The Parable of the Mustard Seed
Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed, which starts as a tiny seed and grows into a large, life-giving tree.
Mark 4:30-32Mark 4:30-32 commentary presents another parable of Jesus about the kingdom of God (v 30)—“The Parable of the Mustard Seed.”
“The Parable of the Mustard Seed,” as presented in Mark, appears to be the third and final parable of a trilogy of parables about the mysterious and remarkable growth of the kingdom of God.
The first parable of this trilogy is “The Parable of the Sower” (Mark 4:1-20Mark 4:1-20 commentary)
The main element “The Parable of Sower” focused on was the soil/heart. It depicted how different conditions of the heart affect spiritual growth, fruitfulness, and one’s response to the kingdom of God.
In “The Parable of the Sower,” Jesus compared four conditions of soil and their receptivity of seeds. The measure of crops produced by the four different soils represented the four conditions of believers’ hearts, their receptivity of God’s word, and the fruitfulness of their lives.
Perhaps it was because “The Parable of the Sower” introduced the elements and themes common to these other parables that Jesus asked His disciples:
“Do you not understand this parable [The Parable of the Sower]? How will you understand all the parables?” (Mark 4:13bMark 4:13b commentary)
Understanding Jesus’s “Parable of the Sower” helps us understand the second and third parables of this trilogy.
The second parable of this trilogy is “The Parable of the Seed” (Mark 4:26-29Mark 4:26-29 commentary)
The main elements “The Parable of the Seed” focuses on is the word of God/seed which reveals thekingdom and its principles. God’s word causes an amazing and mysterious process of growth as it develops within a believer’s heart.
“The Parable of the Seed” depicts the stages of growth, showing that God's kingdom develops over time, according to His divine order and power, without human control or full understanding.
The third parable of this sequence is “The Parable of the Mustard Seed” (Mark 4:30-32Mark 4:30-32 commentary)
The main point of “The Parable of the Mustard Seed” is the incredible outcome from the seed. It demonstrates how God's kingdom and its life-fostering results astonishingly expand far beyond what at first seems possible.
In “The Parable of the Mustard Seed,” Jesus compares the remarkable result of a tiny seed growing into a mighty tree to the abundant flourishing that believers share and enjoy when they live by faith according to God’s kingdom principles.
Mark records Jesus introduction “The Parable of the Mustard Seed” with two rhetorical questions and His own answers to them.
He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?” (v 30).
The pronoun—He—refers to Jesus.
Jesus’s first rhetorical question was:
How shall we picture the kingdom of God?
This question introduced the subject of His parable as the kingdom of God.
Thekingdom of God has multiple meanings. The kingdom of God can refer to:
The LORD’s promise of the Messianic kingdom—a time when the people of Israel prosper, are exalted, and are led by their Messiah-King. This is a future, physical manifestation of the kingdom of God.
The reality and recognition of God’s eternal authority and rule over the world, including the present moment. This is the ever-present current reality of the spiritual kingdom of God.
The kingdomof God is an eternal reality. And within time it is both present and future. It is not of this world (John 18:36John 18:36 commentary). Yet it will one day be fully and physically realized on this world (Daniel 2:44Daniel 2:44 commentary, commentaryRevelation 11:15Revelation 11:15 commentary). In the current age, Jesus's followers can enter into kingdom life by faith (Matthew 6:33Matthew 6:33 commentary). Only those who are faithful witnesses will reign in God’s kingdom when it is fully and physically established (Matthew 7:21Matthew 7:21 commentary).
Jesus answered His first rhetorical question—How shall we picture the kingdom of God?—with His second rhetorical question, which was—by what parable shall we present it?
His answer to His first rhetorical question amounted to this: we shall picture and present the kingdom of God by a parable.
The answer to Jesus’s second rhetorical question is the parableHe was about to teach—“The Parable of the Mustard Seed.”
Jesus begins this short parable:
It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil (v 31).
The first instance of the pronoun—It—refers to the kingdom of God. The second instance of the pronoun—it—refers to a mustard seed, which Jesus describes as smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil. The main comparison of this parable is the kingdom of God to a mustard seed.
The soil likely represents the hearts of believers, as it did in the previous two parables of this trilogy (Mark 4:2-20Mark 4:2-20 commentary, 4:26-294:26-29 commentary).
Jesus compares this infinite, invincible kingdom to a tiny seedwhich, when sown upon the soil, is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil.
