4.1 THE PARABLE

Three gospels report this parable in almost identical words. We can read them on Matt. 13: 31-32; Mk.4 30-32 and in Lk. 13: 18,19

"The Kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field ("garden" Lukes version). It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of all shrubs (herb) and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air comes and make nests in its branches." (Matt. 13)

"It is like grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 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 aid can make nests in its shades"

(Mark 4)

The introduction of this parable is given by Mark in a striking way. Here Jesus says, "With what can I compare the Kingdom of God or what parable shall we use for it?" (Mk 4:30)

Luke also describes a similar expression "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?" (Luke 13:18)

Evident in both reports is Jesus’ emphasis on finding a suitable parable. The concept is going to be difficult and Jesus expresses his great difficulty. This parable turns out to be a great stumbling block.

4.2 IT IS LIKE A MUSTARD SEED

Mustard seed evidently represents faith. In Matthew 17:20 Jesus says, "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall move." Again in Luke 17:6 we have: He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.

Have you ever thought why the mustard seed is the representation of faith? Not because it is small. Faith can be as large as your life. The comparison lies in its nature. It is probably the most tightly packed seed of all. There is no place for air inside it. Later we shall see that air is the dominion of the devil. As a result it can withstand high pressures and high temperatures. Your faith may not be an all encompassing faith, that fills the totality of your personality, being and activity. Initially it is restricted to only a certain section of your being or personality or activity. You may have a pretty strong conviction in that area. that is the beginning of the Kingdom of Heaven. In everyone’s life it starts that way. It appears a grain of conviction at the time of your rebirth. Later, as you grow up in faith, you realize the fruitfulness of God and regions of surrender expands. This is the process of maturity in Christian growth. Everyday you realize the fullness of God an you yield a new area to Him until your total personality belongs to Jesus.

The Christian Church also grows like that. Historically it grew up like that. A small group of people unskilled in art and science and philosophy formed the beginning of the historical church. There were only twelve with Jesus always and 120 at Pentecost in the upper room. They were not learned men. But they had the conviction of the reality of the resurrected Jesus.

Mustard seed is a spice used in cooking. Broken down under the high temperature of oil it gives out subtle pervading aroma. Freshly ground mustard is a potent penetrating dressing. It is used in the East as counter acting force against severe headaches. The paste is applied wantonly can cause burns. Evidently mustard seed is symbol of high potency.

4.3 SOWED IN HIS GARDEN

Notice that this seed was sown in his own garden. The soil is prepared and tended. "Where you sowed your seed and watered it with your feet, like a garden of herb." (Duet. 11:10) The picture here seems to be the backyard where essential herb were grown by the family.

In the first parable, the sower was sowing at random in the open ground; in the second parable the sowing was done in his own field. Here in the third parable it is still narrowed down. What is sown is a single seed and it is sown in his garden. Luke uses the word explicitly, while in the others it is implied by the act of using one seed.

" Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been laid. So......they laid Jesus there." (Jn. 19:41-42) Out of this seed grew the church which is described in this parable.

All these indicates that we are now talking about the church and not about missions and evangelisation. That was the purpose of the first parable. But now the church is here. It is the body of Christ.

4.3 IT BECAME A TREE

"But when it is grown it is greater than the herb, and becomes a tree."

Whenever I taught this parable, I ask the question. "Have you ever seen a mustard tree?" So far I have not come across any one who has actually seen a mustard tree. I ask them their concept of it as they have derived from this parable. They all describe a large tree of the size of an Oak or a Peepul Tree with branches reaching upto the heavens and with birds of all type making their nests on it. That is actually the picture painted in the parable.

"It put forth large branches"

"birds of the air come and make nests "

But in reality there is no such mustard tree. Was Jesus making a mistake? Read the parable over.

"But when it is grown, it is greater than all herb (shrubs)" So Jesus very well knew that mustard was a herb.

There are two types of mustards. The yellow variety and the black variety. Both are herb and are widely used in cooking. But the black variety is more abundant because the yield is much greater. The yellow mustard is a low lying plant - not growing more than a foot or two. The black variety grows into a shrub with its stems going upto a man’s height. This herb is a seasonal plant. It grows fast and covered with yellow flowers and produce fruit and it dies out. New plants grow in its place.

Mustard is supposed to grow into herb. Herb add spice to the food for men and mustard is supposed to make it more savory. It acts like salt, added in small amounts bring out its aroma and make life pleasurable.

But this mustard is a special one. It became a shrub, but it did not stay there. It grew and grew and grew into a tree which filled the earth. In the Bible we have two descriptions of trees that grew to fill the earth with their branches reaching the heavens beyond the clouds.

The first description is found in Ezekiel 31. This is the description of the Kingdom of Pharaoh.

Ez 31: 2 "Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: "'Who can be compared with you in majesty?

