Tuesday, October 14, 2008

No such thing as a mustard tree?

In Matthew 13, Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed, "but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof."

(Jesus also likened faith to a mustard seed, but didn't talk about it turning into a tree.)

So has anyone ever seen a mustard tree? A Google search turned up a number of Oak Trees, and this picture of a guy standing next to... a bush.

So why did Christ say the mustard seed grows into a tree?

One explanation is that the growth of the kingdom of heaven is miraculous, growing beyond what would be expected.

Another might be that Christ was talking about a large mustard bush that could handle birds.

I like the former explanation, but who knows for sure?

Let me know if you have a better idea.

4 comments:

  1. When I find ambiguity in the language of the KJV, I usually reference the New Revised Standard Version. Here's the language there:
    "He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

    Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to clarify your question in this instance.

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    1. Always go to original text about specifics!

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  2. But speaking of shrubs,

    I was at Lowe's on Monday, where a sign said "Clearance: All trees 25% off"

    I had two sapling trees, a Blue Colorado Spruce (1 foot; grows to be 25 feet tall) and a dwarf something or other. I said, are these trees 25% off, and the lady said, "No. Those aren't trees. Those are shrubs."

    If I was 50 years older I might have argued with her that a small tree is not a shrub. Instead, I just laughed (as per Elder Wirthlin's instructions) and went about my day.

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