Zygotes

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the  largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”

He spoke to them another parable. “The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.  (Matthew 13:31-35)

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.   Mustard seeds yield the “largest of plants” providing shelter and shade.  Much comes from close to nothing provided we work at it.  We can accomplish great deeds with small steps.  We can become the oaks and mustard plants.  Here’s some advice – quotes – as to how to reach those heights:

1. “Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.”  Napoleon Hill

2. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” Arthur Ashe

3. “If you can’t rent a backhoe, buy a shovel.”  Unknown

4. “Don’t let what you can’t do stop you from doing what you can do.” John Wooden

5. “Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”  Chinese Proverb

6. “You need to be content with small steps.  That’s all life is.  Small steps that you take every day so when you look back down the road, it all adds up, and you know you covered some distance.”   Katie Kacvinsky.

7. “The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”  Chinese proverb

8. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”  Lao Tzu

9. “Big things have small beginnings.”  Promethus

10. “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”  Robert Louis Stevenson

How about: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a zygote, created by the smallest of seed and egg from a husband and wife.  When full-grown, it is a human capable of great acts of charity, compassion, and love with all sorts of people dwelling in his/her arms.”  David Pierce

Remember: we all started out as zygotes. 

Deacon David Pierce