Spoonful of seeds sitting on a table

On Ministry Encouragement

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.” (Matt. 13:31-32)

Discouragement in the ministry of the gospel is not new, and it is not rare. Two centuries ago, Charles Spurgeon asked, “Who can bear the weight of souls without sometimes sinking to the dust?” Some reasons pastors face discouragement, including our own faults and failures, problems in our families, and the myriad of challenges in the people to whom we minister. Many days, we have front-row seats to the harsh realities of sin’s destructive consequences. It takes a toll.

Pastors need encouragement, and it is essential that we find it in the right place. If we chase encouragement through sin, we will only compound the issue. Thankfully, God designed many passages in His Word to bolster our courage and promote perseverance. One such place is Jesus’s parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31-32. The point of this parable—the mustard seed principle— is that God’s kingdom might seem insignificant, but it will progress to glorious fulness. An English proverb makes the same point: “Great oaks grow from little acorns.”

In this parable Jesus doesn’t intend to reflect absolute botanical accuracy. He uses a common proverb regarding the mustard seed being small but growing to a large size to teach a lesson about his kingdom. It will grow so large that birds will nest in it. The image of the tree with birds nesting in it draws from Daniel 4:12, 21 and Ezekiel 17:23, 31:6. Birds, in this case, stand for Gentiles. God’s kingdom may not look like much, but it will grow into its glorious fulness, which includes Gentiles. 

The use of images from Daniel provides three key ecclesiological insights:

  • God’s Kingdom will one day displace all kingdoms.
  • His kingdom work includes Gentiles from all nations.
  • God’s kingdom is unstoppable.

The mustard seed principle helps discouraged pastors in at least four specific ways. 

Remember the Source of Ministry Progress

The basis of our confidence in the progress of Jesus’s kingdom work is confidence in him. The church may not look like much, but it is much larger today than 2,000 years ago. The expansion of God’s kingdom we read about in Acts hasn’t stopped. And it won’t. The mustard seed is growing.

Perhaps one source of pastoral discouragement is mistakenly believing success in ministry is a result of our gifting (preaching great sermons), work ethic (putting in the time), resources (having enough money or the right building), or wisdom (counseling with just the right technique). We can learn from Moses here: God is pleased to use us as his instruments but does not need us to lead our people into the Promised Land. 

Rather than discourage us, this frees us from the burden of having to generate kingdom growth outside of God’s provision. It also protects us against pride when God grants growth and progress. In both the ups and downs, the church is His creation, and His grace fuels her progress.

Remember, Setbacks Are Temporary

Many days, it might feel like the church is small, insignificant, and doomed to fail. We may indeed be small, but the church can’t fail. This includes macro setbacks like hostile governments persecuting Christians, closing churches, and deporting missionaries. It also includes micro setbacks like dips in attendance, conflict within church leadership, and slow progress in discipleship. 

The mustard seed principle is meant to equip us to persevere when we’re discouraged by setbacks. This proverb assumes both God’s sovereignty and omnipotence. Perhaps we need to adjust our expectations of how God will advance his kingdom. In the mustard seed principle, Jesus prepares us to endure sin, evil, marginalization, and persecution. 

Don’t Play the Comparison Game

One application of the mustard seed principle is a caution against jealousy: ministry and worldly jealousy. When it comes to ministry jealousy, we may be tempted to look at other churches and covet their size, facilities, staff, or success. The mustard seed principle teaches us to be joyful for the ways that God is at work in other churches while simultaneously remembering that he is still at work in our church, even if, by comparison, we feel like we are failing. 

When it comes to worldly jealousy, we may be tempted to look at the influence of governments, businesses, and even celebrities and wish that we had their popularity, resources, or power. This is where the echoes of mustard seed principle in Daniel help us. God’s kingdom will displace all other kingdoms, including mighty governments and wealthy companies. Coca-Cola won’t last forever; Jesus’ church will. 

Don’t Underestimate What God Is Doing 

Finally, the mustard seed principle compels us to be sure we are not underestimating God’s personal and corporate work. We can be comforted by the fact that God is at work in us, even as we do not bear the responsibility to cause kingdom growth. Pastor, God is pleased to use our efforts for his glory, no matter how feeble they seem. 

Years back in my pastoral ministry I noticed a recurring dissatisfaction with my sermons. Every single week I would be frustrated because of flaws in my preaching. God graciously revealed to me that this dissatisfaction was driven by my assumption that skilled preaching is the basis of kingdom growth. This is not an excuse for lazy sermon preparation or careless preaching; it reminds us that we are jars of clay. 

The mustard seed principle also reminds us not to underestimate what God is doing in our churches. While growth may seem slow or nonexistent, this parable teaches us that God is working. Beware of only being satisfied by high attendance numbers or large donations. The Spirit’s work is often imperceptible in the short run. Keep preaching, keep leading, keep counseling. Point people to Jesus and his glory in the gospel. 

Be encouraged—the mustard seed is growing by God’s grace and for his glory.

©2024 Ryan Boys. Used with permission.

About The Author

Ryan Boys
Ryan Boys

Ryan Boys serves as the lead pastor of Green Pond Bible Chapel in Rockaway, NJ. He is the author of the forthcoming How to Preach Apocalyptic with Fontes Press.

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