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.” (Matthew 13: 31-32)

The natural inclination of those who know little about mustard seeds is to dismiss it as an insignificant nut that probably will never amount to much. It is so small that it can hardly be seen. It is so tiny that it can barely stay put in the face of the slightest breeze. But, that mustard seed takes on a completely different shape when it is grown. When it is grown, it becomes greater than the other herbs. It surpasses those that began larger. When it is grown, it outstrips those that sprouted up faster. When it is grown it becomes a tree. Not just a plant, but a tree with roots, a trunk and branches.

As a mustard seed it could not stand a breeze. Now as a tree, it can withstand a storm. When it was a seed, it was food for the birds. Now, when it is grown, it becomes a home for the birds. The moral of this story is that what begins small may become large and great when it is grown. This is all the more reason to have the desire to grow up.