There
are some people who try to invalidate the faith of Christians or those
contemplating the Christian faith, because of inconsistencies within the
Gospels. You, as a discerning person, need to determine if these
inconsistencies really validate their opposition to: Jesus Christ is the Son of
God. I will use the New King James Version of the Bible and Internet resources
to research this question.
Matthew
13:31-32 says: Another parable He [Jesus] forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is
like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, “which indeed is
the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs
and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its
branches.”
Mark
4:30-34 says: Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall
we picture it? “It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground,
is smaller than all the seeds on earth; and becomes greater than all herbs, and
shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its
shade.”
Luke
13:17-19 says: And when He [Jesus] said these things, all His adversaries were
put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that
were done by Him. Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?
“It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew
and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”
The
Gospel of John doesn’t not make a reference to the Mustard Seed Parable.
[First
of all, we have to decide what the inconsistencies are:
The
primary inconsistency that is challenged is that Jesus said, “It is like a mustard seed
which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on
earth;...”
Although,
I don’t agree with the following findings, I am including a portion of a post
that challenges the validity of Jesus comment. I will put my comments in
brackets.]
Seeking the truth, and the truthful.™
What is the smallest seed in the world?
on What is the smallest seed in the world?
HINT: It’s not the mustard seed!
The world’s
smallest seeds,
which have no endosperm and contain underdeveloped embryos, are produced by
certain epiphytic orchids (family Orchidaceae) in the tropical rainforest. Some
seeds are only 1/300th of an inch (85 micrometers) long, which is below the
resolving power of the unaided human eye. One seed weighs only 1/35,000,000th
of an ounce (0.81 micrograms). Orchid seeds are dispersed into the air like
minute dust particles and come to rest in the upper canopy of rainforest trees,
where they eventually germinate.
On the other hand, the seed of the begonia plant
is about 1/100th of an inch in size, that of the petunia plant about 1/50th of
an inch, and that of the mustard plant (family Brassicaceae) about 1/20th of an
inch.
[I’m
not saying the person who wrote the post above is trying to identify Biblical
inconsistencies to confuse others, but that he has put forth some factual
horticultural information on seed size that I felt led to research further. ]
Excerpts from:
The Ultimate Guide to Orchids and Orchid Care
Written by Bryan Alaspa
An orchid is a type of flowering plant that is
part of the Orchidaceae family. They are in one of the
largest families of flowering plants.
Orchids share some similar features. The
flowering blooms are bilateral and symmetrical, which means that both sides of
the flower are mirror reflections of each other. Many of the flowers bloom
upside down (resupinate). The petals, or labellum, are usually very modified
and orchids have fused stamens and carpels. Orchids also have very tiny seeds
housed within a dry capsule. Those capsules hold thousands of the tiny seeds
and they lack endosperm.
Are orchids perennials?
This, like so many questions related to orchids,
depends on the species you are growing. However, the majority of orchids are
perennial epiphytes and they grow anchored to trees and shrubs. The majority of
them prefer tropical and subtropical climates.
Where do orchids grow naturally?
One of the more
interesting things about orchids is that they do not grow
in soil. In fact, if you grow orchids and try to put them in the soil, you will
likely kill them.
[O.K.
The orchid, according to Professor Olsen, may have the smallest seed, but does
it invalidate what Jesus said? “It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is
smaller than all the seeds on earth;...” In my opinion, in that the
orchid does not grow in soil and would likely kill them, the orchid seed does
not invalidate what Jesus said, because it would not have been sown on the
ground. Next, I sought to check out Begonia seeds.]
Excerpts
from:
Propagation Of Begonias
In
plants in the natural world, the act of reproduction is through the transfer of pollen from the
stamens of the male flower to the pistils of the female, either by wind or
insects. This
results in the fertilization of the female ovaries and eventually the formation
of seed. When ripe, the seedpod
splits, allowing the seed to disperse, some of which germinates, thus
perpetuating the species.
In the
world of horticulture, the natural process can be controlled by using selected plants to obtain
seed, which is known as hybridization. In addition, various methods of taking and
rooting vegetative cutting material to increase stock are available.
[O.K.
The Begonia, according to Professor Olsen, has a smaller seed than the Mustard
seed, but does it invalidate what Jesus said? “It is like a mustard seed
which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on
earth;...” Since the Begonia’s act of reproduction is
through the transfer of pollen from the stamens of the male flower to the
pistils of the female, either by wind or insects and when ripe, the seedpod
splits, allowing the seed to disperse, some of which germinates, thus
perpetuating the species or can be grown through a controlled process called
hybridization, does not invalidate what Jesus said, because it
would not have been sown on the ground. Next, I sought to check out Petunia
seeds.]
