At this point I wish to step out of my interpretation of Mark 4 in order to address a problem some seem to have with the text. From one perspective the Parable of the Mustard Seed is very troublesome for some folks. For example, many evolutionists and atheists believe they’ve found proof in Mark 4:31 that Jesus was mistaken, and, therefore, couldn’t be God. After all, begonia, petunia, and wormwood seeds are smaller than the mustard seed, and some orchid seeds are much smaller yet. The Anoectochilus imitans is the smallest known today (length = .05 millimeters). Moreover, “old earth” enthusiasts believe Mark 4:31 is proof, positive, that the Bible can’t be taken literally. Therefore, the Genesis account of creation can’t be literally true either, which is a gigantic leap, if you ask me. Nevertheless, both groups have missed the point of Jesus’ parable.
Take a look for yourself. If one wants to use Mark 4:31 as a text to prove the Bible wrong and the critic correct, one needs to stick to the context. Notice that Jesus brings the people into the question with him: “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it” (Mark 4:30; NASB; emphasis mine). In other words, it isn’t merely what Jesus believes is the smallest of seeds, it is what we (i.e., all then present) believe is the smallest of seeds (Mark 4:31). Additionally, Jesus told the multitude he wanted to use a parable, that is, he intended to use something that pointed to another matter, but wasn’t literally the thing in question. So, Jesus confessed upfront, that his account wasn’t literally true; it merely pointed to the truth, something like poetic license. Most folks wouldn’t hold a poet to speak literally, but often what he writes points to something that is literally true.
How many horticulturists do you think were present in the multitude to whom Jesus spoke? I think it is probably a safe bet to say none, but, if there were, it couldn’t have been more than a handful. Therefore, it’s fairly safe to say no one there was thinking of a begonia, petunia, wormwood or orchid seed, when Jesus spoke of the smallest of seeds. He was speaking of something any one of the folks then present might plant in his field, and perhaps did at one time or another. The smallest of **those** seeds would have been the mustard seed.[1] In fact, the mustard seed would have been the smallest of any seed that anyone in first century Galilee would have planted in his field.
Now, I don’t mean to tell anyone what they should or should not believe or how they should act or what they shouldn’t do. However, please don’t try to tell me that Mark 4:31 is proof that Jesus couldn’t be God or, because of Jesus’ statement about the size of the mustard seed proves that the Bible can’t be taken literally at all, and because it can’t, a literal understanding of the Biblical account of creation is placed in jeopardy. For all intents and purposes, you may believe as you wish, but in doing so, you haven’t proved a thing.
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[1] The smallest seed in the context of Jesus’ parable would have been the black mustard seed (Brassica nigra), which is approximately one millimeter in length.
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