Hey Dad,
Pass the mustard seed
“It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches”
Sitting around with dad today, we might lay out all the things he loves to eat. Hot dogs, hamburgers, kielbasa – what else? The fixings we love – ketchup, onions, and our theme for today, mustard.
How did that mustard get there?
The Hunter – Angler – Gardener – Cook website notes how easy it is to make mustard. They start by saying: “What do you mean you can make mustard at home?â€
“Well… How did you think it was made? By mustard elves under a tree?†They note: “If you
have mustard seed and water, you can make mustard.â€
The basic idea behind making mustard is this: Grind seeds and add cool liquid. At its most basic, this is all mustard is. Adding an acid, most often vinegar, stops and sets the reaction in place – this is precisely what happens with horseradish as well. Adding salt not only improves the flavor, but also helps preserve the mustard, too. Finally, let your mustard set in the fridge or in a cool place for at least a day to age and mellow.
Mustard of course comes from that giant bush that grows from the smallest of seeds. That’s what today is all about – growth.
Our dads and those other important men in our lives have been there to guide that growth. We don’t start out finished anymore than the mustard seed starts out as the finished bush or as really yummy mustard. Dad sees that we grow in the right way.
Jesus says: “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it?†It is the story of the mustard seed.
God’s guidance over our growth is absolute. He is our heavenly Father. Just as the cedar and the mustard seed cannot grow without His oversight, we cannot possibly grow the way we should without His guidance and presence in our lives.
Nothing gets to perfection without effort. Certainly dad will tell us that we need study, patience, work hard, and practice. Dad is speaking for God here as well. We cannot get to heaven, to spiritual perfection, to our destiny with God without study, patience, hard work, and practice.
When dad asks for the mustard today, remember that we are all growing, no matter our age. We will get to where we are meant to be – people who fulfill God’s plan for our growth. Trusting in Him like we do in dad, and we will win.