The Parable of the Mustard Seed
According to the two-source hypothesis, Matthew and Luke probably received their information from the same source, dubbed “Q” for simplicity’s sake. The term “garden” was originally used in this parable. If this is the case, then we can easily see why Luke uses this term. At this time in history, however, Jewish law forbade citizens to plant mustard seeds in their gardens. Matthew, in light of this fact, may have changed the wording to ‘field’ so he would not offend anyone with his gospel. Additionally, some scholars believe that Mark is merely a compilation of the gospels of Matthew and Luke. This being the case, Mark would have had to make up his own interpretation, since Matthew and Luke do not agree on this matter. This explains the fact that he uses yet another word to describe what the seed will become. Scholars think that the gospel of Thomas was written independently, without copies of the synoptic gospels. Therefore, Thomas’s version would not necessarily coincide with the synoptic gospels.
Another significant variation within the gospels is the question of what the mustard seed will grow into, be it a shrub, tree, or plant. In this time era, people knew that mustard seeds had the ability to spread and grow quickly, and many times they could grow several feet high. For this reason, Mark’s interpretation of a shrub is easy to understand. Luke, however, weaves much more symbolism into his version of the story. In this time era, trees were representative of kingdoms. Since one can conclude from Jesus’s parable that the mustard seed referred to the kingdom of God, Luke may have reread Mark’s version, according to the two-source hypothesis, and used this logic to imply that a tree could better signify the kingdom. Matthew, who may have read Mark’s version before beginning his own, agrees that the seed grows into a shrub, but then allows that the shrub can grow into the tree. In Thomas’s version, the word ‘plant’ is used. This is a rather generic term, but serves the same purpose as the synoptic gospels.
All four gospels agree on the fact that birds are the animals that find refuge in this parable. Therefore, one can assume that birds refer to the people of God. However, there is a degree of disagreement between the ideas of whether the birds will rest in the branches of the tree/shrub, or the shadow and shade below the tree/shrub. This disagreement can be explained by the previous discrepancy regarding what the mustard seed would grow into. Both Matthew and Luke, who agree that the seed grows into a tree, admit that the birds will find rest in the branches of the tree. Mark and Thomas, who only allow the seed to grow into a small shrub or plant, tell us that the birds will find their shelter in the shade of the plant. In every instance however, one is assured that the people of God (the birds) can find refuge and shelter in God’s kingdom, which is represented by the shrub or tree that grows from the mustard seed.
The writers of these gospels were dealing not only with the job at hand of interpreting the scriptures, but at the same time, they also had to combine their social and self-texts with the actual text of the Bible as they reread their sources. One cannot know the exact reasons for the differences between these gospels. Even as we read through the gospels today, we may find ourselves guilty of understanding concepts in new lights and interpreting ideas in different ways than others.
