2026.02.22 | Unexpected News
“Unexpected News”
Matthew 13:31-32
Preached by
Rev. Ashley Wai’olu Moore
Eden United Church of Christ
Cherryland, CA
22 February 2026
Good morning, Beloveds!
600 years before the birth of Jesus, during Israel’s captivity and exile in the land of Babylonian, the Prophet Ezekiel prophesied that Israel would eventually rise from the ashes of captivity and be exalted before the nations. Ezekiel famously described the coming kingdom using the vision of a mighty Cedar tree planted upon a lofty mountain top…becoming lord among trees. So imagine how shocking it would have been to hear Jesus say that the kingdom of heaven should instead be likened to a common weed.
Ezekiel ben-Buzi was a contemporary of both Jeremiah and Daniel and is counted as one of the major prophets. He was raised in Jerusalem as a member of a priestly family and entered into the work of the priesthood while he was a young man. A short time later, Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin were among the aristocracy, who were taken into Babylonian captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar in 597 BCE.
Written during the 22 years of the Babylonian exile, the book of Ezekiel is widely acknowledged to have been primarily composed by the prophet himself. (1) In the book, Ezekiel describes how he was called into prophetic ministry while in exile through a series of visions in the fifth year of his captivity. During this first prophetic period, his messages were principally directed at the city of Jerusalem and the weakened, client leadership of King Zedekiah in the southern kingdom of Judah.
In chapter 17, Ezekiel begins by sharing a political parable addressing the circumstances of that moment: a rebellious plot by King Zedekiah against King Nebuchadnezzar was unfolding that would ultimately fail. Instead of bringing freedom to Israel, Zedekiah’s action brought about the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE.
But Ezekiel goes on to close chapter 17 with a prophecy of hope in which God proclaims that Israel will ultimately be exalted in time. His prophecy reads:
Thus says the Lord God:
I myself will take a sprig
from the lofty top of the cedar;
I will set it out.
I will break off a tender shoot
from the topmost of its young twigs;
I myself will transplant it
on a high and lofty mountain.
23 On the mountain height of Israel
I will transplant it,
and it will produce boughs and bear fruit
and become a noble cedar.
Under it every kind of bird will live;
in the shade of its branches will nest
winged creatures of every kind.
24 All the trees of the field shall know
that I am the Lord.
I bring low the high tree;
I make high the low tree;
I dry up the green tree
and make the dry tree flourish.
I the Lord have spoken;
I will accomplish it.
By the time of Jesus’ birth nearly 600 years later, this prophecy and this imagery would have been well known to the Jews who were living in Israel under the occupation of the Roman empire. Though the “top sprig” and “tender shoot” was initially thought to represent the aristocratic leadership of Israel, by 5 BCE it was commonly believed to refer to the coming messiah. The new tree on the mountain is believed to represent the new kingdom that the messiah would usher in; mighty, noble and chief among nations, gathering the nations together under its leadership.
Now, “Cedar trees in the Bible symbolize strength, beauty, and durability, often representing stability and flourishing faith… (They) have been associated with spiritual renewal and healing…They are often seen as protectors. Their strong and sturdy nature providing shelter and refuge, reflecting God’s protection over us… And (they) have long been regarded as enduring symbols of eternity and everlasting life.
Cedar trees were frequently mentioned in scripture, notably in the construction of sacred spaces like King Solomon's Temple, highlighting their importance in biblical times.” (2)
Take Psalm 72:16 for example – which reads:
“May there be plenty of grain in the land...May the crops flourish like the trees of Lebanon and thrive like the grass of the field.”
So after centuries of familiarity with this imagery of the grandeur of Cedar trees, imagine how perplexing it would have been for first century Jews to hear the person rumored to be the messiah say something entirely different. For Jesus to say that “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed” was contrary to centuries of tradition and expectation. A shrub? Not just a shrub, but a plant that many considered a weed?!
Now as progressive Christians, we are well accustomed to Jesus’ turning the power structures on their head and proclaiming that the last and the least will be first in God’s kin-dom. But the people that were listening to Jesus’ message are often depicted struggling to understand his meaning. They were accustomed to and comfortable with the grand, powerful image of a Cedar tree. But a common weed that was so easily trampled under foot? How was that supposed to be inspiring?
