The Mustard Seed, the Smallest Nation, and the Narrow Bridge to Graduation

The Mustard Seed Is Not the Smallest Seed

In Deuteronomy 7:7-8, Moses says something remarkable: God did not choose Israel because it was more numerous than any other people.

These verses are the foundation for Yeshua's parables and stories that contain the mustard seed. The words of Yeshua "The least of all seeds" — Matthew 13:31 — are not talking about the mustard seed at all.

Because the mustard seed is far from being the smallest seed among garden plants. The seed of the parsley, dill, thyme, oregano — all of these are much smaller than the mustard seed. However, in the Bible the word "seed" is used more for people: the seed of Abraham, the seed of David. So Moses is saying that Israel as a nation is the smallest of all the nations. This is also historically still true. Israel is the startup nation that is among the top 20 countries in the world in international patents registered in the 21st century — and it is also the smallest nation among the gigantic nations like China, the United States, and India.

Throughout their history the Israelites have been a nation set apart, not mixing with other nations. We see this from Egypt to the land of Canaan, to the book of Esther, and all the way to our own time. A new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph's contribution to Egypt, feared the Israelites' growth, and moved against them — despite approximately 200 years of Israelite life in the best part of Egypt, the land of Goshen, enjoying wealth and numerical increase. The wars of conquest that follow in Joshua describe battles against ancient and powerful peoples: the Philistines from Crete, the Hittites from Anatolia (Turkey), and the Girgashites who are identified with Qaraqisha tribes that came to Canaan from the area of Armenia and Azerbaijan of today.

Small. Set apart. Not a world power. And yet the promises in Deuteronomy 7 are addressed to this people.

Abraham Never Owned the Land Given to Him

There is a deeper dimension to all of this. Hebrews 11:8-13 tells us that Abraham — the father of the faithful, the man to whom the land of Canaan was promised as an eternal inheritance — never actually possessed that land during his lifetime. He was a stranger and a tourist in the land given to him.

This is important for us to remember: we are living a nomadic life in this world at best. We don't have a permanent home in this world. We are all like the children of Israel entering the land of Canaan to possess it — but like Abraham, regardless of where we build our home and whatever materials we use, we are still going to be pilgrims and strangers on God's good earth.

In the whole universe, our galaxy is also a transient place. It has a beginning and it has an end. Even Steven Hawking, the writer of "A Brief History of Time," wrote that there was a time that our world (galaxy) didn't exist and then came into existence, and that there will be a time that it will no longer exist. The reading from Isaiah 49:1-14 that accompanies this portion is a very important text — one in which God actually switches His servant from being the whole nation that failed miserably to do the mission of being the light for the nations, to one individual person who will accomplish everything that the nation of Israel was supposed and destined to accomplish. In chapter 49:6 the mission to be a light to the nations is moved to the Messiah — who will be revealed more fully in chapter 52:13 and chapter 53.

A Narrow Bridge and a Graduation That Is Coming

Everyone in our transient world must remember Rabbi Nachman's short poem:

The 40 years in the wilderness were a test — God says so explicitly:

To learn this important lesson, God sent our forefathers 40 years through the university of hard knocks. Many have entered and gone through this university for many years, and have even had the impression that they graduated summa cum laude — but in reality few have learned the lesson that man does not live by bread alone. "Bread" here is not only pita bread with falafel. Bread here is money and assets and bank accounts and savings and every false security we want to lean on.

Those that did learn this lesson have become humble and passionate lovers of God and humanity. Those who have successfully learned it have given up their selfish desires and worked for the good of many, not just the few in their family.

School is not finished yet. The bell has not rung. The classes are not dismissed. We are all waiting for the graduation ceremony to receive our report cards from the Man dressed in white, seated on the throne, calling those sheep to go to the right and the goats to the left. Graduation is coming for all of us. Let us see how much we can get done before the final bell and the shofar sounds. Shofar so good.