Excerpts from:
GROWING
PETUNIAS: HOW TO PLANT, GROW, AND CARE FOR PETUNIAS
By The
Editors
- You can grow petunias from seeds, but it is
easier to grow them from transplants. If you are going to grow from seeds, start
them indoors 10 to 12 weeks before you want to set them outside. Petunia
seeds are very small and need lots of light in order to germinate. Remember to water
them. When the plants have three leaves, you can plant them outside.
· It’s best to buy transplants and plant them in
light, well-drained soil in full sun after the last spring frost. (See your local frost dates.) Petunias can
grow in partial shade, but they will have fewer flowers. It’s better if the
plants have shelter from the wind.
·
[O.K.
The Petunia, according to Professor Olsen, may have a smaller seed than the
Mustard seed, but does it invalidate what Jesus said? “It is like a mustard seed
which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on
earth;...” In my opinion, in that that Petunias have to be grown
by seed inside, before transplanting outside, does not invalidate what Jesus
said, because it would not have been sown on the ground. Actually, I checked
another source to make sure that they have to be grown inside first and they
do. Next, I sought to check out Mustard seeds to make sure they can be sown on
the ground.]
Excerpts from:
Gardening
Know How: Planting Mustard Seeds: How To Grow Mustard Seed Plants https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/mustard/growing-mustard-seed.htm
Many
people don’t realize that a mustard seed plant is the same plant as a mustard
greens plant (Brassica juncea). This versatile plant can be grown as a
vegetable and eaten like other greens or, if allowed to flower and go to seed,
mustard seeds can be harvested and used as a spice in cooking or ground into a
popular condiment. Learning how to grow mustard seeds is easy and rewarding.
How to Plant Mustard Seed Mustard seed plants are normally grown from seed but
can be grown from purchased seedlings as well. When selecting mustard seeds for
planting, any mustard plant grown for greens can also be grown for mustard
seed. Plant the mustard seed about three weeks before your last frost date.
Since you’ll be harvesting the mustard seed, there’s no need to use succession
planting like you do with mustard greens. Plant your mustard seeds about an
inch apart. Once they sprout, thin the seedlings so that they are 6 inches
apart. Mustard plants grown for seed are planted further apart than plants
grown for just leaves as the mustard plant will be getting much larger.
[O.K.
According to Professor Olsen, the Orchid, Begonia, and Petunia had smaller
seeds than the Mustard Seed, but does it invalidate what Jesus said? “It is like a mustard seed
which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on
earth;...” In my opinion, the Orchid, Begonia and Petunia seeds,
although smaller than the Mustard Seed do not invalidate what Jesus said about
the Mustard Seed. Additionally, the information gathered tells that the Mustard
Seed is generally planted outside on the ground about three weeks before the
last frost and is the smallest seed sown on the ground.]
[Other
inconsistencies that we need to research related to these passages:
Luke
13:17-19 says: And when He [Jesus] said these things, all His adversaries were
put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that
were done by Him, but the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark don’t
mention this. Does this inconsistency invalidate that Jesus said the Mustard
Seed Parable or that He is the Son of God?]
[In
order to accurately research this question, I re-read both Matthew 13:31-32 and
Mark 4:30-34 and then read what was said prior to the Mustard Seed Parable and
what was said after the Mustard Seed Parable to see if anything was said that
refers to: And when He [Jesus] said these things, all His adversaries were put
to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were
done by Him, and did not find something similar to these words either before or
after the Mustard Seed Parable.]
[O.K.
Does this inconsistency invalidate that Jesus said the Mustard Seed Parable or
that He is the Son of God? In my opinion, Luke may have noted comments he heard
or was aware of connected to Jesus sharing the Mustard Seed Parable, but
the other two apostles either weren’t aware of these comments or attitudes or
they just didn’t find them significant enough to note.]
[That
brings us to the important analysis of the inconsistencies in the Mustard Seed
Parable. Does this inconsistency invalidate that Jesus said the Mustard Seed
Parable or that He is the Son of God? In my opinion, since three of the
Apostles have recorded basically the same information that Jesus shared with
the Mustard Seed Parable corroborates that He did say it.
Nothing
within any of these inconsistencies mentioned, even those that were disproved
are anywhere close to being significant enough to deny that Jesus is the Son of
God.
Be
discerning when you read information from those who would like to dissuade you
from a faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior. It is common for them to point out
inconsistencies trying to confuse you, but you are an intelligent, discerning
human being. Are you willing to let others confuse you and lose your focus on Jesus
Christ, your only link to Salvation in Heaven? “For God so loved the World
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting Life. “For God did not send His Son into the world
to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John
3:16-17
You
can find lots of additional Biblical Proof of Jesus being the Son of God on the
blog: How to Know That Jesus Is God’s Son at https://JesusIsSonOfGod.blogpsot.com]
