And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 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.”
I Believe I Can Fly. That is a great song but I highly doubt that the singer believes he has the ability to defy gravity and fly through the air. In short, he is not being literal but figurative. Much has been made of the fact that Jesus said the mustard seed is the smallest seed on earth when in fact, it is one of them but not THE smallest. Jesus used figurative and metaphorical language so his hearers would understand him. It is similar to us saying we are going to Xerox something, even though it is on a Hewlett Packard copier. When small seeds were mentioned, the mustard seed came readily to mind so Jesus used it.
This need not trouble the mind of the student of the Bible looking for evidence of error in the Bible. When reading Scripture, it is important to look at genre and context. Jesus spoke words in a culture so he used words that would resonate with that culture. Our English Bibles are filled with examples. Rest assured that you can believe the Bible is inerrant and thank God for it.
Dear Lord, thank you for the word that reveals your love for us. Help us to believe your Bible and understand it so we can know you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church