The comparison in this simile seems unusual. The kingdom of God is expected to be vast and mighty, with borders beyond measure. With God as its protector and His Messiah as its king, it should be invincible. It defies expectations that the kingdom of God should be like the tiniest of seeds. But that is exactly what Jesus compares His infinite, invincible kingdom to—a tiny seedwhich, when sown upon the soil, is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil.
But this smallest of seeds holds more than meets the eye. It carries immense potential to grow into something far greater and entirely different from its current form.
Notice how a mustard seed’s potential is activated when it is sown upon the soil. In terms of the parable, this likely means the kingdom of God’s potential is activated when the seed of its message is sown upon the soil of the receptive hearts of believers.
Next, Jesus explains and completes the parable:
Yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade (v 32).
And yet, despite being smaller than all seeds, when it is sown upon the soil, the mustard seed grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches.
The small, round mustard seed (only 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter) grows into an astonishing tree with roots, a trunk, limbs, and large branches. It is remarkable that something so tiny and unassuming can transform so completely. The kingdom of God is like that too.
Small, seemingly insignificant and humble acts of faith and love done in the name of Jesus, which often go unnoticed amid the boastful affairs of human kingdoms, are like mustard seeds. They grow larger and have a far greater eternal impact than all the mighty deeds of fame performed in the name of earthly kings.
Of the tree the mustard seed becomes, Jesus adds, the birds of the air can nest under its shade.
Jesus frequently references birds of the air in His teachings. In the Sermon on the Mount, when advising His disciples not to worry, He encourages them to consider thebirds, which neither sow nor reap, yet are provided for by their Heavenly Father (Matthew 6:25-26Matthew 6:25-26 commentary). Later, when sending His disciples to spread the Gospel among the tribes of Israel, where they would face persecution, He reminds them that even when sparrows fall to the ground, the Father in heaven sees it. Jesus reassures His followers that they "are more valuable than a great number of sparrows" (Matthew 10:31Matthew 10:31 commentary).
In the original Greek of Mark’s account (like Matthew 13:32Matthew 13:32 commentary and commentaryLuke 13:19Luke 13:19 commentary), what Jesus said about the birds of the air contains a double meaning, or a pun. The Greek word translated as air is the same word that is also translated as heaven. Both are "ouranos." Both meanings are valid, and the various translations fit their respective contexts appropriately. The ordinary birds that fly through the air are also “heaven’s birds” that belong to God who created them.
When the mustard seed grows into the mustard tree, it becomes a life-giving tree that provides shelter to the birds of the air. Jesus's depiction of the mustard tree mirrors another tree described by the prophet Ezekiel. This tree, too, was likened to a kingdom.
Ezekiel compares the kingdom of Assyria to a magnificent tree, grander even than the trees in the garden of Eden. It, too, was a life-giving tree. However, God declares that this tree, like the kingdom it symbolized, is now condemned and will be cut down for exalting itself in place of God. Before it was cut down, Ezekiel described it in this way:
"All the birds of the sky nested in its twigs, And under its branches all the animals of the field gave birth, And all great nations lived under its shade." (Ezekiel 31:6Ezekiel 31:6 commentary)
The image of birds nesting in the branches of Assyria represents the many kingdoms and peoples that benefited from the structure provided by the Assyrian kingdom. Similarly, Jesus’s main point in this brief and somewhat humorous parable seems to be that, although the kingdom of God may appear small and unnoticed, almost invisible at present, it will eventually grow to surpass anything anyone can imagine. Whenit does, it will become a source of life and community, just as the mustard tree provides shelter for the birds of the air. The image of birds coming to nest in and out of the tree is reminiscent of a vision the Apostle John had of the new Jerusalem, the capital city of the kingdom of God, in Revelation.
"The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed." (Revelation 21:24-25Revelation 21:24-25 commentary)
The kingdom of Assyria saw itself as being above God, attempting to rule in His place and take on His role. However, no kingdom, no matter how mighty or boastful, can replace God’s kingdom. Jesus’s reference to the tree and kingdom described in Ezekiel may suggest that the kingdom of God is the true and enduring kingdom, while all other kingdoms, no matter how grand they seem now, will eventually be cut down, just as the long-gone kingdom of Assyria was.
