Matthew 13:31-32 The Parable of the Mustard Seed
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
There once was a cobbler in a small village in England named William Carey. As this small man was pursuing his village life, he began learning languages, teaching himself Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Dutch, and French. He would frequently read books in these languages while working on shoes. Carey was also quite active in his local church, becoming both a school master and a pastor. After reading Jonathan Edwards’ account of the life of David Brainerd and other Puritan missionaries in America, Carey realized that Christians were obligated to spread the Gospel throughout the world. Carey authored a book entitled An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens. This book is regarded as the manifesto for modern missions.
Not content with writing, teaching, and ministering in England, Carey eventually went to India as a missionary where his work flourished. Not only was Carey a skilled botanist who helped classify many of the plants in India, but he also was a minister, translator, social reformer and cultural anthropologist who founded the Serampore College and the Serampore University, the first degree-awarding university in India. Carey’s translations included the Hindu classic, the Ramayana, into English, and the Bible into Bengali, Punjabi, Oriya, Assamese, Marathi, Hindi, and Sanskrit. Truly, Carey was a mustard seed that grew into an enormous tree.
Mary Slessor was a small Scottish Presbyterian missionary who went to Nigeria in 1876. Within a few years, Slessor left the missionary compound to live with the local people whose languages she spoke fluently. Slessor eventually moved even further inland, working to bring peace among tribes and also working to halt the practice of killing twin infants who were believed to be witches. At one point, the British government had a choice: they could send in 4,000 crack troops to settle a disturbance or they could call for Mary Slessor. Mary settled the matter by calmly knitting and listening while all those involved in the dispute spoke at length. Finally, Mary uttered her decision, and the problem was solved.
Both Carey and Slessor were mustard seeds whose ministries became enormous blessings to those around them and to the world. Both of these people came from humble beginnings but allowed God to use them mightily. But God is no respecter of persons-He will use anybody who will make themselves available. When we first went to Ghana, veteran missionaries assured us that God was not nearly so concerned about our ABILITY as He was about our AVAILABILITY.
As long as you love God and are willing to serve Him wherever He sends you, He can make you a mustard seed that will become a tree to bless all those around you. Don’t look at yourself and despise whatever gifts you might have. One career missionary friend was happy when he was assigned to Ghana in the 1940’s because Ghana was English-speaking and he was certain that he could never learn tribal languages. Before this man left the mission field 30 years later, he spoke seven northern Ghanaian languages perfectly and also played some of the local instruments. God always is planning to use us in ways that we cannot imagine.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, here we are. We give you ourselves, our resources, and everything we have. Please use us as You wish. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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