Mark 4:32 - Printer Friendly

ESV: yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

NIV: Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.'

NASB: yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants, and forms large branches, with the result that THE BIRDS OF THE SKY can NEST UNDER its shade.'

CSB: And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade."

NLT: but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.'

KJV: But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

NKJV: but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”

The mustard seed is not the smallest seed in all of existence, but at one to two millimeters, it was the smallest seed the Jews planted in their gardens at the time of Christ. It grows quickly into bushes nine feet tall and, if left to its own devices, becomes an impenetrable thicket.

The reference to the birds that shelter in the mustard sounds random, although poetic. But Jesus is referring back to Old Testament prophecy in which birds that nest in trees represent representatives of different nations who find protection in powerful leaders. In Ezekiel 31:2–6, that leader is Pharaoh; in Daniel 4:20–22, it's Nebuchadnezzar; while in Ezekiel 17:23, it is God. The first few chapters of Acts bear witness to what is essentially Jesus' prophecy. In Acts 1:15, right after Jesus ascension, about 120 people in Jerusalem claim to be Christ-followers. The Holy Spirit comes, and Peter preaches to a crowd of Jews from all over the Roman Empire (Acts 2). Three thousand from among the crowd ask to be baptized (Acts 2:41). Before long, five thousand men and an unnamed number of women are saved (Acts 4:4).

This massive growth isn't the result of Peter and John's great teaching, but of the Holy Spirit working in hearts (Mark 4:26–29). Peter and John are merely faithful to Jesus' command to teach what they had been taught.

Mark 4:30–34 is a lesson from Jesus about the power of His message. Jesus is preparing His disciples to preach the gospel. He's talked about the different types of students they'll encounter (Mark 4:1–20, 24–25), the need for teaching (Mark 4:21–23), and the fact that they can't make anyone listen (Mark 4:24–29). Like the growth of the tiny mustard seed, the gospel will cause a great movement that will change lives across the world. Mark finishes the section with a reminder of how and why Jesus uses parables to teach (Mark 4:33–34). This account is also found in Matthew 13:31–32, 34–35 and Luke 13:18–19.

Jesus speaks in parables to the assembled crowd, giving them an opportunity to decide how much spiritual truth they want to absorb. The disciples, wanting to learn more, ask Jesus to explain the meaning of the parables He has taught. As Jesus explains these ideas, He demonstrates that a person's spiritual knowledge is based on their willingness to pursue truth. After describing Jesus' teaching in some detail, the Gospel of Mark describes how Jesus calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

Mark 3 explores the different ways people react to Jesus' teaching and miracles. They either follow Him, use Him, hide Him, or destroy Him. In Mark 4, Jesus explains why people react the way they do. He uses parables to explain who is serious about learning from Him. The softer a person's heart is, the more truth God will reveal. Soon, the twelve will also spread Jesus' message, although they will not be responsible for the spiritual growth of those who believe. The following chapter returns to depicting Jesus' miracles, including two of His most famous.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.