Mark 4:30-32

Posted by DJL on May 26, 2012 in Daily Bread | 4 comments

He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

We all know what this one means, right? I mean, this is one of the most famous parables and it – along with its “cousin” saying about faith the size of a mustard seed (see Matthew 17:20, Luke 17:5) – has even jumped from the Bible to popular culture. Yeah, we know this one; so well, in fact, that this parable has all but been reduced to popular truisms:
Great things often have humble origins.
Don’t overlook something because of its size.
Modest beginnings can have huge outcomes.
And so forth.

Except… Well, except that I don’t think that’s what this parable means at all. The things about mustard seeds, you see, is that while some varieties were used as spice and others medicinally in the ancient world, in general they were considered at the very least pesky and often somewhat dangerous. Why? Because wild mustard is incredibly hard to control, and once it takes root it could take over a whole planting area. That’s why mustard was only occasionally found in a garden; more likely you would look for it overtaking the side of an open hill or abandoned field.

So pick your favorite garden-variety (pun intended) weed – crabgrass, cinquefoil, dandelion, wild onion – that’s pretty much what Jesus is comparing the kingdom of God to. Oh, and that part about the birds seeking refuge. Maybe it’s meant as a comforting image – birds finding shelter from the elements. Or maybe, given the unfavorable reference to birds in the last parable – eating the seed off the path – it suggests that once mustard shrubs take root, all kinds of things happen including the sudden presence of “undesirables.”

Looked at this way, Jesus’ parable is a little darker, even ominous. As one biblical scholar put it:

The point, in other words, is not just that the mustard plant starts as a proverbially small seed and grows into a shrub of three or four feet, or even higher, it is that it tends to take over where it is not wanted, that it tends to get out of control, and that it tends to attract birds within cultivated areas where they are not particularly desired. And that, said Jesus, was what the Kingdom was like: not like the mighty cedar of Lebanon and not quite like a common weed, [more] like a pungent shrub with dangerous takeover properties. Something you would want in only small and carefully controlled doses-if you could control it. (Crossan, The Historical Jesus).

And I think that’s the sideways truth of this parable: the kingdom Jesus proclaims isn’t something we can control. It’s not something we’d even want, at least if we’re even minimally satisfied with the way things are. Rather, the kingdom comes to over turn, to take over, to transform the kingdoms of this world. Which is why, of course, Jesus’ preaching and teaching stir things up, both then and now. “Look out, get ready, those who have ears listen,” Jesus seems to be saying, “for here comes the kingdom.” Or, to borrow more contemporary language, “Fasten your seat belts; we’re in for a bumpy ride.”

Prayer: Dear God, we may not be ready for your kingdom, but bring it anyway, because it’s what we need, even if we don’t know it…or want it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.