He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” (Matthew 3:31-33 ESV).
The Mustard Tree, also known as the “toothbrush tree,” has the scientific name of Salvadora persica. This tree has been mentioned in Roman and Greek literature, with the oldest mention in literature being in our reading today. It has been a part of Jesus’ parables in all four Gospels. It was first known for its medicinal properties, though later came to be a staple of the culinary world. The Greeks used it to cure toothache and improve blood circulation. The mustard tree can reach heights of 30 feet with branches close to the ground. Its width can also grow as much as its height, which is why horticulturists classify it as an evergreen shrub.
Jesus also uses salt and yeast in his parables. These have several things in common. Both come in tiny granules and are used for enhancing food. By the time the food is eaten, they have pretty much become invisible, but the contributions they make are very noticeable. Yeast works well to make dough rise when you are baking bread, and salt is both a seasoning and a preservative. Jesus uses these small seeds as a means to indicate that often it is the “small things” that make the difference in people’s lives.
I have often been surprised by this truth. Not long ago I was walking through the grocery store doing my weekly shopping and a young man stopped me. He asked me what my name was. After telling him, he turned to his two children that accompanied him and said, “This is the man who baptized me when I was your age.” I apologized for not recognizing him, though that was over thirty years ago, and he had certainly changed a great deal. He went on to tell me that he was so scared that he nearly backed out at the last moment. He said I put my hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear: “Don’t worry, I’ve got you!” He said, that made all the difference to him. We visited a bit longer, catching up on the years and he thanked me again for those simple words. Just a little thing to me, but a great thing to him and now his children. Don’t think that the little things you do don’t matter. In God’s hands they make all the difference in the world to someone!