Mark 4:30 Isn't Jesus lying when he says?

Question

“How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? 31 “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, 32 yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches;

There are many seeds smaller than a mustard seed like orchid seeds some can spawn up to 35 million microscopic seeds per ounce and many trees larger than a mustard tree like the Eucalyptus Regnans one of which grew to 492 feet.

This is either a plain bald face lie by a Man who is supposed to be God and should know everything or an ignorant mistake by a 2000 year old Rabbi who couldn't be expected to know any better.
What do you think?

Answer 1

Did they have microscopes 2000 years ago?

Answer 2

Ahhh yes, another person who has no business in the religion and spirituality section.

to answer your question though, yes, there are seed smaller than a mustard seed, but they did not have microscopes back then now did they? He was talking of what they knew. it also says the tallest of the "garden plants." I do not see any oak or maple trees planted next to the lettuce or squash in gardens.(especially 492 ft. trees) and also, orchids were not in their gardens. they did not know what orchids were.

notice it is a parable. and earthly example with a heavenly meaning.(I know this may be hard for you to grasp but give it a try) it is not a plain, bald face lie. it is truth.

Answer 3

May I please allow smarter people than I to answer on behalf of myself? I would like to do one of those horrid copy/pastes, and I hope you don't mind.

"Please note that Jesus was not comparing the mustard seed to all other seeds in the world, but to seeds that a local, Palestinian farmer might have "sowed in his field," i.e., a key qualifying phrase in verse 31. And it's absolutely true that the black mustard seed (Brassica nigra = Sinapis nigra) was the smallest seed ever sown by a first-century farmer in that part of the world.

It's also true, as many modern-day encyclopedias will tell you, that the black mustard seed in Israel will typically grow to heights of 3.7 meters, or twelve (12) feet) -- plenty large enough to hold a bird nest.

It's important to remember that the Bible often uses everyday terminology in order to communicate simple truth. Even today, we might refer to a "sunset" when, technically, scientifically, we know that the sun never actually 'sets,' i.e., it's the earth that revolves."

"The context of Matthew 13 makes it quite clear that Jesus was addressing a local lay audience, not an international conference of botanists. It seems that no reasonable person would therefore insist for very long that this text provides a viable basis for questioning either Jesus or the Bible, when it comes to getting the facts straight -- scientifically, historically, or technically."

Answer 4

First of all this is a parable.

Question: "What is the meaning of the Parable of the Mustard Seed?"



Answer: Like with all parables, the purpose of the Parable of the Mustard Seed is to teach a concept or “big idea” using elements or details like birds, weeds, and growth, that are common, easily recognized, and are usually representational of something else. While the elements themselves do have importance, an overemphasis on the details or literal focus on an element usually leads to interpretive errors and missing the main point of the parable. One of the possible practical reasons that Jesus used parables, is that parables teach a concept or idea by using word pictures. By depicting concepts, the message is not as readily lost to changes in: word usage, technology, cultural context ,or the passage of time as easily as a literal detailed narrative. Two thousand years later, we can still understand concepts like sameness, growth, the presence of evil influence, etc. This approach also promotes practicing principles rather than inflexible adherence to laws. Further emphasis on a singular point is given when multiple parables are given consecutively on the same subject as is the case with the parable of the mustard seed.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed is contained in all three of the synoptic gospels. However, the Gospel of Matthew provides us with the most peripheral information, as it includes one parable before and after the mustard seed parable, each teaching on the same subject. Each of the three parables: the weeds among the wheat, the mustard seed, and the yeast, have six common elements in them providing structure which helps us to interpret the individual parables. The common elements are: (1) a similitude about "the kingdom of heaven," the earthly sphere of profession both true and false, (2) “a man,” Christ, (3) “a field,” the world, (4) “seed,” the Word of God or its effect, (5) "growth or spreading," church growth, and (6) "the presence of evil," weeds, birds of the air, and yeast.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed was taught in rhetorical hyperbole. Here Jesus uses a shrub/tree coming from a seed (John 12:24) to represent kingdom growth, consistent with other tree/kingdom references (Ezekiel 17:23 and Daniel 4:11-21). With the seed’s growth, it attracts the presence of evil - depicted as birds (Matthew 13:4,19; Revelation 18:2) to dilute the church while taking advantage of its benefits.

So the picture painted in the Parable of the Mustard Seed by Jesus is of the humble beginnings of the church experiencing an explosive rate of growth. It grows large and becomes a source of food, rest, and shelter, for both believers and false professing individuals that seek to consume or take advantage of its benefits while residing or mixing among what was produced by the seed (1 Corinthians 5:1, 6:7, 2 Corinthians 11:13, Galatians 1:7). In other words, Jesus predicts that while the church will grow extremely large from just a small start, it will not remain pure. While this is not a condemnation of the "bigness" of modern Christianity, it does show us the greatest burden that comes with it. The Parable of the Mustard Seed is both a prediction and a warning. May we listen to its message.

Answer 5

Now who's being literalistic,hmm? The mustard seed Story is a parable:a literary device. Jesus is giving an image of the growth of the Kingdom that the people hearing Him would understand.

Answer 6

Take away all the things that people argue about Jesus--that he was or wasn't the son of God, that him dying on the cross did or did not absolve you of your sins, etc...

Jesus was, in the most simple of definitions a TEACHER. A good teacher knows how to explain things in ways that his students will understand. He used an analogy almost anyone in the audience would be familiar with, regardless of if there was a more "correct" analogy. The point of the parable was about what it takes to get into heaven, not to prove his scientific knowledge.

Answer 7

He was using the mustard seed because people in that part of the world were familiar with it . Most of them were not familiar with the other seeds you mention. Anyway, all you want to do is find fault with the Bible. You will never prove it wrong.

Answer 8

he was preaching to people 2000 years ago and a parable is ment to make something easier to understand for people that regularly would not understand. The people back then most likely know their home plant of a mustard seed and would not know of a distant plant

Answer 9

Whether he used the idea of the mustard seed, or the idea of the orchid seed, the meaning of the parable will be all the same. simple as that.

Answer 10

Trees are not "garden plants", so the asker of this question is deliberately telling a lie in his evil and worthless attempt to demonize God. When the asker says Jesus is 2000 years old he accidentally admits that Jesus still lives, the only true thing he says here.

Answer 11

Remember, Jesus was speaking to simple people... Maybe they'd never seen orchid seeds so he used a seed that they'd be familiar with?