Some biblical scholars think Jesus...
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Some biblical scholars think Jesus’ mustard plant is what the botanists call “black mustard” — more of a shrub, really, than a plant. It grows as large as six feet tall (Bruce J. Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels [Fortress, 2003], p. 76). Black mustard is essentially a weed — the sort of plant gardeners with a sense of humor refer to as a “volunteer.” No self-respecting farmers let it grow up in their fields, if they could help it. Once established, it’s extremely difficult to root out. Curiously, in Jesus’ parable, the farmer intentionally sows the mustard seeds. What strange behavior! It’s kind of like Jesus is saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a bunch of dandelion seeds that someone sowed on the front lawn.” Why would anyone go and do a crazy thing like that? We all know how rapidly they spread, and how persistent they are — but maybe that’s exactly what Jesus is trying to tell us about God’s heavenly realm. The seeds of heaven may seem tiny and insignificant, but once they take root in the ground, there’s no stopping them!
