The Parable of the Mustard Seed in Matthew 13
The Parable of the Mustard Seed in Matthew 13
The Parable of the Mustard Seed is recorded in Matthew 13:31-32, where Jesus says, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof" [1].
Literary Context
This parable is part of a collection of parables Jesus teaches after withdrawing from the crowds to a house, where his disciples ask him to explain the Parable of the Tares (Matthew 13:36). The Parable of the Mustard Seed follows the Parables of the Sower and the Tares, and precedes the Parables of the Leaven, the Hidden Treasure, and the Pearl of Great Price. These parables are all related to the Kingdom of Heaven, emphasizing its growth, nature, and value [4].
Historical Setting
The mustard seed was a familiar element in the Palestinian agricultural context. The black mustard (Sinapis nigra) is identified as the likely plant Jesus referred to, known for its small seeds and potential to grow into a considerable shrub or tree, sometimes reaching heights of 10 feet or more [2, 3].
Key Terms
The term "mustard seed" (σπέρμα σινάπεως, sperma sinapēōs) is significant for its proverbial smallness. In Jewish tradition, it symbolized something tiny or insignificant. The growth of the mustard seed into a "tree" (δένδρον, dendron) is noteworthy, as it highlights the contrast between the seed's initial smallness and its eventual size [1].
Major Exegetical Decisions
One major decision in interpreting this parable involves understanding the "tree" that the mustard seed grows into. While the actual plant may not literally become a tree, the language is figurative and Oriental, indicating significant growth. The phrase "the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches" suggests the provision and shelter the grown plant offers, symbolizing the expansive nature of the Kingdom [2].
Range of Interpretations
Interpreters have varied in understanding the parable's meaning. Some see it as illustrating the rapid and expansive growth of the Kingdom of Heaven from small beginnings. Others focus on the contrast between the seed's initial insignificance and its eventual size, symbolizing the transformative power of God's kingdom. The parable has been interpreted in various ways across traditions:
- Jamieson, Fausset & Brown suggest that while "the Mustard Seed" points to the outward growth of the kingdom, the accompanying Parable of the Leaven may highlight its inward growth [5, 7].
- John Gill views the parables in Matthew 13 as teachings on the nature and spread of the Gospel, with the Mustard Seed illustrating its expansion [6].
Function in Tradition
The Parable of the Mustard Seed has played a significant role in Christian tradition, often used to illustrate the potential for significant growth from small, seemingly insignificant beginnings. It has been invoked in various contexts to encourage faith and to explain the spread of Christianity. The imagery of the mustard seed has also been used in hymns and literature to symbolize faith and the growth of God's kingdom.
The parable's emphasis on the Kingdom's growth from small beginnings to something substantial has comforted and inspired believers throughout history. As the Kingdom grows, it becomes a haven for many, much like the mustard tree provides lodging for birds. This image underscores the inclusive and expansive nature of God's kingdom, welcoming all into its fold [1, 3].
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”
- 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”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Mustard — A plant of the genus sinapis, a pod-bearing, shrub-like plant, growing wild, and also cultivated in gardens. The little round seeds were an emblem of any small insignificant object. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament; and in each of the three instances of its occurrence in the New Testament (Matt. 13:31, 32; Mark 4:31, 32; Luke 13:18, 19) it is spoken of only with reference to the smallness of its seed. The common mustard of Palestine is the Sinapis nigra. This garden herb sometimes grows to a considerable height, so as to be spoken of as "a tree" as ”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Parables — Remarkable Parables of the Old Testament -- Jdj 9:8-15; 2Sa 12:1-4; 14:5-7. Parables of christ Wise and foolish builders. -- Mt 7:24-27. Children of the bride chamber. -- Mt 9:15. New cloth and old garment. -- Mt 9:16. New wine and old bottles. -- Mt 9:17. Unclean spirit. -- Mt 12:43. Sower. -- Mt 13:3-23; Lu 8:5-15. Tares. -- Mt 13:24-30,36-43. Mustard-seed. -- Mt 13:31,32; Lu 13:19. Leaven. -- Mt 13:33. Treasure hid in a field. -- Mt 13:44. Pearl of great price. -- Mt 13:45,46. Net cast into the sea. -- Mt 13:47-50. Meats defiling not. -- Mt 15:10-15. Un”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 13:31: Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field;”
- 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”
- 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 ”