The Wheels on the Bus (and Other Important Parables)

Jesus also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a 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 air can make nests in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32

My twenty-month-old daughter has an interesting fascination with busses. Pretty much every road trip, whether it be to the grocery store or the other side of the island, is a constant barrage of shout outs to busses, for busses, and about busses. Whenever we actually see a bus, there is a delightfully high-pitched squeal that comes out while my sweet child admires the wheels on the bus that do, in fact, go 'round and 'round. I bring this whole bus obsession to light because I'm pretty sure that, for my daughter, seeing a bus on the highway actually connects to the idea that Jesus is working with in the fourth chapter of Mark's gospel.

In this part of Mark's Gospel, Jesus is attempting to give those who would listen some understanding about the kingdom of God, both now and in the future. On the one hand, Jesus is using comparison stories (parables) to describe what is going on in God's world. But on the other, He is using these comparisons to set the stage for what is to come. It is a classic example of our faith's ability to be about the right now and the soon to be. In the case of the mustard seed, we all see the comparison as being something little that grows into something big and that makes plenty of sense for us, but in this case, there is definitely something more to the parable than just a simple seed that grows into a giant bush.

Most of us, if we've been exposed to this passage before in Sunday School, have probably seen an actual mustard seed. I can remember the sweet little lady who brought in the package of seeds so that each child in my class could hold them and feel how truly small they really were. Proof positive that Jesus knew what he was talking about in all these bible lessons from afar. I can also remember wishing that my precious Sunday school teacher would have brought a picture of a mustard tree for us to see as well, because I imagined them to be as tall and stout as redwoods. Boy was I disappointed when I learned that they aren't much more than garden-size bushes. Sure, they can be eight to ten feet tall, but in my mind, I was picturing something much more majestic than a member of the cabbage family.

Which brings me back to the desire that my daughter has to see and experience the wonder and majesty of public transportation. For months now (the majority of her short life), her mother and I have sung, and listened to, several different versions of the children's classic The Wheels on the Bus. Different verses about drivers and mamas who ride the bus make this song something that my sweet child can relate to audibly and visually, especially considering the hand motions and videos that go along with this catchy little tune. For us, describing a bus is just something we do to entertain her and maybe teach her a little rhythm; but for her, a bus is comforting and thrilling at the same time. The giant people mover represents a whole new world that is waiting for her to explore and participate. A bus is big. A bus is wonderful. A bus is exciting.

Now I'm not going to go as far and say that the kingdom of God is like a bus, but I am going to point out something different about this parable that I think is important. When Jesus talks about the mustard seed, he's not just talking about a seed that grows into an eight foot tall leafy green bush. He's talking about the wonder and majesty of the smallest things in our lives. An often overlooked aspect of this particular story is the idea that our lives are made up of a lot more small things than big.

God's kingdom doesn't just grow from one tiny seed into one great big plant. It is made up of thousands of little things that somehow get brought together to make an amazing forest of Grace and Joy in our lives as faithful people. From kindness and generosity to hopefulness and optimism, God's kingdom emerges through the actions of millions of faithful people. A great deal of our time and energy is often trying to make mustard seeds into redwoods, and without knowing it, we've missed the point, which is our role in bringing God's kingdom to life.

Whenever I pass a bus, it seems insignificant, but for my daughter (and a lot of other people) that bus is no small thing at all. This past Wednesday, the local bus service brought one of my parishioners to the healing service that we celebrate each week at 9am. As the bus pulled in next door to our house, my daughter stood at the door and shouted for Joy that a real live bus had come so close to where she lived. As she went out with her mom to greet them, I realized that God was there in that moment in two places- bringing my elderly friend to church and giving my daughter an up-close and personal look at the thing she loves the most right now.

Our lives are made up of tiny little moments that have a greater impact on the world around us, whether we know it or not. Rather than going from giant event to giant event, God's kingdom is about taking life one day at a time, moment to moment, one step in front of the other. The parable of the mustard seed isn't just about faith that grows from a tiny little seed, it's about realizing that the tiny little seed is a miracle all by itself. From the excited squeals of joy to the gentle reminders that God is present, our hope is in the seemingly insignificant and the pointless, which they say, is just like the kingdom of God.