The Cosmic Tree and the Parable of the Mustard Seed 

At least three Old Testament chapters (Ezekiel 17, 31, and Daniel 4) use imagery drawn from a widespread ancient myth of a cosmic tree or world tree. The image of the world tree, in which the birds of the heavens (=peoples of the world) make their nest, is in the backdrop of Jesus’ parable about the mustard seed. How so? What themes, imagery, and language are shared by the parable and the cosmic tree? Also, how does Joel 3 and its description of a “sickle judgment” in the valley of Jehoshaphat elucidate the parable of the man who sowed seed but did not know how it grew? In this week’s video, Chad Bird looks through Hebrew eyes at the twin parables in Mark 4:26-32 to see how the Old Testament deepens our understanding of these parables.