The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Why does Jesus use the mustard seed when teaching about the kingdom of heaven? Ezekiel and Daniel compare the kingdom to glorious trees, but not a mustard tree? What is the meaning of this twist? Watch Dr. Pitre discuss it in this video.

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Commons Images used:

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio [Public domain]

Pietro Perugino / Public domain

Raphael / Public domain

[humphreyobanor]

You are a blessing to this generation, thank you.

[joannekoecheler]

WOW! That was great. I will hear that parable with new ears. Thank you

[norseesron]

Have always had questions on WHY the mustard seed, and love the very intriguing take on that parable. 👍👍 thank you!

[SaintCharbelMiracleworker]

When you talk about describing a glorious kingdom in the OT by likening to a tree I immediately thought of the Jesse Tree (named after the father of David). Our family has a tradition of putting up the Tree of Jesse at beginning of December with the nativity scene at the foot. My Mrs is European, it's an ancient medieval tradition from her side of the family. The ornaments are Saint icons printed on star and ball decorations with their names printed in gold on the other side. The first 3 icon decorations we put on the tree is always Saint Nicholas of Myra, Patriarch Abraham and Jesse.

From December 1 to December 24 every day our kids choose an icon decoration each to put on the tree but before they place it on the tree, they have to tell the rest of the family a short story about the person represented on the icon decoration. The icon decorations include Joseph, Moses, King David, Job, Isaac to John the Baptist, the Holy Apostles, Zechariah, Mary Magdalene, Elizabeth, you can go to town on all the biblical characters and we do. Isaiah, says: "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit."

[aliszhinchaenz]

I would love my friend who is a seventh day adventist to watch these programs. But unfortunately they despise anything that's not theirs

[beverlyroberts]

Great job as usual Dr. Pitre. I learn something every time from you. God bless you.

[brideofchristalleluia]

Simple but powerful. Right to the point. God bless you man of God

[rodelsaguian]

Little to great tree. Thank you Brant Pitre.

[KimInteligando]

Thank you so much for this. God bless you more! 🙏🏻😇

[alephtav]

Woman seed is Jesus
Amen
Seed are people of GOD
And became A great foundation of His Kingdom

[tookie]

What work has been done on how the same parables are being used differently in different gospels?

[cuauhtemocmorisco]

Its gonna get ugly before it looks beautiful. We say this when picking grapes in the fields LOL some grapes are just plain hideous looking but when you cut the ones that don't taste good and you fix it up right then it looks like the greatest healthiest grape that you ever picked.

[johnlawrence]

When you begin the journey of a pilgrim journeying towards enlightenment, the moments of purity are few - as you meditate you perhaps experience bliss for one hundredth of a second. This is the mustard seed. Finally after many many years you reach a point where bliss is always there, however preoccupied you may occasionally be with events in the gross world. And when nothing there distracts you bliss overwhelms your awareness
That’s the fully grown tree

[vikinglife]

The parable of the mustard seed explains the hierarchy of the Catholic church but has been misinterpreted for centuries. A mustard is an annual herb not a perennial plant so when it grows to become a tree (perennial plant) it becomes something it is not supposed to be. When the birds of the air come to roost in its branches those birds represent the enemy infiltrating it. He refers to the leaven and leaven is always sin. Read what is says closely.. Luke Chapter 13 verses 18-21, English Standard Version He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened. of the air in the parable of the seed are the enemy therefore these birds of the air are also the enemy in this parable. Leaven throughout the bible has always represented sin. This is the church that grew to become a tree and the enemy infiltrated it aka the Vatican. The word is consistent so you cant say the birds are not the enemy and you cannot say leaven is not sin otherwise the bible would be contradicting itself.

[afmario]

I was writing of attribute that were my shield to help preserve oneself and their values...

The Bible says, "if you have a faith to the size of a mustard seed and tell a mountain to move, it will..."

Attitude of the mustard... 😉

[droddick]

Mustard seeds don’t seem to be that small either. Could that also be symbolic? A seed you may not value or notice could produce much in the kingdom of God.

[JJoseph]

2 points to consider
1. Jesus also said if you have faith like a mustard seed.
2. Birds of the air nesting. If the ancient Jews considered the birds to be the gentiles. Paul in romans said the gentiles are now grafted in. So then who are the nesting birds in the Kingdom of Heaven?

[bluebubbletron]

The fact is that a mustard tree doesn't grow as big as to nest birds, another point is to not in Genesis, and they shall bring forward fruits of their own kind. Now a mustard tree will not over grow to nest birds. Check out how weak a mustard tree is.. I have seen them and they don't nest birds. Then also read the parable right before and make note of what are the Birds of the air. Both the parables were back to back in the same location and time. Jesus was saying not to over grow God's law but bring forth fruit that are not according to its own kind and over grow like a mustard tree that shouldn't have and then the birds of the air the evil ones that picked up the grains in the previous parable will nest on the tree that over grew.

[kingfree]

You are mistaken he compared it to a weed because it must be cut down .you are living in the kingdom of heaven if you could only hear and see! Seek ye the kingdom of GOD