The Parable of the Mustard Seed
Mike Johnson
Matthew 13:31-32 is one of the accounts where “The Parable of the Mustard Seed” is found, and it tells us about the growth of the kingdom. The passage says:
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.’
Mustard Seed
In verse 32, Jesus speaks of the mustard seed as the least of all seeds. Those familiar with the mustard seed today are well aware of its small size.
However, the mustard seed is not the smallest seed known as several smaller kinds of seed exist. It was, however, the smallest seed that would typically be planted in the fields by the Jews. It seems Jesus used the expression (the least of all seeds) in that sense. Also, the phrase “small as a grain of mustard seed” was a proverbial expression among the Jews. It meant something very small. Jesus used the expression again in Matthew 17:20 when He said, “. . . for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Mustard Tree
Verse 32 points out that the seed grew into a tree, and it was so large the birds came and lodged in the branches of it.
Most of us are unfamiliar with mustard plants that grow this large. However, it seems that these plants could grow much larger in the Palestine area than we are accustomed to. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia points out, “Several varieties of mustard have notably small seed, and under favorable conditions grow in a few months into tall herbs 10 to 12 feet.” In his commentary on Matthew, Barnes quotes an individual who said, “I have seen this plant on the rich plain of Akkar as tall as the horse and his rider.”
Application
The seed started very small, but it produced a large plant. The kingdom, or church, is compared to this as it began with small numbers and grew to a large size.
In Acts 2, we read of the beginning of the church and its growth. Here Peter preached to people who had been involved in the crucifixion of Jesus. He told them they needed to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins (2:38). Many realized their error and obeyed. Acts 2:41 says, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” The early Christians faced much persecution, but this did not stop the growth of the Lord’s church.
Acts 4:4 shows that it continued to grow as it says, “However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.” Only the number of men is recorded. However, many women also obeyed the gospel, which would have added to this number. We can further see the church’s growth from Acts 5:14, which points out, “And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.” Acts 6:7 shows the continued growth of the early church as it tells us, “Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.” After Stephen’s death, the disciples went everywhere, preaching the Word (Acts 8:4). The scattering of the church from Jerusalem because of further persecution only helped spread the Word even more.
Finally, in Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he pointed out (1:23) that the gospel had been preached to every creature under heaven. The church grew tremendously.
It would be tough to say how many people became Christians in the first century. However, the growth was significant as Christ indicated it would be in this parable. The growth has continued even until today. Like the mustard seed, the church started small but grew to immense proportions.