Even as Christians who understand Jesus’ message about the upside-down kingdom where equity and fairness reign and God’s abundance is available to all, we too often seem drawn to the influence of charismatic leaders who represent power, prestige and promise protection. Is it our animal nature that we are drawn to such pack leaders? As a species, we humans seem to be drawn like moths to the flame.
The world purports this to be wisdom, while the way of Jesus is foolish and weak. At first glance, the kin-dom of heaven represented by a mustard plant seems like foolishness too.
But let’s dig a little deeper.
Jesus said,
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 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.”
Jesus is clearly invoking the memory of Ezekiel’s prophecy, but as usual he challenges the listener by changing a detail that communicates to the listener “this is not what you were anticipating. This is something unexpected.”
For those who had been expecting majesty and power for so long, the contrast could not be more starkly communicated. A seed. And not just any seed, but a mustard seed. Have you ever seen a mustard seed? I brought one for your consideration. The mustard seed was the smallest seed known in the region. Moreover, it was not a crop that people wanted to plant, but instead was considered a wild, intrusive shrub - a weed - that most farmers were trying to get rid of. Why would someone intentionally sow it in their field? The idea of the new kingdom beginning as a tiny thing that carried no value and only offered the potential for new growth must have been confusing and even disappointing. It also suggested that more time was needed for this kingdom to take root and become a plant of any substance. Hadn’t Jesus said the kingdom of heaven was at hand?
But Jesus continued with the parable saying that when this mustard plant grows, it would develop into “the greatest of shrubs and become a tree…” Did you know that mustard plants can grow to 15 feet in height if they are allowed to grow freely? And the stems of mustard plants change over time, becoming thick and sturdy, able to provide refuge for birds and other creatures. And the idea of birds nesting in its branches harkens back to Ezekiel’s prophecy about “every kind of bird” living in the branches of the Cedar.
Still, the first impression of this idea is not very appealing or inspirational. And we want our leaders to inspire us and flood our imaginations with promises of grand designs. But there’s a lot more to consider if we look even closer.
Mustard seeds are small and light and easily carried on the wind and spread by creatures. When they come into contact with soil, they begin to sprout immediately and their roots grow both extremely deep and in a wide circumference around the base of the plant. As other mustard plants grow around them, their root systems become interwoven forming vast networks. This is why it is said to be a tenacious plant that spreads easily and is extremely difficult to get rid of.
Together, these traits make for a powerful metaphor concerning the emergence, growth, durability and spread of God’s kingdom on earth!
In many ways, Jesus’ life and ministry are mirrored by this metaphor. Beginning as a meek child born in a small backwater town to a uprooted, migrating family looking for a place to land; growing to adulthood and beginning his ministry as a solitary being, then slowly gathering others, two, then twelve, then thousands. His message was disliked by some and the more it spread the more they tried to eradicate it like an unwanted weed. And when they tried to destroy it utterly, it spread and grew stronger until the message became known across the planet. In this way, the prophecy of Ezekiel was indeed fulfilled!
This is a powerful and significant metaphor for us in these times when so much of the corruption, intolerance and injustice we are witnessing seems to be too large, complicated and pernicious for any of us to have any significant impact. We still find ourselves hoping for a mighty and powerful leader to appear and turn the tide. The parable of the mustard seed reminds us that small things CAN make a difference! Small acts of kindness and justice-making matter not just to those that are immediately affected, but through the persistent and tenacious networks that we build to change lives.
Remember how the “small” actions of Rosa Parks, of Martin Luther King Jr., of Mahatma Gandhi, of Nelson Mandela took root and eventually brought about tremendous change. As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
Through the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus was telling us to stop expecting that grand, sudden and powerful solution to appear but to “think globally, but act locally” instead. Trust that the new reality is unfolding even now and that we can make a difference.
And THAT is very good news indeed!
May it be so. Amen.
Though the book was later edited by others.
“30 Powerful bible verses about cedar trees” Bible Study for You, April 12, 2025. https://biblestudyforyou.com/bible-verses-about-cedar-trees/. Accessed 2/18/2026.