Mark 4:30-34 (NKJV) The Parable of the Mustard Seed
(Matt. 13:31, 32; Luke 13:18, 19)
30 Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? 31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; 32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
Jesus’ Use of Parables
33 And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. 34 But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
Remember:
How can we understand parables?
- Read them in context.
- Interpret them in the plain, normal sense, not in the allegorical sense.
- Remember whom Jesus is speaking to, their beliefs, their culture, and the situation.
- Search for cross-references of the same terms.
- There is usually just one main point of the teaching.
V30 “Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?” Another parable to explain the basic principles of God’s kingdom. To start His teaching, Jesus asks a question to start the listeners thinking.
Constable (note on Mark 1:14-15) concerning the Kingdom of God:
“The term “kingdom” (Gr. basileia), as it occurs with “the kingdom of God” in Scripture, does not just mean everything over which God exercises sovereign authority…It means a particular worldwide kingdom over which He Himself will rule directly…Jesus’ Jewish hearers knew exactly what He meant when He said the kingdom of God was at hand, or they should have if they did not. The presence of the King argued for the nearness of His kingdom, but it was still in the future (cf. 9:47-48).
“. . . the identification of the kingdom of God with the Church made by Augustine, which has become deeply rooted in Christian thinking, is not true to the teaching of Jesus.” [Note #77: Cranfield, p. 67.]”
V31 “It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth…” This mustard seed is (Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary) “A plant that grew wild along roadsides and in fields, reaching a height of about 4.6 meters (15 feet). The black mustard of Palestine seems to be the species to which Jesus referred (Matt. 13:31–32; Mark 4:31–32; Luke 13:19). It was cultivated for its seeds, which were used as a condiment and for oil.
“The mustard seed was the smallest seed known in Jesus’ day (Matt. 13:32).”
V32 “…but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.” The point is that such a small beginning is programmed by God to produce something big. Here a seed to a mature plant. Jesus is emphasizing spiritual growth. We grow in our spiritual maturity by reading and studying the Bible (not reading a study Bible but by studying it for yourself), prayer, fellowship, singing, etc. We must be consistent.
V33 “And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.” Sometimes people were so hardened that He would not even tell a parable to explain God’s principles. Compare Ezekiel 3:7, Daniel 5:20, Mark 3:5, and Ephesians 4:18. Some things are hard to understand due to our lack of wanting to know.
V34 “But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.” The disciples wanted to know, were willing to be taught and believe, and needed to know these things.
We learn:
- Don’t harden your heart.
- More about the Kingdom of God.
Questions:
- How does one obtain a hard heart (resistance and refusal to believe God)?
- How does one depart from a hard heart?