PART II: THE PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM
CHAPTER 4 THE MUSTARD SEED
The Parable of the Mustard Seed is found in all three
synoptic Gospels: Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32; and Luke
13:18-19. Let us look at Mark's account.
Again he [Jesus] said, "What shall
we say the kingdom of God is like, or
what parable shall we use to describe it?
It is like a mustard seed, which is the
smallest seed you plant in the ground.
Yet when planted, it grows and becomes
the largest of all garden plants, with
such big branches that the birds of the
air can perch in its shade." (Mark
4:30-32, New International Version).
Jesus again takes a known natural phenomena and uses it
to teach an unknown spiritual truth. The common mustard of
Palestine is SINAPIS NIGRA, or black mustard, which can grow
to a height of twelve feet. [John D. Davis, A DICTIONARY OF
THE BIBLE. 4th Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House,
1969), S.F., "Mustard"]. The mustard seed was the smallest
known to the Jews of that time.
Like other parables, the story begins with a seed,
representing the abstract Word of God. It then becomes the
incarnate word of God [the believer], and in this parable,
the corporate body of believers.
Ralph Earle sees the theme of this parable as, "Little
Is Much If God Is in It." [Ralph G. Turnbull, gen. ed.,
PROCLAIMING THE NEW TESTAMENT (Grand Rapids: Baker Book
House, 1961), THE GOSPEL OF MARK, by Ralph Earle, ThD, p.
The beginnings of the Christian church seemed
hopelessly small. Twelve apostles; one hundred
twenty Spirit-filled disciples--could these conquer
the world? But within thirty years the gospel
of Jesus Christ had swept around the Mediterranean
from Jerusalem to Rome. Within a century it
compassed the Roman Empire. Turnbull, gen. ed.,
PROCLAIMING THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE GOSPEL OF MARK,
by Ralph Earle, p. 39).
The parable was prophetic in that it foretold the spread
Birds in this parable have no purpose except to
illustrate the size of the mustard plant.
Minor variances in the accounts of the three synoptic
Gospels are probably due to the differences in the audiences
to whom the accounts were written. Matthew was written to
Jews; Mark to Romans and Luke to Greeks. For instance, Mark
and Luke use the phrase, "kingdom of God," whereas Matthew
uses the phrase, "kingdom of heaven." Heaven is a
circumlocution of "God," the use of which might be
offensive to Jews.
GOD HAS CAUSED HIS KINGDOM IN HUMAN HEARTS
TO GROW FROM A SMALL BEGINNING
TO A KINGDOM THAT HAS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
Let us do our part as believers to extend the kingdom of
God in the hearts of people. END