GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 4:32
Mustard Seeds
Many writers think that when Jesus referred to the mustard seed in his parable, he pointed to the black mustard, which was a common garden plant in Palestine. The small seed of the plant was often ground and used as a spice. The plant itself could grow to four to ten feet tall. The leaves could be ground and used as tea or be pickled in vinegar. The English used the plant to make “hot mustard baths” or apply a mustard plaster to the chest or back as a cold remedy.
When Jesus told his disciples, “And when it [mustard seed] is sown, it comes up and becomes greater than all the garden plants and makes great branches, so that birds of the air are able to dwell under its shadow,” (Mark 4:32) the disciples grasped the concept because the seeds and plants were common.
In Jesus’ parable, of course, the seed represented the gospel. Historically, the gospel began in the small villages of Palestine and grew to spread over the entire earth. Individually, the simple, single gospel message penetrates the heart and spreads to influence the entire individual. In Acts 13, the Apostle Paul and his companions went to Antioch to teach about Jesus, and they were so influential that “almost the whole city” gathered to hear their message. One messenger with one message influenced “almost the whole city.” (Acts 13:44) So, one messenger with one gospel message can have a tremendous effect.
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