Grey Poupon, Anyone?

Luke continues with an accounting of what is known as the “Illustration of the Mustard Seed” presented by Jesus in Luke 13 18-19. This innocuous but important plant that Jesus used to express what faith really is was chosen for good reason. A mustard seed, in Greek it is known as sinapi and the Hebrew equivalent is chardal, is typically 2 mm in diameter or 5/64 of an inch in size. From this tiny seed, grows a huge plant that belies it’s humble origin.

Jewish tradition states that mustard is not a garden vegetable but instead was grown in fields without real cultivation or restriction. As I mentioned before, the seeds are tiny and are characterized by rapid germination. There are few plants that grow as large as the mustard plant may grow in one season. Because of the germination process, mustard (like faith) planted one day, could be growing by the following day. It is not unusual for a wild mustard plant to grow to be over ten feet tall even in milder climates that have a great deal of sun exposure. I have seen very humble people who have very little outward and worldly talents, advance and help others grow in faith even though they are truly uncultivated or uneducated in the formal word of God. Those around them were unimpressed by the size of their seed and equally unimpressed by the wild and large plant that they became.

To summarize this parable and to determine why Jesus used this plant as an example, He emphasized that the small seed grows into a very large plant in a rapid fashion. All of these qualities are found in our faith in Him as our Lord and Savior. I appreciate that God uses good examples like this to teach us.