“On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. ² Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. ³ And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?” ⁴ But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him, and sent him away. ⁵ Then he said to them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a sabbath day?” ⁶ And they could not reply to this. ⁷ When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; ⁹ and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. ¹¹ For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”” Luke 14:1-11

Dropsy is the swelling of the body due to excess fluid retention – what we today might call “generalized edema”. Dropsy was used in the ancient Mediterranean world as a metaphor for the greedy – those who have an insatiable thirst for more (money, possessions, greed) even though their bodies already retain too much fluid. It is against this background then that Jesus tells the parable of the wedding banquet – a general story about the insatiable need for honor and power. Greed and his cousins pride and pretentiousness will not have seats at the table at the heavenly banquet in the Kingdom of G-d. While people fight for the best seats in this world, there are no seats for purchase, no VIP seating for earthly VIP’s. Jesus is looking for a heart of humility, and a willingness to serve others rather than to be served.

Pastor Dave 

“He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? ¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”” Luke 13:18-19

“He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; ³² it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” Matthew 13:31-32

“He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; ³² 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.” Mark 4:30-32

When we read the different versions of the parable of the mustard seed (in the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke), we see that there are variations in the details of the parable.  – look at the variations and ponder why they are different. In one the seed is sown in the field; in another in a garden; and in the third it is sown upon the ground. What do you think would account for the changes – the differences? In two of the versions, the seed grows up to be a great shrub – in the other it becomes a tree. A tree in a garden suggests a fruit-bearing tree in a small space – while a shrub in a field suggests something wild and invasive and out of control. 

When in your life have you experienced faith that was so small – the size of a seed? What has helped your faith grow? When have you felt your faith getting out of control?

Pastor Dave