Jesus' Use of the Mustard Seed Parable in Teaching
Jesus frequently employed parables as a teaching method, a common practice among Eastern nations and Jewish teachers of his time [9]. The Greek word parabole signifies "placing beside or together," indicating a comparison or illustration of one subject by another [4]. Among the many parables Jesus taught, the parable of the mustard seed is recorded in Matthew 13:31, Mark 4:31, and Luke 13:19 [3].
In Matthew's account, Jesus states, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field" [1]. This parable was delivered alongside others, such as the sower, the wheat and tares, and the leaven, often to large multitudes [8, 9]. Later, Jesus would explain some of these parables to his disciples privately, as he did with the parable of the tares [2, 6, 10].
The mustard seed, generally agreed to be the black mustard (Sinapis nigru), is notable for its small size yet capacity to grow into a large plant [3]. The parable emphasizes this growth, describing how the tiny seed becomes a "tree" in which birds can lodge [3]. While some might object to calling a mustard plant a "tree," this is understood as a figurative and Oriental expression, where literal accuracy is not expected in a proverbial simile [3].
The parable of the mustard seed primarily illustrates the outward growth of the Kingdom of God [7]. It highlights how something seemingly insignificant can develop into something vast and encompassing [3, 7]. This growth is often contrasted with the parable of the leaven, which may represent the inward, pervasive growth of the kingdom [7]. The concept of seed itself is foundational, with every herb, tree, and grass yielding its own kind, and each kind having its own body [5]. The sowing of seed requires diligence and often involves waste and danger, yet it is necessary for productiveness [5].
Sources
- Matthew “He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; -- Matthew 13:31”
- Matthew “Then Jesus sent the multitudes away, and went into the house. His disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the darnel weeds of the field.” -- Matthew 13:36”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Mustard — is mentioned in (Matthew 13:31; 17:20; Mark 4:31; Luke 13:19; 17:6) It is generally agreed that the mustard tree of Scripture is the black mustard (Sinapis nigru). The objection commonly made against any sinapis being the plant of the parable is that the reed grew into "a tree," in which the fowls of the air are said to come and lodge. As to this objection, it is urged with great truth that the expression is figurative and Oriental, and that in a proverbial simile no literal accuracy is to be expected. It is an error, for which the language of Scripture is n”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Parable — (The word parable is in Greek parable (parabole) which signifies placing beside or together, a comparison, a parable is therefore literally a placing beside, a comparison, a similitude, an illustration of one subject by another.--McClintock and Strong. As used in the New Testament it had a very wide application, being applied sometimes to the shortest proverbs, (1 Samuel 10:12; 24:13; 2 Chronicles 7:20) sometimes to dark prophetic utterances, (Numbers 23:7,18; 24:3; Ezekiel 20:49) sometimes to enigmatic maxims, (Psalms 78:2; Proverbs 1:6) or metaphors expand”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Seed — Every herb, tree and grass yields its own -- Ge 1:11,12,29. Each kind of, has its own body -- 1Co 15:38. Sowing of Time for, called seed time. -- Ge 8:22. Necessary to its productiveness. -- Joh 12:24; 1Co 15:36. Required constant diligence. -- Ec 11:4,6. Often attended with great waste. -- Mt 13:4,5,7. Often attended with danger. -- Ps 126:5,6. Yearly return of time of sowing, secured by covenant -- Ge 8:21,22. The ground carefully ploughed, and prepared for -- Isa 28:24,25. Often sown beside rivers -- Ec 11:1; Isa 32:20. Often trodden into the ground, by the”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 13:36: Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field, &c.--In the parable of the Sower, "the seed is the word of God" (Luk 8:11). But here that word has been received into the heart, and has converted him that received it into a new creature, a "child of the kingdom," according to that saying of James (Jam 1:18), "Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of His creatures." It is worthy of notice th”
- Luke (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Luke 13:18: MISCELLANEOUS TEACHINGS. (Luk 13:18-30) mustard seed . . . leaven--(See on Mar 4:30-32). The parable of "the Leaven" sets forth, perhaps, rather the inward growth of the kingdom, while "the Mustard Seed" seems to point chiefly to the outward. It being a woman's work to knead, it seems a refinement to say that "the woman" here represents the Church, as the instrument of depositing the leaven. Nor does it yield much satisfaction to understand the "three measures of meal" of that threefold division of our nature into "spirit, soul, and body," (alluded to ”
- Mark (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Mark 3 (introduction): PARABLE OF THE SOWER--REASON FOR TEACHING IN PARABLES--PARABLES OF THE SEED GROWING WE KNOW NOT HOW, AND OF THE MUSTARD SEED. ( = Mat. 13:1-23, 31, 32; Luk 8:4-18). (Mark 4:1-34) And he began again to teach by the seaside: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude--or, according to another well-supported reading, "a mighty" or "immense multitude." so that he entered into a ship--rather, "the ship," meaning the one mentioned in Mar 3:9. (See on Mat 12:15). and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land--cro”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 13:3: And he spake many things unto them in parables,.... For the parables of the sower, and the different sorts of ground the seed fell in, of the wheat and tares, of the grain of mustard seed, of the leaven in three measures of meal, of the treasure hid in a field, of the pearl of great price, of the net cast into the sea, and of the householder, were all delivered at this time. This way of speaking by parables was much in use among the eastern nations, and particularly the Jews. R. Meir was very famous among them for this way of teaching: they say (a), "that when R. M”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 13:34: Then Jesus sent the multitude away,.... That his disciples might have the opportunity of conversing with him alone, about the sense of the parables he had delivered; and that he might instruct them by some others hereafter mentioned, And went into the house: left the ship in which he had been preaching to the multitude, came on shore, and returned to the house he came out of, Mat 13:1. and his disciples came to him; and being alone, make an humble request to him, saying, declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field: by which they mean, not a rehearsal”