3 Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high, its top above the thick foliage.

4 The waters nourished it, deep springs made it grow tall; their streams flowed all around its base and sent their channels to all the trees of the field.

5 So it towered higher than all the trees of the field; its boughs increased and its branches grew long, spreading because of abundant waters.

6 All the birds of the air nested in its boughs, all the beasts of the field gave birth under its branches; all the great nations lived in its shade.

Then the tone changes and the judgment is pronounced.

A similar description is seen in Daniel 4: 20-23

20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth,

21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the beasts of the field, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds of the air--

22 you, O king, are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.

The tree we see is a symbol of a Kingdom of the world. A tree is always on earth and is earthly. A man blessed by God is like tree on earth (Psalms 1). there were trees of immense beauty in God’s garden on earth in Eden. because this was an earthly kingdom.

Now we see that the church which was supposed to be a mustard herb grew up into a kingdom. It happened in history by a strange turn of events. In the Year 315 Constantine became the Emperor of Rome. During the thick of war he saw a vision of the monogram of Christ and heard the voice of assurance of success if the war was fought under the cross. He did this and he won. Thus a religion which was persecuted and hated became the religion of the state. A period known as State Church was born. But to consider this event as a an event of miracle will be taking the matter to absurdity. As we have seed in the previous chapter Christians were persecuted and massacred. In spite of that Christianity grew in number and the Christians were the spice of society. They made life tolerable in times of perils and disaster. They literally exemplified the good Citizenship and ideal man. As time went on even the new way found its way into the bastions of Royalties. There was now no going back. If Constantine saw the cross in his visions it was no accident. He was constantly been told and has been seeing it. If he had to arrive at the status of an Emperor, the old maxim of "One Country, One Faith" is to be maintained he had no other alternative. His opponents were pagans and the best way to out wit them was with this new faith which was defeating all human obstacles.

Whatever the reason was, as far as the Christians were concerned it made all the difference. A church which grew strong under the persecution in the underground movements suddenly found open air and grew up as a wild growth. A strange mutation took place. Instead of a mustard herb, we got a tree.

Constantine and his devout mother began a period of rebuilding. Wherever a church was destroyed previously a more magnificent one arose. In Jerusalem Constance personally designated the places of Jesus’ life events and built over them magnificent imposing structures. New expensive churches and much money for bishops soon brought Christianity into popularity. It became popular and convenient to be a Christian. The positions of Bishop became covetable for the power, authority and wealth they brought. In Ad 324 the Emperor ordered all his subjects to be Christians. They marched groups of people to the river for baptism. Later in AD 341 the two sons of Constantine - Constantine II and Constantius in an edict ordered all temples closed and forbade sacrifices and idol worship on penalty of death. Freedom of individual man to chose right and wrong on which the whole dealing of God and Man rested was thrown to dogs. The incarnation itself was invalidated by forced conversion and opportunism.

As the position of bishop became increasingly important, they began to take over secular kingdoms. Rome being capital, the Roman Bishop became more influential and powerful. But it was not always received meekly. The reaction came with Doantus the Great, bishop of Carthage, who claimed that his church was the true Catholic Church, his sacraments and ordinations alone valid. A severe persecution of Donatists utterly annihilated them by 321.

4.4 PUTS FORTH LARGE BRANCHES THAT THE BIRDS OF AIR CAME AND MADE NESTS IN ITS SHADE.

The large branches capable of offering nests for the birds of the air is evidently not possible in a mustard herb however large it grew. Birds of the air, or birds of the heaven always symbolize the Satanic powers. Whenever the ‘the birds of the air" is used symbolically it means children of the prince of the air. Prince of the air is Satan. Eph. 2:2 says "wherein you once walked, according to the course of the world, according to the prince of the powers of the air." Again Eph 6:12 says: "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual powers of hosts of wickedness in heavenly places."

Birds of the air are the birds of the heaven - the high flying birds of prey. These are considered unclean birds, not to be used as food. Remember we are now not talking about birds - but birds as an image. Our Lord clearly identified them in his interpretation of the first parable. "Birds are the evil ones " - Satan and all the forces of evil.

In Genesis 15 we see the birds of the air at the covenant ceremony between God and Abraham. In the midst of the description of a solemn symbolic sealing of the covenant, the sacred book deviates for a short while to tell us an apparently insignificant thing. "Birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abraham drove them away". It is significant in that Satan was trying to stop that covenant.

When Satan discovered that he cannot crush the church by persecution, he allowed it to grow into a kingdom of this world. Now he can come into it freely and build his nest. Prestige, honor, power, authority and money became the ruling factors of Church.

"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to him, "All these things I will give you, if you fall down and worship me," (Mtt. 4:8-9) Jesus rejected it. But the people who are called by his name bought it back. In rejecting Jesus sealed the salvation of mankind and in accepting church seals the damnation of the world on all who enter in it.

