It’s not unlike the conflict between the old man and the new creation in individuals. There is an ongoing process of sanctification at work, as the Spirit transforms us into the image of Christ. The progress appears, like the mustard seed, to be small and insignificant at first. But, over time it will grow and grow into the plant it was destined to be.

I think the key in the church, as in the individual, is the orientation or the trajectory; is the community as a whole moving towards that Christ-likeness, is it static and going nowhere or is it actually sliding backwards? If a group of believers is moving forward, growing in Christ and reproducing, then I think it is healthy. It would actually be “unhealthy” if there are very few “younger brothers,” because the finger-pointers and “accusers of the brethren” shut them out. Tim Keller’s point from the passage is that the “younger brothers” outnumbered the “older brothers” and were far more receptive to Jesus and the message… I think that’s something I need to be reminded of.