do with this vision from Jesus? I have, true to the preaching art, developed a three-point plan for you. It is this: notice, be grateful, and spread the word.
Let’s start with noticing. How might things be different for you if every night you asked yourself this question: Where did I see something extraordinary today? Where did I hear God speaking to me? When was that Holy Mustard Empire particularly close by?
What might you notice if you really started paying attention to the present moment, rather than being wrapped up in the past or the future?
Next, be grateful. This goes hand in hand with noticing, but I think it should be separated out because it’s so important and so easy to forget about. Gratitude is, I believe, the key to happiness in life. To quote Sheryl Crow: “It’s not having what you want; it’s wanting what you’ve got.” Gratitude, on a material level, lets us off the consumerist merry-go-round. We appreciate the things we have and don’t feel the constant need to buy more and more and more. Gratitude in terms of our personal lives lets us accept people for who they are and the gifts they bring. It allows us to be more accepting, more forgiving, more joyful.
Gratitude, in terms of the Holy Mustard Empire, is our opportunity to connect with God and to rest in God’s presence. It’s what worship is all about—praising and thanking God for all that God gives us. Praising and thanking God for this Holy Mustard Empire.
Granted, there are times for dissatisfaction, for hunger, for vision, for long journeys. But even in those instances we can be grateful to God. Grateful for the desire, grateful for the direction, grateful for the call, grateful for the accompaniment along the way. So be grateful. Start counting your blessings and your mustard seeds.
Finally, spread the word. This past year, the United Church of Christ has started casting out some mustard seeds through the God is Still Speaking campaign. An advertisement on TV, a banner in front of a church, a nice website, are each ways of getting the word out, that we have a lot to be grateful for. That God is doing unexpected things in our lives in unexpected ways. That all are welcome in the Holy Mustard Empire.
But this is not a job just for our denominational executives in Cleveland. Or even for an ad agency that believes in our vision of extravagant welcome. Spreading the word is our job, and our joy, too. The Holy Mustard Empire might touch our lives sometimes, but it does not belong to us—it is God’s alone and is meant to be shared.
So see if you can’t start noticing, and then start being grateful, and then start telling other people. It might be good to start small, if you’re out of practice. Make a date for coffee with someone else from church to sit down and tell each other your stories. Tell children where you’ve seen mustard growing in their gardens. Let your good friends in on the secret of the hidden yeast. And then let it grow into something you never expected.
Because, as you will continue to find out, God is Still Speaking, God is Still Planting Seeds, and God is Still Growing this Holy Mustard Empire. Thanks be to God. Amen.
About two years ago, I tried to grow a tomato plant in a pot on a fire escape. I bought a tomato plant from the local nursery. It was about 4 inches high and was a promising true green color. As I carted it home, along with the pot and several bags of potting soil, I was full of tomato-visions. I imagined tomatoes on toast with cheese; tomatoes eaten raw like apples; tomatoes slices on a plate at dinner, lightly salted; and even tomatoes being turned into homemade spaghetti sauce—if I got ambitious.
I took the little plant home, planted it in the huge pot, and put it out on the fire escape to begin its sure-to-be-prodigious growing season. Two days later, though, I looked out the window and all that was left of what had been my plant was a thin green twig. A squirrel had eaten my plant like so much tender, delicious, tomato salad.
Disaster! I bought another plant, this time keeping the tender shoot inside until it would be bitter enough to defend itself from squirrels. When I finally put it outside, though, it died from the heat. I decided to put my gardening aspirations on hold.
I am guessing that a few of you are thinking to yourselves, “Aha! Another hapless soul I can give my extra tomatoes to,” and you’d be right. But keep in mind that I am the only person in my household who can eat tomatoes. And that I have never actually canned spaghetti sauce in my life.
Jesus talks about a different garden plant in today’s first parable: the mustard plant. As Jesus says, mustard seeds are indeed very small, but the mustard plant is not really a tree. Mustard grows to be a pretty big plant, as far as gardens go, sometimes getting to be 6 to 8 feet tall. At the most, 10 feet. But it’s not a tree, by any means. So what is Jesus doing here?
In Jesus’ time, trees were used as symbols of an empire. A mighty oak went with a mighty nation. Strength and power symbolized by a dignified, majestic tree. So when Jesus calls the mustard plant, he’s having a little fun with us. It would be as if he compared the noble bald eagle of the United States to the mighty pigeon as the imperial bird of the Holy Mustard Empire.
Jesus’ vision of the kingdom of God, an empire under God’s domain—this Holy Mustard Empire—is very different from the empire he knew: the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire lasted for hundreds of years before and after Jesus’ life. It conquered most of the Western world in its day, encircling the Mediterranean Sea during Jesus’ lifetime.
Economically, the Roman Empire was starkly unequal. One percent of the people lived in lavish wealth while most of the remaining 99 percent lived in harsh poverty, mostly because of an overwhelming tax burden. Roman citizens, by contrast, didn’t pay taxes. The Empire punished rebels harshly, setting an example with brutality and wholesale destruction. Continual wars on the borders kept the Romans safe and happy at home while destroying the lives of the conquered. Life under Roman rule in Judea during Jesus’ lifetime was life under foreign military occupation.