Birds began to flock into the church. They argued, they criticized, they fought, flew around. Birds do all sorts of things. If you have ever lived near a tree filled with birds you will know what I mean. Oh, they even sing. They have the most beautiful organ.

That is what exactly happened. Synods and councils, intrigues and diplomacy, declaration and banishment. This is the history of the church of this time. This is being continued within the church hierarchy all over the world. However this was predominant at the time of the State Church Period and in the Papacy Period. The tree was very large with lots of birds of prey on its branches. The story is too long and painful to describe in this short article. The reader is asked to read many of the books which deals with the black side of the Christian Church Administration of this period

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A short historical background

The aim of this narrative is to outline the nature of the conflict between church and state in period following the conversion of Constantine to Christianity.. It concentrates on the papacy not because it was concentrated in Roman Papacy alone but because it was here that the effects were pronounced because Rome was the leading nation of the period. The main theme is the power struggle that went on between State and the Church. In Constantine, the Church was used as a tool to control the people by the Emperor. But soon the Church became too big for its shoes and the Church began to control Emperors. Then ensued the struggle between the State and the Church which is known as the Investiture Struggle.

Claims of Papal Authority:

Papal claim for authority from the Bible is based on a wrong interpretation of the passage:

Mat. 16:16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

18 And I tell you that you are Peter ( Petrus a small piece of rock), and on this rock (Petra solid rock) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Evidently Jesus was not going to build his church on a small vacillating piece of rock but on the faith that he was indeed Christ. At any rate in the next minute Peter was directly called Satan. Did Jesus build his Church on Satan?

The first synod of the Church when a decision on gentiles were to be made, it was done in Jerusalem, not in Rome; and it was James the brother of Jesus who presided over it even when Peter was present on that occasion. Though it is possible that Peter visited Rome, there are no known valid documentation or evidence for this other than legends over it. Paul was the Apostle of Rome. In fact hierachial system and priesthood were never part of the original church. It was brought in by the back door as Churches became powerful and pastors became bishops with regalia.

However the rise of Roman Church and papacy was a historical development brought about by the political conditions of the world at that time. Being bishop of an important city naturally gave increased stature, and Rome was (until the 4th century) the most important city in the western world. The Eastern Churches which were in existence then ,however totally rejected the claims of the Roman Church. The Bishops of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Constantinople and India never accepted that claim in spite of pressures. The claim remained one sided and gave opportunities for, bishops who were deposed by a local churches due to heresy or moral problems to take advantage and refuge in Roman church who were very willing to do that. It was through these intrigues that Papacy became powerful

Epicsopos becomes Bishop

Christianity came to Rome probably as early as 49 AD. St. Paul reached Rome in 61-63 AD and was martyred by decapitation in 67 AD. The leaders were called Episcopos or Deacons. The name Bishop appears only from Ad 160 onwards. The first bishop was Stephen I who was bishop during AD 254-257. Then came Xystus II (257-258 who was martyred by the emperor Valentinian. Marcellinus (296-304) recanted under persecution during the reign of Diocletian and was apostacised.

Constantine's conversion made matters different. Pope Damasus I (366-384) could now claim of Roman Church and referred it as "the Apostolic See of Peter". In 312 the Lateran Palace was given to bishop Miltiades as Pope’s residence by Constantine’s mother and the first official State Church was build over the legendary site of Peter’s crucifixion and became Vatican. But the Popes who reigned there were mostly weak in political wielding of power till Leo I (440-461) who claimed to be the "heir" to the throne of St. Peter. Since Peter was the chief of Apostles all bishops were subject to him. However at the death of Leo, the subsequent Popes were not that powerful and they fell into disrepute and in AD 537 Pope Silverus was deposed and Vigilius who took over was carried away as a prisoner and died in labor camp

Papacy had to wait till 590 AD when Gregory became Pope. The political situation in Rome gave him the total control of the City and he declared himself as the ruler of Rome. His strong administrative abilities soon put power in his hands within the Church and also in the State. It was by the efforts of Gregory that Britain became Christian.

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4.5 JESUS WRITES A LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN PERGAMOS

Jesus addresses this church as Pergamos in Revelation 2:13-17. The name Pergamos means certainly married. A very significant name. The empire of Rome married the Church which is supposed to be the Bride of the Lamb. The bride waited and waited for nearly three centuries for the bridegroom to come from the heavens as he has promised. When the eschatology did not take place, she decided to take a husband from among the empires of the world - at least in Rome and that was the most eligible bachelor of the place - the Empire of Rome itself. Thus the harlotry begins

Rev. 2:12 "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.

13 I know where you live--where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city--where Satan lives.

14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.

