Words'nTone

Sowing and the mustard bush
In the second follow-up parable, The Parable of the Mustard Bush, the imagery is consistent with Mark’s programmatic themes and reinforces a public dimension to evangelism.

And He said, “How shall we picture the Kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?  It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; SO THAT THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE” (vv 30-32).

The picture of the proverbial small mustard seed producing a comparably large bush for the size of the seed is suggestive of small beginnings vs. large results.  However, this, too, can obscure the subversive nature of this Kingdom-parable.  First, the mustard plant is not a tree; it is a large bush.  Second, this bush is an uncontrollable plant that tends to take over the garden.  Finally, what farmer in his right mind wants birds in his garden?

Like Mark’s opening verses, the Parable of the Mustard Bush “mingles” three OT texts: Ezekiel 17:23, Ezekiel 31:6, Daniel 4:12.

On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately cedar.  And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches (Ez 17:23).

All the birds of the heavens nested in its boughs,
    And under its branches all the beasts of the field
      gave birth,
    And all great nations lived under its shade (Ez 31:6).

The tree grew large and became strong
    And its height reached to the sky,
    And it was visible to the end of the whole earth.
Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant,
    And in it was food for all
    The beasts of the field found shade under it,
    And the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches,
    And all living creatures fed themselves
      from it (Dan 4:11-12).

What is of interest is the contrast between the trees in the OT referents and the bush in the Marken parable, and, as well an overlooked reference to the poor in the Daniel 4 context.

The two Ezekiel referents are judgment parables, while in Daniel the context is a parabolic vision of judgment on the king of Babylon.  All three references utilize the tree motif, which is OT imagery for kings and their Kingdoms, and the branch imagery represents how a Kingdom offers protection and sustenance to its subjects.  Mark, on the other hand, alters the OT imagery, ever so slightly, replacing the noble Cedars of Lebanon and the large and strong tree of Babylon with a domesticated mustard bush.  “It is hard to escape the conclusion that Jesus deliberately links the rule of God to a weed.”

Daniel’s interpretation (4:19-26) indicates that Nebuchadnezzar’s dominion would be taken away until he recognizes that the Most High is ruler over the realms of mankind (i.e., the true Ruler of all the trees! v 25).  Then, in light of the branch imagery, there is an interesting juxtaposition between the pending judgment and Daniel’s advice to the king of Babylon:

Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity (Dan 4:27).

This reflects the Exodus land stipulations concerning righteousness and the poor.  Ironically, the warning is to a non-Israelite, anti-Yahweh king, ruling a Gentile empire.

The OT trees vs. the Marken mustard bush, along with Daniel’s reference to showing mercy to the poor infuse the concept of the “in-breaking of the Kingdom” with a broader sense than simply individual conversion.  The Kingdom of God, having taken root and growing mysteriously, subverts “existing Kingdom visions and power structures.” The Parable of the Mustard Bush expands our understanding of evangelism to include issues regarding the dominions of mankind (i.e., socio-economic and power structures) and the poor.