Jesus’ Holy Mustard Empire is a very different empire, indeed. It’s something that starts out very small and unassuming, and then grows to be far more than is natural, normal, or expected. For a mustard plant to become a tree that birds can nest in is far beyond what anyone could ever expect. It would be as though my ill-fated tomato plants, instead of dying, had yielded a thousand tomatoes each.
Why this matters, what Jesus is trying to tell us is this: this is how God works. God is not an occupier, an emperor, a destroyer. God turns small things into unexpected avenues of extravagant love. God is the one that turns an ordinary mustard plant into a gigantic tree. God is the one that turns a little bit of yeast into enough for 150 people. God is the one who turns a sickly tomato plant into a thousand tomatoes. God is the one who builds a Holy Mustard Empire. But it starts small. Consider these examples:
Montgomery Alabama, 1955. A mustard seed is planted when a woman decides she’s not going to sit in the back of the bus anymore. 50 years later, their struggle is not over, but African Americans have won the rights of full citizenship denied to them since before the Revolutionary War.
New York City, 1969. A mustard seed is planted when a drag queen at a gay bar decides she’s not going along quietly with the police raid this time. A riot breaks out, and 35 years later gays have the right to marry in Massachusetts.
Judea, late 20’s and early 30’s. A mustard seed is planted when a dirt-poor carpenter collects twelve friends and starts teaching them what he knows about God. 2000 years later, millions upon millions upon millions have met God in Jesus and have dedicated their lives to the greater purpose of following him.
In your life, a long time ago, or maybe just recently. A mustard seed is planted with an unexpected kind word, or with a voice speaking to you deeply and mysteriously, or with a little thought in the back of your mind that says: “I want my life to MEAN something.” And now, through many dangers, toils and snares, your life is totally different from what you could have ever expected or imagined.
This is how God works. This is what God does. This is how The Holy Mustard Empire comes into being. From tiny seeds that yield a thousand tomatoes.
This is not the only way God works, of course. Sometimes God is more like a gentle rain that softens the soil. Sometimes God is like hidden yeast that makes the dough rise again, even after it’s pounded down. Sometimes God is like a thunderbolt that cracks and sends us running in the opposite direction. And sometimes God is even a sorter of hearts and deeds, throwing the bad fish out and keeping the good.
But I think the mustard seed approach is one of God’s favorites.
So what do we do with this vision from Jesus? I have, true to the preaching art, developed a three-point plan for you. It is this: notice, be grateful, and spread the word.
Let’s start with noticing. How might things be different for you if every night you asked yourself this question: Where did I see something extraordinary today? Where did I hear God speaking to me? When was that Holy Mustard Empire particularly close by?
What might you notice if you really started paying attention to the present moment, rather than being wrapped up in the past or the future?
Next, be grateful. This goes hand in hand with noticing, but I think it should be separated out because it’s so important and so easy to forget about. Gratitude is, I believe, the key to happiness in life. To quote Sheryl Crow: “It’s not having what you want; it’s wanting what you’ve got.” Gratitude, on a material level, lets us off the consumerist merry-go-round. We appreciate the things we have and don’t feel the constant need to buy more and more and more. Gratitude in terms of our personal lives lets us accept people for who they are and the gifts they bring. It allows us to be more accepting, more forgiving, more joyful.
Gratitude, in terms of the Holy Mustard Empire, is our opportunity to connect with God and to rest in God’s presence. It’s what worship is all about—praising and thanking God for all that God gives us. Praising and thanking God for this Holy Mustard Empire.
Granted, there are times for dissatisfaction, for hunger, for vision, for long journeys. But even in those instances we can be grateful to God. Grateful for the desire, grateful for the direction, grateful for the call, grateful for the accompaniment along the way. So be grateful. Start counting your blessings and your mustard seeds.
Finally, spread the word. This past year, the United Church of Christ has started casting out some mustard seeds through the God is Still Speaking campaign. An advertisement on TV, a banner in front of a church, a nice website, are each ways of getting the word out, that we have a lot to be grateful for. That God is doing unexpected things in our lives in unexpected ways. That all are welcome in the Holy Mustard Empire.
But this is not a job just for our denominational executives in Cleveland. Or even for an ad agency that believes in our vision of extravagant welcome. Spreading the word is our job, and our joy, too. The Holy Mustard Empire might touch our lives sometimes, but it does not belong to us—it is God’s alone and is meant to be shared.
So see if you can’t start noticing, and then start being grateful, and then start telling other people. It might be good to start small, if you’re out of practice. Make a date for coffee with someone else from church to sit down and tell each other your stories. Tell children where you’ve seen mustard growing in their gardens. Let your good friends in on the secret of the hidden yeast. And then let it grow into something you never expected.
Because, as you will continue to find out, God is Still Speaking, God is Still Planting Seeds, and God is Still Growing this Holy Mustard Empire. Thanks be to God. Amen.
posted by Amy Sens at 12:30 PM
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