15 Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

4.6 CERTAINLY MARRIED

In the context of the addressing and history it is doubtful whether "Yet you remain true to my name" which is translated in RSV as "Yet you hold fast to my name" is to be considered as a commendation or disgust. Like the adulteress who holds fast the name of her husband and enjoys the bounties of him, the Church being married to the worldly empire claimed still to be the Church of Christ. It did everything in the name of faith, including force, persecution and killing then on. Those who read the later history will think twice before interpreting otherwise. Antipas means against all - who withstood all others for the truth. This truth was sacrificed at the altar of Satan. As the history unfolds we see the truth sacrificed over and over again at the altar of Satan for the fancy of an emperor, empress Pope or a bishop.

4.7 TEACHING OF BALAAM

Balaam, a prophet of God who lived among the heathens was hired by Balak the King of Moab to curse the passing Israel. Though greed and desirous of money Balaam could not curse the People of God. So he counseled that Israelites be invited for Moabite festivals and thus seduce the men to take wives from Moabites. You can read the story in Numbers 22 - 24 and a clear exposition of Balaam’s teaching in Numbers 31:13-20. You cannot defeat the People of God. But there is a possibility of weakening them. Seduce their men. Let power and pleasure enter the Church, that will weaken it.

"That they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice immorality." Honoring the memory of apostles and martyrs gave way to adoration. They began to call these men ‘saints" and all other sinners. (The Bible says that all Christians are saints) Then they began to pray to them (AD 375) and made them intermediary gods. This was an old concept where a big God is approached through a lesser god. Mary became the carrier of God and Mother of God. (AD 431) and from her evolved a sinless, eternally virgin Queen of Heaven who never died and was taken to Heaven where she now reigns sitting beside her son. The concept of the virgin goddess as Queen of Heaven is as old as Nimrod the Great Hunter, builder of Babel. Read also Jeremiah 44. Worship of pictures and idols became an open practice in the churches. Of course there were oppositions. But under the ruling power , the outer church went on. Relics became the object of worship.

Lord’s supper became a sacrifice - the sacrifice has to go on every day because the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross was not complete. People will have to eat the flesh and drink the blood of this God to be made holy for a while until it is digested.

Worship became liturgical with magical chants and music. It was just the copy of any temple worship in any other religion except their names were changed. Zeus became Jesus, Diana became Mary, Appolo became Peter and so on. Idol worship and spiritual harlotry were here to stay. It continues even today.

4.8 NICOLAITANS

Along with Balaam’s teachings came Nicolaitans. The trend of a spiritual leader in early church now began to crystallize. Like all pagan religions a special privileged class of clergy with all sorts of hierachial authority began to evolve. To consolidate the position of priest even the basic teaching of Christianity were manipulated until only the husk remained.

Dominion of the Keys of Peter

Doctrine of Extreme Unction

Priests wear distinctive dress

Venerable Pope of Eternal City

Public Confession forbidden

Confession only by priests

Roman Pope as Spiritual and Temporal Authority

Mary Mother of God

Doctrine of Petrine succession declared

Child Baptism as a removal of original sin

Priests as a class with celibacy

All house gatherings prohibited

One Church - One Parish

Universal Jurisdiction of Roman Church Declared

Mass as sacrifice

Veneration of Angels and mediators

Use of Idols

No salvation outside of the Roman Church

40 days fast on lent

Was candles used

Crucifixes used

300

AD

400

500

600

THE GROWTH OF NICOLAITANISM

DURING THE STATE CHURCH AGE

By the end of this period

Priests became more powerful than the Emperors

4.9 GOD’S PLAN

While Satan was thus able to conquer the Church, God’s plans were not foiled. It was all within the design of the growth of the Kingdom of Heaven. The low growing mustard herb grows under the shade. The big tree provided the shade. In spite of all the corruption and politics there remained the sons of the Kingdom. Small mustard Herb’s still grew in the shade of the church and even outside in small groups. they grew, flowered produced their own kind and vanished to give way to a new generation.

One such place where the faith the seed of the Word of god lived on was the monasteries. When social life became a heresy, many faithful withdrew behind the walls to lead a separated life, to study the word and to live a useful life. these places became the palaces of great learning. We are grateful to their meticulous way of preserving the Word of God. The great thing is that these places were protected by the Roman Empire and the Roman Church. The mustard did continue under the shadow of the Tree.

In the East and West there were influences of these vibrations. But just the same way the fire was still burning. More so in the Eastern Churches than in the West.

This plan of God cannot be beaten. It is even today functioning. Under the shadow of mammoth cathedrals, unbelieving clergy and hostile theological world, the sons of the Kingdom are still sprouting. they grow, flower, give rise to the fruits. It does not matter what denomination, or what is the structure of the organization under whose shadow it lives. If you look underneath you will still see the mustard Herb.