Matthew 13:31-32

“He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field;’” vs. 31

As Jesus taught the people who came to him for refuge, consolation, and healing he regularly used familiar metaphors to describe the kingdom of heaven that was now at hand in his presence. It was a genius way to make the indescribable real. A simple image could open their minds to understand the great truths that were at the core of his message.

The mustard seed was small and yet when it was planted it grew into the greatest of all shrubs and could even provide shelter for the birds of the air.

And Jesus says, “That’s what my kingdom is like. It may not seem like much now, but one day it will spread across the earth and encompass all the nations.”

And he was right! The community of faith he founded was very tiny, only a few dozen people at most. But once it was planted, empowered by the Spirit, it grew quickly, and now can be seen and experienced in every land. And it’s in this community, the Body of Christ, that broken and hurting people continue to be touched by the healing love and compassion of Jesus. It has truly become a house of prayer and refuge for all nations.

And the small acts of kindness done by the faithful still have out-sized results. The deeds we think of as nothing have an astonishing effect.

Thought for the Day: My most potent small act of kindness.