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What the Bible Says about Drugs

I have recently become aware of some reports that indicate drug and alcohol abuse is again on the rise in our country.  I believe since 9/11 our country has been going through a period of great stress.  There is growing cynicism with elected leadership and this results in people—especially young people feeling empty and hopeless.  As people become disillusioned they will return to their faith and guiding principles but for those who don’t have these resources they will often seek an artificial means to fill this void.  News reports confirm that in PA the state run liquor stores are expanding because they have been so busy in this “bad” economy.  It is truly sad while very few parts of the economy are growing two of the fastest growing businesses in PA are state sponsored liquor and gambling.

In the past we have had sermons concerning what the Bible says about alcohol.  Essentially we learned that strong drink is prohibited, getting drunk is prohibited, and there are a number of good Biblical reasons as to why a Christian should abstain from alcohol altogether.  It turns out that the Bible has a great dealt to say about drinking alcohol but what about illicit drugs?

Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 November 2009 00:40

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About Mustard Seeds and Trees

Flo and her friend Cathy asked me an interesting question the other day.  They had always heard about how small a mustard seed was and had even seen a real seed but never the grown plant.  “How big do they get?”  The answers I dug up made for a nice news letter article.

I thought that the mustard “tree”—some say “weed” grew to a height of about 12 feet.  It turned out I was pretty close.  There are some ancient references to mustard trees being big enough that you could climb them.  Perhaps Jesus was referencing one of those.  However, the evidence for their existence is somewhat weak.  Perhaps Jesus was intending for us to think another way about this.

Normally when you pick a tree as a symbol for a country or organization you pick something large and stately like an oak or cedar, or something valuable like an apple or olive tree.  However Jesus picked a mustard tree.  What are the peculiar characteristics of this plant?  Its seed is extremely small about two millimeters.  It grows quickly at first but then it is slow and steady.  It’s generally not well liked in Palestine and is illegal to cultivate to day because it spreads uncontrollably.  It will grow practically anywhere breaking stone and concrete and up rooting and supplanting other garden plants.

Jesus wasn’t trying to develop an analogy which would impress his hearers.  On the contrary he was conveying that to the world the kingdom would not be well liked nor would it seem stately and grand.  However in the end it would prove successful in its ability to tare down and uproot the world systems and all this from an inconceivably small beginning!