Parable of the Mustard Seed (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A): Revision Note

What does the parable of the mustard seed mean?

• The Parable of the Mustard Seed is the third “seed” parable that Jesus told

• It is a short story in which Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed, which is tiny: “the smallest of all the seeds on earth”

• When the mustard seed is planted, the tree that grows from it is large enough for birds to nest in

• The meaning of the parable is that the Kingdom of God starts very small, grows invisibly at first and then becomes a large force in the world

  • This proved to be true: The Kingdom of God started with Jesus and then his disciples, and then it grew and spread until Christianity became the largest religion in the world

• The birds in this parable represent the Gentiles, or non-Jews

  • Birds were a Jewish symbol for Gentiles. Jesus was teaching his followers that the Kingdom of God would expand to include non-Jews and that his followers should look to include them when they went out to spread the message

• Today, many Christians see the tree in the parable as representing the worldwide Christian Church, which can shelter everyone who needs its care and protection.

_{Attribution:
Mustard Seeds by Eugenio Hansen is Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0}

The Kingdom of God and Christianity today

• Today, the Kingdom of God is still seen as both a present reality within the Christian religion and something that Christians pray will be established on Earth

• In the Lord’s Prayer, Christians say, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven”

  • This is a prayer to establish the Kingdom of God on Earth now

• Christians work to establish the Kingdom of God on Earth and bring its characteristics to the world in many ways:

  • They may take religious vows and serve God as a dedicated priest, monk or nun

  • They may do voluntary work within their communities to improve the lives of others. For example, running food banks or visiting the sick

  • They may pursue a career that allows them to serve other people

• Many Christian organisations work throughout the world to ensure people are cared for both physically and spiritually. Examples include:

  • Christian Aid

  • Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)

  • Tearfund

  • World Council of Churches

• Christians also become involved in the work of non-religious organisations that are promoting welfare alongside people from other faiths or those of no faith. Examples include:

  • United Nations

  • CARE International

  • Oxfam

  • Amnesty International