This idea is further supported by the image in Daniel 2Daniel 2 commentary, commentary where a rock made without hands destroys the kingdoms of the world and then fills the entire earth. While the kingdom of God will one day encompass the entire earth, there is still immense benefit for people living on earth when God’s people embody kingdom principles. By doing so, they bring the kingdom of God to earth through the Body of Christ. Believers in Jesus are called to be salt, a small portion that preserves and influences the whole (Matthew 5:13-14Matthew 5:13-14 commentary).
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Mark 4:30-32 meaning
The parallel Gospel accounts of Mark 4:30-32Mark 4:30-32 commentary are Matthew 13:31-32Matthew 13:31-32 commentary and commentary Luke 3:18-19Luke 3:18-19 commentary.
Mark 4:30-32Mark 4:30-32 commentary presents another parable of Jesus about the kingdom of God (v 30)—“The Parable of the Mustard Seed.”
“The Parable of the Mustard Seed,” as presented in Mark, appears to be the third and final parable of a trilogy of parables about the mysterious and remarkable growth of the kingdom of God.
The main element “The Parable of Sower” focused on was the soil/heart. It depicted how different conditions of the heart affect spiritual growth, fruitfulness, and one’s response to the kingdom of God.
In “The Parable of the Sower,” Jesus compared four conditions of soil and their receptivity of seeds. The measure of crops produced by the four different soils represented the four conditions of believers’ hearts, their receptivity of God’s word, and the fruitfulness of their lives.
Perhaps it was because “The Parable of the Sower” introduced the elements and themes common to these other parables that Jesus asked His disciples:
“Do you not understand this parable [The Parable of the Sower]? How will you understand all the parables?”
(Mark 4:13bMark 4:13b commentary)
Understanding Jesus’s “Parable of the Sower” helps us understand the second and third parables of this trilogy.
The main elements “The Parable of the Seed” focuses on is the word of God/seed which reveals the kingdom and its principles. God’s word causes an amazing and mysterious process of growth as it develops within a believer’s heart.
“The Parable of the Seed” depicts the stages of growth, showing that God's kingdom develops over time, according to His divine order and power, without human control or full understanding.
The main point of “The Parable of the Mustard Seed” is the incredible outcome from the seed. It demonstrates how God's kingdom and its life-fostering results astonishingly expand far beyond what at first seems possible.
In “The Parable of the Mustard Seed,” Jesus compares the remarkable result of a tiny seed growing into a mighty tree to the abundant flourishing that believers share and enjoy when they live by faith according to God’s kingdom principles.
Mark records Jesus introduction “The Parable of the Mustard Seed” with two rhetorical questions and His own answers to them.
He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?” (v 30).
The pronoun—He—refers to Jesus.
Jesus’s first rhetorical question was:
How shall we picture the kingdom of God?
This question introduced the subject of His parable as the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God has multiple meanings. The kingdom of God can refer to:
The kingdom of God is an eternal reality. And within time it is both present and future. It is not of this world (John 18:36John 18:36 commentary). Yet it will one day be fully and physically realized on this world (Daniel 2:44Daniel 2:44 commentary, commentary Revelation 11:15Revelation 11:15 commentary). In the current age, Jesus's followers can enter into kingdom life by faith (Matthew 6:33Matthew 6:33 commentary). Only those who are faithful witnesses will reign in God’s kingdom when it is fully and physically established (Matthew 7:21Matthew 7:21 commentary).
Jesus answered His first rhetorical question—How shall we picture the kingdom of God?—with His second rhetorical question, which was—by what parable shall we present it?
His answer to His first rhetorical question amounted to this: we shall picture and present the kingdom of God by a parable.
The answer to Jesus’s second rhetorical question is the parable He was about to teach—“The Parable of the Mustard Seed.”
Jesus begins this short parable:
It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil (v 31).
The first instance of the pronoun—It—refers to the kingdom of God. The second instance of the pronoun—it—refers to a mustard seed, which Jesus describes as smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil. The main comparison of this parable is the kingdom of God to a mustard seed.
The soil likely represents the hearts of believers, as it did in the previous two parables of this trilogy (Mark 4:2-20Mark 4:2-20 commentary, 4:26-294:26-29 commentary).
Jesus compares this infinite, invincible kingdom to a tiny seed which, when sown upon the soil, is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil.
The comparison in this simile seems unusual. The kingdom of God is expected to be vast and mighty, with borders beyond measure. With God as its protector and His Messiah as its king, it should be invincible. It defies expectations that the kingdom of God should be like the tiniest of seeds. But that is exactly what Jesus compares His infinite, invincible kingdom to—a tiny seed which, when sown upon the soil, is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil.
