PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED
©1991
36" x 26"
Private Collection
In Matthew 13:31-32 one learns that the kingdom of heaven is like the smallest of seeds, a mustard seed, which a man sowed. When the plant has grown, it becomes such a great shrub that the birds of the air come & make nests in its branches. I tried to find a picture of this type of mustard plant that Jesus was talking about, but could only find a botanical drawing of the brassica negra, which I used as a design for this quilt. On telling a friend of my search, she said to go into the country and see the wild mustard blooming. I could then picture Jesus sitting on a Galilean hillside with the wild mustard surrounding him. In this setting the meaning of this parable would have been obvious.