The Mustard Seed

῎Αλλην παραβολὴν παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς λέγων· Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν κόκκῳ σινάπεως, ὃν λαβὼν ἄνθρωπος ἔσπειρεν ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ, αὐτοῦ· ὁ μικρότερον μὲν ἐστιν πάντων τῶν σπερμάτων. Ὅταν δὲ αὐξηθῇ , μεῖζον πάντων τῶν λαχάνων ἐστὶ, καὶ γίνεται δένδρον, ὥστε ἐλθεῖν τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ κατασκηνοῦν ἐν τοῖς κλάδοις αὐτοῦ. Κόκκος σινάπεως, τὸ κήρυγμα καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι· ὀλίγοι γὰρ δοκοῦντες οὗτοι, τὴν οἰκουμένην ὅλην περιέλαβον· ὥστε τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ εὐρανοῦ, τουτέστι, τοὺς κούφην καὶ πτερωτὴν πρὸς τὰ ἄνω ἔχοντας γνώμην, ἀναπαύεσθαι ἐν αὐτοῖς. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν ἔσο κόκκος σινάπεως, μικρὸς μὲν τὸ φαινόμενον, οὐ γὰρ δεῖ θεατρίζειν τὴν ἀρετὴν, θερμὸς δὲ καὶ ζηλωτὴς καὶ δριμὺς καὶ ἐλεγκτικός· οὕτω γὰρ γενήσῃ μείζων τῶν λαχάνων, τουτέστι, τῶν ἀσθενῶν καὶ οὐ τελείων, τέλειος αὐτὸς ὡν , ὥστε καὶ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, τουτέστι, τοὺς ἀγγέλους, ἐν σοὶ ἀναπαύεσθαι ἀγγελικὴν ζῶντι ζωήν. Χαίρουσι γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι ἐπὶ τοῖς δικαίοις. Θεοφύλακτος Αχρίδος, Ἑρμηνεία Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Ματθαιον, Κεφαλὴ IΓ' Source: Migne PG 123.235c

He told them another parable, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is life a mustard seed, which when a man takes it and sows it in his field, is certainly the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown, it is the largest among the herbs, and it becomes a tree, so that the birds of heaven come and nest in its branches.' 1 The mustard seed is preaching and the Apostles, for these seem to be small things, and yet they have come to occupy the whole world, and thus as the birds of heaven, the light and winged ones who have their minds in the heavens, find their rest in them. And you should also be a mustard seed, which certainly seems small, for it is not necessary to boast about virtue, or to be fervid and zealous and bitter in reproof. So you will be great among the other herbs, that is, perfect among the weak and the flawed, so that the birds of heaven, that is, the angels, shall dwell in you who live an angelic life, for they rejoice in those who are righteous. Theophylact of Ochrid, Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint Matthew, Chapter 13 1 Mt 13.31-32