Big things from small seed

     He also said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come."
     He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."
     With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34 he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
[Mark 4:26-34 NRV]

      The example that Jesus is using in this parable is noteworthy because the seed of the mustard plant is indeed very small when compared to the size of most other commonly massive plants. As a general rule the seed of almost any plant is excessively smaller than the full grown adult plant. But then we can be sure that Jesus is not really talking to the people about the art of growing crops or plants. So what do I see in this lesson?
      Most of our social and religious practices begin as a simple tiny idea; a thought. This is how human society is developed or how a culture is altered. Thoughts and ideas are expressed and the community will either cultivate them or they will be rooted out. In every collection of humans (a society) there will be those who are most comfortable with the way that the society was structured in the past. They will guard their societal structure from change to the point of ripping out those who will not conform to the established rules. For them "no change is acceptable."
      The illustration that Jesus used was not a wild vine that would overpower and chock to death the natural environment, but rather he was talking about a plant that would truly add value to the established community. However, there are always those who want their fields and lands to be free of all other plants and ideas. They feel that they have the right to guard "their world" from change of any kind. But the real truth is that this is God’s world, and we will only be here for a short time.
      What changes within our "community / world" are we being challenged with? Are we so sure that the changes are going to allow the others to establish a better relationship with each other and with God? And if it is true that "Each day God is doing something new," then why are we so afraid of change?