But this smallest of seeds holds more than meets the eye. It carries immense potential to grow into something far greater and entirely different from its current form.
Notice how a mustard seed’s potential is activated when it is sown upon the soil. In terms of the parable, this likely means the kingdom of God’s potential is activated when the seed of its message is sown upon the soil of the receptive hearts of believers.
Next, Jesus explains and completes the parable:
Yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade (v 32).
And yet, despite being smaller than all seeds, when it is sown upon the soil, the mustard seed grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches.
The small, round mustard seed (only 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter) grows into an astonishing tree with roots, a trunk, limbs, and large branches. It is remarkable that something so tiny and unassuming can transform so completely. The kingdom of God is like that too.
Small, seemingly insignificant and humble acts of faith and love done in the name of Jesus, which often go unnoticed amid the boastful affairs of human kingdoms, are like mustard seeds. They grow larger and have a far greater eternal impact than all the mighty deeds of fame performed in the name of earthly kings.
Of the tree the mustard seed becomes, Jesus adds, the birds of the air can nest under its shade.
Jesus frequently references birds of the air in His teachings. In the Sermon on the Mount, when advising His disciples not to worry, He encourages them to consider the birds, which neither sow nor reap, yet are provided for by their Heavenly Father (Matthew 6:25-26Matthew 6:25-26 commentary). Later, when sending His disciples to spread the Gospel among the tribes of Israel, where they would face persecution, He reminds them that even when sparrows fall to the ground, the Father in heaven sees it. Jesus reassures His followers that they "are more valuable than a great number of sparrows" (Matthew 10:31Matthew 10:31 commentary).
In the original Greek of Mark’s account (like Matthew 13:32Matthew 13:32 commentary and commentary Luke 13:19Luke 13:19 commentary), what Jesus said about the birds of the air contains a double meaning, or a pun. The Greek word translated as air is the same word that is also translated as heaven. Both are "ouranos." Both meanings are valid, and the various translations fit their respective contexts appropriately. The ordinary birds that fly through the air are also “heaven’s birds” that belong to God who created them.
When the mustard seed grows into the mustard tree, it becomes a life-giving tree that provides shelter to the birds of the air. Jesus's depiction of the mustard tree mirrors another tree described by the prophet Ezekiel. This tree, too, was likened to a kingdom.
Ezekiel compares the kingdom of Assyria to a magnificent tree, grander even than the trees in the garden of Eden. It, too, was a life-giving tree. However, God declares that this tree, like the kingdom it symbolized, is now condemned and will be cut down for exalting itself in place of God. Before it was cut down, Ezekiel described it in this way:
"All the birds of the sky nested in its twigs,
And under its branches all the animals of the field gave birth,
And all great nations lived under its shade."
(Ezekiel 31:6Ezekiel 31:6 commentary)
The image of birds nesting in the branches of Assyria represents the many kingdoms and peoples that benefited from the structure provided by the Assyrian kingdom. Similarly, Jesus’s main point in this brief and somewhat humorous parable seems to be that, although the kingdom of God may appear small and unnoticed, almost invisible at present, it will eventually grow to surpass anything anyone can imagine. When it does, it will become a source of life and community, just as the mustard tree provides shelter for the birds of the air. The image of birds coming to nest in and out of the tree is reminiscent of a vision the Apostle John had of the new Jerusalem, the capital city of the kingdom of God, in Revelation.
"The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed."
(Revelation 21:24-25Revelation 21:24-25 commentary)
The kingdom of Assyria saw itself as being above God, attempting to rule in His place and take on His role. However, no kingdom, no matter how mighty or boastful, can replace God’s kingdom. Jesus’s reference to the tree and kingdom described in Ezekiel may suggest that the kingdom of God is the true and enduring kingdom, while all other kingdoms, no matter how grand they seem now, will eventually be cut down, just as the long-gone kingdom of Assyria was.
This idea is further supported by the image in Daniel 2Daniel 2 commentary, commentary where a rock made without hands destroys the kingdoms of the world and then fills the entire earth. While the kingdom of God will one day encompass the entire earth, there is still immense benefit for people living on earth when God’s people embody kingdom principles. By doing so, they bring the kingdom of God to earth through the Body of Christ. Believers in Jesus are called to be salt, a small portion that preserves and influences the whole (Matthew 5:13-14Matthew 5:13-14 commentary).